Old Jan 1, 2018, 10:53 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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.
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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
Print Wikipost

Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2018)

Old Apr 17, 2018, 11:45 am
  #661  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by ChrisFlyer66
What VGC were you using (Metabank, US Bank, Green dot?)
VGCs from Sunrise Bank, "serviced by Blackhawk Network California". These cards have worked flawlessly for many months, and some of them that were no go at several WMs worked easily at Albertsons shortly thereafter. But following that, got "wrong pin code" message at a couple of other Albertsons locations. Going back later today to retry the Albertsons that worked on Sunday. I will report back. Wish me luck.
wyogold and MadMadso like this.
RobertHanson is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 12:11 pm
  #662  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,374
Originally Posted by Dardack
I hope you're right. Think the multi swipe/GC no longer allowed was just memo I hope and not hard coded. My order from last week hasn't come yet, so I'm waiting. At least my Groc is still working (just did my weekly 5% OBC 2k run).
Originally Posted by wyogold
Still bau 2 x 2 x 999.12 at my wm
Just did 4 swipes at WMSC with Meta. (4 x $200) This is a different one than the one that told me I was limited to 1 swipe a day. I have 3 cards left and will, just for fun, try the 1 swipe WMSC at a different time to see if it is a WM thing or was a customer service provider issue.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 12:55 pm
  #663  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 305
BAU, at least this morning, in my local two WMs (Midwest) - 2 swipes x $500 each + 3 swipes x $300 each at the first one (this one doesn't make double beep) and 3 swipes x $300 each at another (this one has been having double beep for about 3 weeks now). I don't know if it will change tomorrow or in a few days, but I guess in this hobby it's one day at a time...
in4tar is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 12:57 pm
  #664  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 95
Somewhat I agree with you. Last week I did multi-swipe with VGC from OD promo. Only one of 3 cards was unable to go through. I tried 3-4 times but I knew the card has the money($200) available. It ends up I used my personal bank card to complete the transaction. The other day I used the same card with one swipe without any issue. I didn't read FT until yesterday. Now I know I am not the only having the issue.
hickson is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 1:09 pm
  #665  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 95
Originally Posted by kciflyer
Still bau today for loading my Serve Account with Meta VGCs in Kansas City (two swipes).
I think we were talking about the issue buying MO instead of loading.....correct me if I were wrong.
hickson is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 1:21 pm
  #666  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,668
Originally Posted by hickson
I think we were talking about the issue buying MO instead of loading.....correct me if I were wrong.
We were talking about MO. But when Walmart hard-coded against vanilla VGC for MO, it also affected loading Serve. I would assume additional hard-coding would be the same.
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 1:26 pm
  #667  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 95
Originally Posted by ChrisFlyer66
We were talking about MO. But when Walmart hard-coded against vanilla VGC for MO, it also affected loading Serve. I would assume additional hard-coding would be the same.
Thanks for the info. That's good to know.
hickson is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 2:31 pm
  #668  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 161
Originally Posted by Dardack
How many VGC? Could you have gotten bad batch? Did you activate them (i know people should know here, but ran into someone who had only purchased from GCM.com before and not GC.com and never activated them)?

Has the only DP's been from VA regarding hard code?
I checked the balance in the parking lot after WM stop #1 and all showed $500. Both showed correctly for GCM and GC.com.. i have a mixed batch. i made a trip a little further out of NOVA to check and i was able to buy some MO's (6K today) with a mix of my cars today. Found a random grocery store in the middle of VA. guess im done after this batch bc the drive of over an hour isnt worth it for me.
wanalaugh74 is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 4:09 pm
  #669  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: LAX, SNA
Posts: 359
Originally Posted by wanalaugh74
I checked the balance in the parking lot after WM stop #1 and all showed $500. Both showed correctly for GCM and GC.com.. i have a mixed batch. i made a trip a little further out of NOVA to check and i was able to buy some MO's (6K today) with a mix of my cars today. Found a random grocery store in the middle of VA. guess im done after this batch bc the drive of over an hour isnt worth it for me.
I was able to unload my batch today without any issues. I was using cards from GCM and Metabank cards from Vons. However, I am hearing that double beep that people have started mentioning. I noticed it before the past couple of weeks, but never thought much of it.

It seems there are now two datapoints regarding issues with unloading the GCs at WM, one person stated multiple WMs in SoCal and the other in NOVA.
dogbyte is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 4:14 pm
  #670  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by hickson
I think we were talking about the issue buying MO instead of loading.....correct me if I were wrong.
Once the system upgrade disallows ALL VGCs, it'll affect buying MOs, B/Ps and loading of registered prepaid cards like Serve/BB/GoB/WMmoney cards

IF USPS succeeded in disallowing gift card debits to purchase MO, no doubt that WM can... IF (big IF) they will it. If this order comes from Bentonville head office, it'll affect all WMs nationwide, including Neighborhood markets.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 4:19 pm
  #671  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
Originally Posted by dogbyte
It seems there are now two datapoints regarding issues with unloading the GCs at WM, one person stated multiple WMs in SoCal and the other in NOVA.
Let's keep in mind that those two have been turning into MS wastelands for a while now. All of this recent panic may be much ado about nothing for the rest of this great country
wyogold is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 4:23 pm
  #672  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,419
Got the two beeps

i actually used 4 Simon mall meta bank Visa Gift Cards today and got the beeps, for the first time. My formerly friendly CSR said she had to see all four cards before we began. She said she had to make sure my name was on them. Im not going to play games, as I have been going to this store for 5 years and they know what I do. I showed her the cards. She didnt have her glasses on and said, OK. So I swipe them and get the beeps yet they went through.

Did some shopping and on the way out stopped to chat with my favorite CSR and she told me they just had training (I guess since last week) and they were all instructed to look at all cards being used for MOs and to reject any card that does not have the persons name on it.

This is not looking good.
cruisr is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 4:26 pm
  #673  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,668
Originally Posted by cruisr
i actually used 4 Simon mall meta bank Visa Gift Cards today and got the beeps, for the first time. My formerly friendly CSR said she had to see all four cards before we began. She said she had to make sure my name was on them. Im not going to play games, as I have been going to this store for 5 years and they know what I do. I showed her the cards. She didnt have her glasses on and said, OK. So I swipe them and get the beeps yet they went through.

Did some shopping and on the way out stopped to chat with my favorite CSR and she told me they just had training (I guess since last week) and they were all instructed to look at all cards being used for MOs and to reject any card that does not have the persons name on it.

This is not looking good.
Just get an embosser and put your name on the cards before you use them.
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 4:28 pm
  #674  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,837
Originally Posted by cruisr
i actually used 4 Simon mall meta bank Visa Gift Cards today and got the beeps, for the first time. My formerly friendly CSR said she had to see all four cards before we began. She said she had to make sure my name was on them. I’m not going to play games, as I have been going to this store for 5 years and they know what I do. I showed her the cards. She didn’t have her glasses on and said, OK. So I swipe them and get the beeps yet they went through.

Did some shopping and on the way out stopped to chat with my favorite CSR and she told me they just had training (I guess since last week) and they were all instructed to look at all cards being used for MOs and to reject any card that does not have the persons name on it.

This is not looking good.

​​​​​​​as long as it's not hard coded I think we'll be ok.
lumangoy is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 4:51 pm
  #675  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SoCal (ONT), PVD/BOS, JAX, RSW
Programs: AA/US PlatPro & 1.05MM, DL Plat (challenge), UA dirt
Posts: 3,185
Originally Posted by lumangoy
as long as it's not hard coded I think we'll be ok.
One change that I forgot to mention was that on Friday, the CSM informed me that starting on May 1, she will need to take down my DL info and will need my SS number to enter into a binder. But apparently, it will be BAU after that point.
fgirard is offline  

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