just got back from WM where Kate refused to take OV (tried 3 different cards)after multiple swipes (was mute :)), finally use VGC to feed GB card.

Had some weird issues with MC claiming I had incorrect PIN on my PP, chime and metabank card. I had correct PIN everytime. Just kept plugging it in until it worked. Odd.

So if trying to load Bluebird or Serve at the Kate with OV, how many unsuccessful swipes will you try per card, before moving onto the next one? And if a card doesn't work one day after multiple swipes, is it likely to never work?... or is there a chance it will rise from the dead on another day?

The problem is not with the cards, the problem seems to be with WM/Kate's communication network. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I'd keep trying at Kate until it works. Eventually the Vanilla card will.

I will try at least 5 swipes before I give up. I never had to swipe more than 5 times with 1 card.

Three different possibilities:

1) Temporary glitch with Kate, as the key pad says: "card misread, try again". Just keep swiping for awhile, no need to switch cards, unless that makes you feel better.

2) WM/Kate communication down, often lasting for a day or two. When you run out of patience without having had any success, go home, try another day. If it's that, there will be lots of posts here when you get home all saying "kates not working today".

3) That specific Kate could be out of order, and you are the first one to find that out. In that case, there should be mainly posts here that it's working.

Way behind on my loads for this month. Some datapoints from the same store today (no Kate, so all cashier):

Morning: 6 out of 8 attempted swipes using Vanilla cards were successful

Evening: 0 out of 10 attempted swipes using Vanilla cards were successful

BTW, I never do more than 2 failed swipes at one cashier (and I always have non-Vanilla VGCs as backups), so the 10 unsuccessful swipes were at five different registers.

I'm starting to think that it would be in everyone's best interest for Walmart to block all OV transactions. The multiple swipes that have become the norm with these cards do nothing but draw unwanted attention. Unfortunately, those who continue to pursue this method of liquidation either can't see this as a potential problem, don't care, or do not have access to alternate means.

What are your thoughts?

I 100% agree...wish they would die a fast and painful death. Way to many people are getting stupid with doing multiple swipes. I do not even try, as its easier to liquidate elsewhere w/o drawing unwanted attn.

I completely agree. The problem is not so much the swipes, but the fact that the people doing so many swipes just cannot understand why it is problematic. They will come up with a million reasons why swiping each OV 10+ times is ok, which is a threat to all other MSing techniques as well.

I'm not sure if my post triggered this new round of debate about too many swipes, but anyone who thinks that two failed swipes at a register is a big deal needs to spend more time in walmart lines. I can't even begin to tell you how many walmart customers seem to have problems figuring out how to use the payment terminal, including having to swipe their card five or six times, or enter their pin multiple times. My stores have self-checkout, and most customers who are halfway competent just use those. No cashier even blinks an eye at two failed swipes.

It's great that some of you have best friends at grocery stores that can process thousands of dollars in gift card purchases every day for you, but for the rest of us, I don't think it's a problem to try vanilla cards in moderation.

If you read some of the posts on here, it actually seems that crackdowns at WM are arising from people doing huge volumes in money orders/billpays every trip ($10K+), not from failed vanilla swipes.

+1 ^ THIS....

"I'm starting to think that it would be in everyone's best interest for (all banks) to block all (MS) transactions"...then no one will worry any more about what some other person is doing causing problems for whatever they themselves are doing. In fact, let's just close down FT right now, and start local "MS anonymous" groups. :p

anyone having or seeing issues with USB VGCs esp at registers: going to credit by default? noticed this a few times esp on the new/color terminals. not sure if the cashier is messing up by hitting whatever button they need to on their side too quickly. kinda caught me by surprise, then a cpl cards even popped up with an error (dont remem exactly but something about payment method not acceptable) something I woulda only expected for vanilla's.

anyways, old/B&W terminals work much much better, and always goto debit for USB cards. and ofc no probs at kate.

-1:td: THIS