WM Charges 4.95 to reload at kiosk
Jun 12, 2014, 12:52 pm
#107
Join Date: May 2013
Programs: DL PLT, AS 75k, AA Exec Plat
Posts: 391
Correct. GoBank doesn't have purchase fees and you request one online, not one of the walmart money cards that you buy at Walmart. No monthly fees for not loading anything either - which I think the Walmart preferred money card requires to waive fees. You load it as a walmart money card at the kiosks though and if the cashier looks at you strangely when you ask to load it, I just tell them it's the same way as loading a Bluebird or Walmart money card and they get it.
Jun 12, 2014, 1:31 pm
#110
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 201
WalMart is not "a merchant."
CC companies are in the "retail transaction" business. WalMart is the single largest "retail transaction" company in the known universe. Accordingly, WalMart is the CC companies' single largest customer. No one else is even close.
WalMart is #20 on the Forbes 2000 list. By comparison, McDonald's is #186. Target is #200. Amazon is #452.
CC companies carry little-to-no weight with WalMart, who regards them as not much more than "useful idiots."
Jun 12, 2014, 1:50 pm
#112
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Correct. GoBank doesn't have purchase fees and you request one online, not one of the walmart money cards that you buy at Walmart. No monthly fees for not loading anything either - which I think the Walmart preferred money card requires to waive fees. You load it as a walmart money card at the kiosks though and if the cashier looks at you strangely when you ask to load it, I just tell them it's the same way as loading a Bluebird or Walmart money card and they get it.
What is your personal opinion on your GoBank card, and how hard do you use it?
thanks for the info. I am just looking for another re loadable card to use at Walmart / kiosk.
Jun 12, 2014, 2:02 pm
#113
Join Date: May 2013
Programs: DL PLT, AS 75k, AA Exec Plat
Posts: 391
Thanks. I just did some research on the Gobank card. Same issuer (Greendot). Same comments "shut down without notice. hold your money for months,etc"
What is your personal opinion on your GoBank card, and how hard do you use it?
thanks for the info. I am just looking for another re loadable card to use at Walmart / kiosk.
What is your personal opinion on your GoBank card, and how hard do you use it?
thanks for the info. I am just looking for another re loadable card to use at Walmart / kiosk.
Jun 12, 2014, 2:04 pm
#114
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 138
I have 4. My oldest one is a month or two past the one year mark, the others are just a bit past the 1 year mark. I was living in NYC when I first got them so getting to Walmart was a rare thing and because of that, I never got more than $5k loaded a month if that. Not sure if that's why, but all my cards avoided the shutdown during the giant wave of them. I've always kept to the bluebird limits. I've only recently moved to a more Walmart friendly location but I'm still keeping at the same limits. I went over the $5k mark by a couple hundred on two of them a month or so ago but not even a warning so far. It's basically doubling my bluebird/serve capacity, so I'm pretty happy with it.
Jun 12, 2014, 2:05 pm
#115
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 198
Insightful analysis! Thanks for sharing.
But why would WalMart collude with AmEx? WalMart is not a big player in the prepaid card mkt, and its money card is issued by Green Dot.
But why would WalMart collude with AmEx? WalMart is not a big player in the prepaid card mkt, and its money card is issued by Green Dot.
With recent hiccups in Vanilla GCs I wonder if we're actually seeing symptoms of a "WalMart/AmEx vs Vanilla" fight going on here?
If AmEx wanted to kill Vanilla in the prepaid debit card arena, they could easily tell WalMart to code the system to make Vanilla GC's easier to detect/reject.
If the two can kill Vanilla, Vanilla's pre-paid/reloadable Visa card goes away. Then BB/Serve gains market share in that space. And don't think that WM/AmEx doesn't know that MS'ers can be a tipping point in that fight. I know WalMart and AmEx very well from a commercial/strategic standpoint. If either/both didn't want MSers using GCs... it would have stopped within HOURS of the first GC being swiped into the system.
Ironically, WM/AmEx were probably high-fiving when CVS took it upon themselves to punch Vanilla in the nose by no longer accepting credit cards for VRs. (Hint: CVS is one of WalMart's biggest competitor's in the lucrative pharma/OTC/H&BA areas, all of which have far higher margins than $12 jeans, etc.)
If I were GreenDot I'd pay attention here. They are next...
If AmEx wanted to kill Vanilla in the prepaid debit card arena, they could easily tell WalMart to code the system to make Vanilla GC's easier to detect/reject.
If the two can kill Vanilla, Vanilla's pre-paid/reloadable Visa card goes away. Then BB/Serve gains market share in that space. And don't think that WM/AmEx doesn't know that MS'ers can be a tipping point in that fight. I know WalMart and AmEx very well from a commercial/strategic standpoint. If either/both didn't want MSers using GCs... it would have stopped within HOURS of the first GC being swiped into the system.
Ironically, WM/AmEx were probably high-fiving when CVS took it upon themselves to punch Vanilla in the nose by no longer accepting credit cards for VRs. (Hint: CVS is one of WalMart's biggest competitor's in the lucrative pharma/OTC/H&BA areas, all of which have far higher margins than $12 jeans, etc.)
If I were GreenDot I'd pay attention here. They are next...
Jun 12, 2014, 2:05 pm
#116
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: US Airways Gold, Marriott Platinum, SW A List
Posts: 1,575
For those who call in, what information do they ask you for? I have a Serve card not in my name and wanted to know what information I needed to know to call to get the fee reversed?
Jun 12, 2014, 2:06 pm
#117
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Thanks guys. I'll check the wiki.
Jun 12, 2014, 2:12 pm
#118
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 466
Maybe birthday and address? Don't remember.
But maybe just wait and see if it fixes itself.
Jun 12, 2014, 2:53 pm
#119
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS
Programs: SPG Plat. Marriott Plat. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Diamond. IHG Plat.
Posts: 2,580