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)
Jan 12, 2018, 7:25 am
#76
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Silver, AA Platinum, Alaska MVP, Hyatt Discoverist, National Executive
Posts: 116
You can have your name printed on VGCs bought from GCM and GCC. IF any store asks to see your card and they reject it for whatever reasons even if it has your name, you just have to try another store/cashier. Some cashiers don't mind the words Gift card while others scrutinize the cards for those words; it's always YMMV.
Jan 12, 2018, 8:51 am
#77
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
Unless anyone has any actual DPs to the contrary, the printing of "Gift Certiifcate" on the MO should NOT affect its treatment as a negotiable instrument under the UCC. The MO has all the required hallmarks to be treated as NI by banks, the Fed, et. al.
Jan 12, 2018, 9:02 am
#78
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 506
Overheard an interesting little nugget today. When I got to the Money Center and said I needed a MO, another cashier was entering the MC and said, "Don’t do that !". I'm thinking, Geez, am I THAT notorious ?
The first cashier asked why not, and the other one told her to go back to doing MOs the old way, because the new way was printing 'Gift Certificate' across the top of the MOs. She said she had talked to Compliance earlier, who had transferred her to NCR, who had transferred her to the software people, who told her they are aware of the problem and are working on it. She said they were going back to the old way for MOs until everything is fixed (I assume at that branch).
So, it's not supposed to be printing 'Gift Certificate' on the MOs, it's a glitch.
The first cashier asked why not, and the other one told her to go back to doing MOs the old way, because the new way was printing 'Gift Certificate' across the top of the MOs. She said she had talked to Compliance earlier, who had transferred her to NCR, who had transferred her to the software people, who told her they are aware of the problem and are working on it. She said they were going back to the old way for MOs until everything is fixed (I assume at that branch).
So, it's not supposed to be printing 'Gift Certificate' on the MOs, it's a glitch.
Jan 12, 2018, 11:18 am
#79
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 28
I got denied from a WM today due to VGC for the first time ever. This is the same day that my primary WM rolled out the new system. Doesn't seem like a coincidence. Will probably hold off on the other WM for at least a month. Anyone gone back in with real debit cards after you've been denied in an attempt to "grease the groove"? Seems like doing that a couple of times might help. Also going to try to get some GCMs but they won't ship to my mailing address so that is another pain in the ....
Jan 12, 2018, 1:17 pm
#80
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, NSA, CIA, MIB
Posts: 537
Your name will appear on the GCM Visa cards AND it will also say "Gift Card" on it. YMMV when it comes to how it's handled.
Jan 12, 2018, 3:13 pm
#81
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 33
Out of curiosity, is the GIFT CARD raised like the cc numbers? I was hoping to just color over it
Jan 12, 2018, 5:19 pm
#83
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: SPG Plat, SWA Companion Pass, United Silver
Posts: 186
First experience with the new system, first attempt yielded a “debit unavailable error,” went outside, came back in and succeeded on the second attempt with a $499.30 MO. Signed the little slip of paper and was on my way, NBD.
Jan 12, 2018, 5:33 pm
#84
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
It's easiest to match color, when the area around "GIFT" is black. Then use a black Sharpie pen to neatly draw a stripe at the upper right corner -- will perfectly blend away the offending word.
Jan 12, 2018, 8:06 pm
#87
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 40
Today I got my first "Gift Certificate" MO...and had to sign receipt...the CSR said it's the new system and they can do up to 10 MO at a time...there are only 4 terminals at my Money Center. They used to have to yell" Money Order" wait for it to print then enter the numbers manually...not any more..and it seems much faster now. I asked the CSR "can we still do split transactions? You know like use 2 different debit cards for 1 MO?" The CSR said yes you can ..but make sure to tell them what amount to split before they start.. or the transaction will mess up. looks like a green light for multi swiping...yes!
Last edited by AZDbacks17; Jan 12, 2018 at 8:15 pm Reason: Wrong words
Jan 12, 2018, 8:17 pm
#88
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 305
I choose cards with speckled "busy" background; the word "gift" is almost hard to find there. And even though I do not bother coloring over it, if I were to do so - any color would work and blend in perfectly. I suggest looking through various card designs and choosing the one where "gift" seems less obvious.
Jan 12, 2018, 8:50 pm
#89
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
Here's one for example. The black edge is trimmed during image uploading, so will be narrower.
Jan 12, 2018, 9:00 pm
#90
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: NYC
Programs: UA
Posts: 36
I'm new to MS, so this is my first attempt. I bought a $100 VCG from GCM (all black, can verify Sharpie works well to conceal "gift card" text), went to WM to buy a MO and worked fine. I can't tell if it was the new system, because I didn't see the CSR key in the last four digits, but I also didn't have to sign a second print out. No "gift certificate" wording on it, either. Will work on gearing up my MS.
Anyway, do you think the all-black design from GCM is worth the excess fee as compared with the Simon Mall GCs? It's much more discreet, but also is Simon more discreet on the credit card end? Just wondering what others think about the two.
Anyway, do you think the all-black design from GCM is worth the excess fee as compared with the Simon Mall GCs? It's much more discreet, but also is Simon more discreet on the credit card end? Just wondering what others think about the two.