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)
Apr 18, 2018, 7:53 am
#691
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
"The hard coding against VGCs was a false flag"
Not in the WMS in my area it's not. At all 5 stores the CSRs were quite friendly, and happy to do the transaction. They were unaware that anything had changed and as mystified as I was when the transaction didn't go thru. The good news is that it's not a MoneyGram thing, but a regional WM decision. But when 5 WMs in a row can't process a GC, that's not an individual employee matter.
Not in the WMS in my area it's not. At all 5 stores the CSRs were quite friendly, and happy to do the transaction. They were unaware that anything had changed and as mystified as I was when the transaction didn't go thru. The good news is that it's not a MoneyGram thing, but a regional WM decision. But when 5 WMs in a row can't process a GC, that's not an individual employee matter.
Apr 18, 2018, 8:30 am
#692
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 43
My go to WM in my area did 2 MO (4 swipes each) no problem yesterday. SE MI for what its worth.
Since I did more than 1 MO, they did however fill out a Money Order Processing Form with all my information that I guess they send up to corporate. Never dealt with that before.
Since I did more than 1 MO, they did however fill out a Money Order Processing Form with all my information that I guess they send up to corporate. Never dealt with that before.
Apr 18, 2018, 8:41 am
#693
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Hardcoding of registers at WM is definitely a matter of concern especially for those whose only recycle center is WM. For as long as this is not done nationwide as ordered by Bentonville head office, YMMV will continue to reign.
However, eMSAR reports faxed to the head office is something to watch out for. I googled images of eMSAR at Walmart and that is where I saw the eMSAR forms that cashiers take a while to fill in at select stores (for now). So this is what's taking them so long while asking for ID and SSN from customers who are buying MOs and/or doing WMBP. MSers can take a look what's in those forms being faxed and decide if they want their activities scrutinized at the head office.
However, eMSAR reports faxed to the head office is something to watch out for. I googled images of eMSAR at Walmart and that is where I saw the eMSAR forms that cashiers take a while to fill in at select stores (for now). So this is what's taking them so long while asking for ID and SSN from customers who are buying MOs and/or doing WMBP. MSers can take a look what's in those forms being faxed and decide if they want their activities scrutinized at the head office.
Apr 18, 2018, 9:08 am
#694
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
Programs: various
Posts: 3,690
Local Grocery sells WU MO's. Spotted a new WU sign posted up on the wall today saying that they only accept chip based Debit for MO.
For now its just a poster on a wall, but still not a good sign.
For now its just a poster on a wall, but still not a good sign.
Apr 18, 2018, 9:15 am
#695
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SoCal (ONT), PVD/BOS, JAX, RSW
Programs: AA/US PlatPro & 1.05MM, DL Plat (challenge), UA dirt
Posts: 3,189
Perhaps, if more vendors would only accept EMV instead of magnetic stripe, then that would force the GC issuers to start putting chips into the cards. One thing that I have noticed is that many retailers (including WM) will not allow a manual entry of the CC/DC/GC number.
Apr 18, 2018, 9:45 am
#696
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,674
"The hard coding against VGCs was a false flag"
Not in the WMS in my area it's not. At all 5 stores the CSRs were quite friendly, and happy to do the transaction. They were unaware that anything had changed and as mystified as I was when the transaction didn't go thru. The good news is that it's not a MoneyGram thing, but a regional WM decision. But when 5 WMs in a row can't process a GC, that's not an individual employee matter.
Not in the WMS in my area it's not. At all 5 stores the CSRs were quite friendly, and happy to do the transaction. They were unaware that anything had changed and as mystified as I was when the transaction didn't go thru. The good news is that it's not a MoneyGram thing, but a regional WM decision. But when 5 WMs in a row can't process a GC, that's not an individual employee matter.
Apr 18, 2018, 12:13 pm
#698
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 168
BAU
BAU (hah, didn't even know what it meant until someone defined it above) in Connecticut, did 2K, didn't want to risk doing 3K.
Apr 18, 2018, 12:35 pm
#699
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
If GC.com et al offer it in the future and it will enable me to continue MS I will gladly pay the additional cost though.
Apr 18, 2018, 1:35 pm
#701
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
Apr 18, 2018, 1:56 pm
#702
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 31
If a store/location decides to block mag card readers, this would affect all gebits not having a chip. That's assuming my DP from post 686 is confirmed.
Apr 18, 2018, 2:59 pm
#704
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Chicken Little Was Wrong...
So sorry to needlessly freak everyone out. The first clue was that several people posted today about doing, in some cases huge loads, at WM. So I went back to several of the Albertson locations that worked for me on Sunday. And guess what? All 3 of them easily loaded $1k OF VGCs for me. So it's not MoneyGram at all. It's just that several Albertsons have individually hard coded, and AFAIK all of my local WMs have as well. But overall there is no national hard coding as of yet. So I guess I created a needless panic. So sorry about that.
Not that it couldn't happen tomorrow, but it's not happening today. For which I am so grateful, since I have so much left to do.
So sorry to needlessly freak everyone out. The first clue was that several people posted today about doing, in some cases huge loads, at WM. So I went back to several of the Albertson locations that worked for me on Sunday. And guess what? All 3 of them easily loaded $1k OF VGCs for me. So it's not MoneyGram at all. It's just that several Albertsons have individually hard coded, and AFAIK all of my local WMs have as well. But overall there is no national hard coding as of yet. So I guess I created a needless panic. So sorry about that.
Not that it couldn't happen tomorrow, but it's not happening today. For which I am so grateful, since I have so much left to do.
Apr 18, 2018, 3:16 pm
#705
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SoCal (ONT), PVD/BOS, JAX, RSW
Programs: AA/US PlatPro & 1.05MM, DL Plat (challenge), UA dirt
Posts: 3,189
Another DP: I stopped by my local Vons and got a $500 Meta VGC, which was BAU. At the WMNM, It was also BAU, except I got the double beep just before inputting in the PIN. When I inquired, the CSR said that the double beep has been happening with all DCs for all transactions since Saturday.