Jan 1, 2018, 10:53 am
Last edit by: wyogold
This is the thread for 2018. The previous discussion can be found here.
The 2019 thread can be found here
New to MO: Read this entire Wiki (Click to open) and all posts for some tips before asking common questions. It is best to know what you are doing before you try.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tested Gebit cards:
1. DO NOT WORK - Any Vanilla product affiliated with InComm or ITC Financial Services will not work for swipes over $49.99.
2. Visas issued by MetaBank work great.
3. MC issued by US bank work good, but you need to change payment type to debit before they enter the amount in the register. See below for details.
5. Gdot/sun work but take about an hour to activate.
NEW Limits as of 11/18 - 8K with ID every 24 hours. ID required for MO over 1K.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________
Some tips for starting out:
All WM registers allow 4 debit swipes per transaction, but YMMV per store and cashier. Refer to cards as Debit cards.
Start slow and buy one MO with one Gebit to see how it works. Refer to cards as Debit, only this community calls them Gebits. Your store or cashier may have rules that other stores do not have, only allowing one swipe per trans or up to 4 swipes per trans. Read all the tips below and all the posts below before trying more advanced transactions. NO variety or design of VISA or MC Gebit's will ever auto-drain at Walmart so always tell them the amount you want to pay per card. Fee: 1K MO or less is usually 88 cents each, but ask or check the wall. Subtract the fee from the total or pay in cash. If a store says "no", thank them and try again another day with a different clerk.
Helpful details and tips for advanced transactions:
1. Cost: 1K MO fee is usually 88 cents each(Some states limit MO total to 750 or 950 and may have a different fee). Subtract fee from your total or pay in cash. Can buy two 1K MO in one transaction with 4 swipes for 88 cents x 2 in most states. NO variety or design of VISA or MC Gebit's will ever auto-drain at Walmart so always tell them the amount you want to pay per card.
2. Split payment transcations: You cannot successfully swipe more than 4 cards in a single transaction. If the cashier screws up and enters $50.00 instead of $500.00 (thus making it impossible for 4 swipes to complete the transaction), the transaction will need to be canceled. The funds should return to your cards right away but may take 24 hours, so note the time and person helping you. When a transaction is canceled during the trans, the money returns to the cards. If canceled after, the cash reg drawer opens and they pay you back in cash.
3. Split payment: The amount of each swipe needs to be entered by the cashier. Ask to "split the payment by $$$". The Gebit must have current balance of that amount or more otherwise slip with Error 51 will print out. Warning: (YMMV) It appears (my experience on 3 occasions during prepaid card load and buying MO in 2 different WMs) that after the debit card was charged no cash could be credited back to the card. Cashier should issue cash back. Keep the slip and contact manager if in doubt. Remember date, time and register if no slip.
4. Bad Printer: IF, by chance, you've swiped your GCs successfully, a receipt prints but the MO doesn't, make sure to ask to see the receipt and check near the bottom IF it says CHANGE/REFUND with a negative sign before the amount of GCs you swiped, that means the cashier must give you cash refund. Cashier may have to call for the cash dept manager to verify the refund. Some stores may outright give your cash refund immediately while there are others that will ask you to come back. Think twice before you buy MOs while on vacation or when you're in unknown to you territories for issues like this.
5. Kiosk: Very few Kate's can sell money orders anymore.>>>>Sometime 2016, a lot of WM supercenters have done away with Kate (kiosks that allows loading of prepaids/sell $500 MOs). As of today, MOST, if not ALL WMs, have replaced this with the regular slim ATM to check balance/withdraw money.
6. MCGC liquidation- The cashier should not enter the amount first. Technically they just can't hit enter after entering the amount. Let the CSR know you need to swipe first and switch the payment type to debit, then swipe and hit "Cancel" or "Change Payment" to select "Debit" on the screen, enter the pin and have them enter the amount.
Debit codes PDF
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/attac...0&d=1461170080
The 2019 thread can be found here
New to MO: Read this entire Wiki (Click to open) and all posts for some tips before asking common questions. It is best to know what you are doing before you try.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tested Gebit cards:
1. DO NOT WORK - Any Vanilla product affiliated with InComm or ITC Financial Services will not work for swipes over $49.99.
2. Visas issued by MetaBank work great.
3. MC issued by US bank work good, but you need to change payment type to debit before they enter the amount in the register. See below for details.
5. Gdot/sun work but take about an hour to activate.
NEW Limits as of 11/18 - 8K with ID every 24 hours. ID required for MO over 1K.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________
Some tips for starting out:
All WM registers allow 4 debit swipes per transaction, but YMMV per store and cashier. Refer to cards as Debit cards.
Start slow and buy one MO with one Gebit to see how it works. Refer to cards as Debit, only this community calls them Gebits. Your store or cashier may have rules that other stores do not have, only allowing one swipe per trans or up to 4 swipes per trans. Read all the tips below and all the posts below before trying more advanced transactions. NO variety or design of VISA or MC Gebit's will ever auto-drain at Walmart so always tell them the amount you want to pay per card. Fee: 1K MO or less is usually 88 cents each, but ask or check the wall. Subtract the fee from the total or pay in cash. If a store says "no", thank them and try again another day with a different clerk.
Helpful details and tips for advanced transactions:
1. Cost: 1K MO fee is usually 88 cents each(Some states limit MO total to 750 or 950 and may have a different fee). Subtract fee from your total or pay in cash. Can buy two 1K MO in one transaction with 4 swipes for 88 cents x 2 in most states. NO variety or design of VISA or MC Gebit's will ever auto-drain at Walmart so always tell them the amount you want to pay per card.
2. Split payment transcations: You cannot successfully swipe more than 4 cards in a single transaction. If the cashier screws up and enters $50.00 instead of $500.00 (thus making it impossible for 4 swipes to complete the transaction), the transaction will need to be canceled. The funds should return to your cards right away but may take 24 hours, so note the time and person helping you. When a transaction is canceled during the trans, the money returns to the cards. If canceled after, the cash reg drawer opens and they pay you back in cash.
3. Split payment: The amount of each swipe needs to be entered by the cashier. Ask to "split the payment by $$$". The Gebit must have current balance of that amount or more otherwise slip with Error 51 will print out. Warning: (YMMV) It appears (my experience on 3 occasions during prepaid card load and buying MO in 2 different WMs) that after the debit card was charged no cash could be credited back to the card. Cashier should issue cash back. Keep the slip and contact manager if in doubt. Remember date, time and register if no slip.
4. Bad Printer: IF, by chance, you've swiped your GCs successfully, a receipt prints but the MO doesn't, make sure to ask to see the receipt and check near the bottom IF it says CHANGE/REFUND with a negative sign before the amount of GCs you swiped, that means the cashier must give you cash refund. Cashier may have to call for the cash dept manager to verify the refund. Some stores may outright give your cash refund immediately while there are others that will ask you to come back. Think twice before you buy MOs while on vacation or when you're in unknown to you territories for issues like this.
5. Kiosk: Very few Kate's can sell money orders anymore.>>>>Sometime 2016, a lot of WM supercenters have done away with Kate (kiosks that allows loading of prepaids/sell $500 MOs). As of today, MOST, if not ALL WMs, have replaced this with the regular slim ATM to check balance/withdraw money.
6. MCGC liquidation- The cashier should not enter the amount first. Technically they just can't hit enter after entering the amount. Let the CSR know you need to swipe first and switch the payment type to debit, then swipe and hit "Cancel" or "Change Payment" to select "Debit" on the screen, enter the pin and have them enter the amount.
Debit codes PDF
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/attac...0&d=1461170080
Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2018)
Nov 5, 2018, 11:17 am
#1891
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 595
The point of structuring is to AVOID a SAR. If they file the SAR, you didn't successfully structure. It doesn't necessarily mean you didn't attempt it, but you weren't successful if they filed the SAR. Kinda like how you can't be guilty of murder if someone didn't actually die. So, by definition, you didn't structure if they filed the SAR. Attempted, perhaps.
Nov 5, 2018, 12:20 pm
#1892
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 267
The point of structuring is to AVOID a SAR. If they file the SAR, you didn't successfully structure. It doesn't necessarily mean you didn't attempt it, but you weren't successful if they filed the SAR. Kinda like how you can't be guilty of murder if someone didn't actually die. So, by definition, you didn't structure if they filed the SAR. Attempted, perhaps.
Edit: Besides, even if the relationship between SAR and structuring was "iff", I don't see anywhere in the definition of 'structuring' not being caught. From Wiki: "Structuring is the act of parceling what would otherwise be a large financial transaction into a series of smaller transactions to avoid scrutiny by regulators and law enforcement." The avoidance is the purpose, not the act itself. So just because you failed at achieving the objective of structuring, it doesn't mean you didn't structure.
Last edited by DjRocket; Nov 5, 2018 at 12:55 pm
Nov 5, 2018, 1:31 pm
#1893
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
you're making a logical fallacy. If SAR were filed if, and only if, structuring occurred, then what you said would be true. But while structuring satisfies the sufficient condition (the "if" part) for filing SAR, it doesn't satisfy the necessary condition (the "only if" part). In other words, there are conditions, like maybe trying to wire a large sum abroad without ID, which would make the bank file a SAR, regardless of whether you engage in structuring or not.
Edit: Besides, even if the relationship between SAR and structuring was "iff", I don't see anywhere in the definition of 'structuring' not being caught. From Wiki: "Structuring is the act of parceling what would otherwise be a large financial transaction into a series of smaller transactions to avoid scrutiny by regulators and law enforcement." The avoidance is the purpose, not the act itself. So just because you failed at achieving the objective of structuring, it doesn't mean you didn't structure.
Edit: Besides, even if the relationship between SAR and structuring was "iff", I don't see anywhere in the definition of 'structuring' not being caught. From Wiki: "Structuring is the act of parceling what would otherwise be a large financial transaction into a series of smaller transactions to avoid scrutiny by regulators and law enforcement." The avoidance is the purpose, not the act itself. So just because you failed at achieving the objective of structuring, it doesn't mean you didn't structure.
Second: None of the heavy M$ hitters are structuring financial transactions (money order purchases) to avoid reporting (maybe some tinfoil hatters ... ).
Third: If I could buy 20K of MOs in a single transaction with 40 swipes of 500 GCs, I would be thrilled. I don't care about paperwork because it's all legal anyway, I got nothing to hide. Our transactions are parceled into a series of smaller transactions not to avoid scrutiny, but because of limitations in the registers.
The latter part is the crux: we're not breaking any laws. Just because Cheryl Yellowvest thinks it's suspicious and want to stop us evil-doers in our tracks doesn't mean anything (except it illustrates she's a nosy **** who needs to find a new hobby).
Our activity is perhaps unusual, but it is not breaking any laws. Sadly, this simple concept if beyond the understanding of the typical walmartian.
Nov 5, 2018, 1:49 pm
#1895
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 299
agree. but will now do 1/2 of my volume..999.11 at 2 WM 3 or 4 weekly.
Nov 5, 2018, 2:31 pm
#1898
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 267
I hear you, I think there will be more restrictions and more "walmartians" as this hobby is becoming increasingly more popular. On the other hand, out of the blue, a cashier asked me last week where I traveled lately on my airline points. So she already knew what was going on and I always considered her "unfriendly" for GCs. After I showed her a couple of pictures though, which made her laugh, she was totally cool about everything. And I think that's the key. Have to turn the Walmatian "Cheryl" into a friend and a lot of the nuisances may be avoided.
Nov 5, 2018, 2:58 pm
#1899
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 267
Are you sure about that? When I did 999.12 + 0.88 fee, no ID was asked and the cashier said it's 1k and up and that it's the MoneyGram requirement, not WM. Based on that, I figured that the MO itself has to stay below 1k, regardless of whatever the fee WM is charging. So if you get a friendly "Cheryl" (i.e. she's ok with more than 1 transaction), it seems you can do a few 999.12's without ID, just multiple transactions.
Nov 5, 2018, 3:22 pm
#1900
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: JRF
Programs: AA Gold, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 1,784
But while structuring satisfies the sufficient condition (the "if" part) for filing SAR, it doesn't satisfy the necessary condition (the "only if" part). In other words, there are conditions, like maybe trying to wire a large sum abroad without ID, which would make the bank file a SAR, regardless of whether you engage in structuring or not.
Edit: Besides, even if the relationship between SAR and structuring was "iff", I don't see anywhere in the definition of 'structuring' not being caught.
Edit: Besides, even if the relationship between SAR and structuring was "iff", I don't see anywhere in the definition of 'structuring' not being caught.
Nov 5, 2018, 4:45 pm
#1901
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 6
As a newbie here, tried 2 different WM today (95133), attempted to buy a 495$ money order with one swipe, both WM CSR denied me as they saw im using VGC and they insist MO can only be purchased by a debit card linked to a bank... what should i try next?
Nov 5, 2018, 6:12 pm
#1902
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 102
Palm real debit card if asked to show, then swipe VGC instead. You may have grocery stores around your area that allow purchase of MOs w/ debit. For the future, you can always get personalized cards with your name from GCM assuming your orders go through...
Nov 5, 2018, 8:03 pm
#1903
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 6
Thank you for the instructions here. The issue with buying VGC from GCM is that im currently using PRG card to buy VGCs (4x mr points at supermarkets), and buying from GCM wont fall into the supermarket category...
Nov 5, 2018, 11:15 pm
#1904
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: DEN
Posts: 502
Not all locations are MS tolerant. Despite the flurry of positive data points lately, it's still YMMV and very location dependent. You might be in a region not favorable to MS.
Nov 6, 2018, 3:02 am
#1905
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,528
He/she lists a Bay Area zip code, and that's one of those areas that tends to clamp down more on this kind of activity. So, harrywenhr, you may have to be clever about it.