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)
Mar 21, 2018, 3:01 pm
#526
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 665
do blackhawk gift cards work at walmart for MO?
Mar 21, 2018, 11:49 pm
#527
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,580
Walmart (and other MO vendors) price based on assumption that the majority of transactions will be paid for in either cash or debit from the big, popular banks. Due to the Frank-Dodd Act, the interchange fees for banks with >$10B capital are capped at .05% plus $.21 per swipe. Walmart would pay at minimum $.71 for a $1K MO paid with a card from Chase or the like, resulting in a negligible profit margin.
Smaller banks are exempt and the interchange fees for them can be up to .8% plus $.15 per swipe. This is why almost all debit GCs are issued by Metabank, Sunrise, and other smaller banks. For an MSer paying for an MO with two $500 Metabanks, Walmart is paying at least $8.3 to process their cards.
So MOs might be a little profitable, but they're probably sold to get people in the door to generate other sales. MSers are definitely costing WM money though, and it makes financial sense for them to block it. Some stores have started telling me they only accept debit cards from major banks now, and I'm suspecting it's as much a financial decision as a fraud concern.
But in the end, I think Walmart is all about creating a one-stop shopping experience. They are currently adding FedEx offices to many of their stores. If you come in to buy a money order, ship a package, or get a haircut, you will probably pick up some groceries or household items on the way.
Mar 22, 2018, 6:47 am
#528
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 782
Anyone else seeing SMVGC fail with "Payment declined debit not available", not code 51. Charge get deducted from SMVGC then there is a reversal. I know my CSR is entering 500 correctly
Doesn't happen to all SMVGC at WM, just had it happen twice in the last 5 days. The WM failed SMVGC will work elsewhere just fine.
Doesn't happen to all SMVGC at WM, just had it happen twice in the last 5 days. The WM failed SMVGC will work elsewhere just fine.
Last edited by gw14; Mar 22, 2018 at 1:20 pm Reason: typo
Mar 22, 2018, 12:54 pm
#529
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Anyone else seeing SMVGC fail with "Payment declined debit not available", not code 51. Charge get deducted from SMVGC then there is a reversal. I know my CSR is entering 500 correctly
Doesn't happen to all SMVGC at WM, just had it happen twice in the 5 days. The WM failed SMVGC will work elsewhere just fine.
Doesn't happen to all SMVGC at WM, just had it happen twice in the 5 days. The WM failed SMVGC will work elsewhere just fine.
Mar 22, 2018, 2:44 pm
#530
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 891
Quick question, on getting 2 MOs with 4 cards. I have been generally doing 1 MO worth 999.12 with 2 swipes. What should the process for using 4 GCs to get 2 MOs?
Mar 22, 2018, 3:04 pm
#532
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
* As you likely know, they need to key in $500 before each swipe, except the final one.
Mar 22, 2018, 3:24 pm
#533
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
1. buy two $999.12;
2. buy one $1K and $998.24;
3 buy two $1K, pay $1.76 cash
if doing #3 , cashier must enter the fee paid so your balance will be $2K. Tell cashier you're paying $500 with your first debit card, after she inputs amount, swipe your $500GC and after you see APPROVED on screen, proceed with the 2nd, then 3rd and when balance is down to $500, just swipe your last VGC and cashier doesn't have to enter amount anymore.
if doing #1 or #2 just paying with VGCs, do the same procedure above before swiping your first GC. If you're used to doing two swipes for $999.12, you shouldn't have a problem with 4 swipes.
Mar 23, 2018, 12:42 pm
#534
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 891
My personal approach: ask for 2 X $999.12 MOs, let them key that into terminal, then tell them you will put $500 on each debit card you swipe, and ask them to let you know when they're ready.* After completing the transaction, I always say something like "thanks for doing that, have a good day."
* As you likely know, they need to key in $500 before each swipe, except the final one.
* As you likely know, they need to key in $500 before each swipe, except the final one.
Mar 23, 2018, 2:10 pm
#536
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 111
Same experience here (I'm also in SD). It was a week or two ago when I tried and was told they no longer accept VGC for MO. When I asked her how long that had been, she told me 5 days.
Where in SoCal are you? I can't even do one transaction anymore at the Walmarts in San Diego.
Mar 23, 2018, 2:25 pm
#537
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 22
n00b report
First time doing all of this. I used a Blackhawk Network/Metabank VGC from the recent Office Depot sale. I registered the card before going to Walmart Thursday (3/22).
I confirmed the $0.88 fee and said I wanted a money order for $199.12. I did the swipe and put the VGC in my pocket. Got the money order, left the store - no issues.
Took it to my CU today. The teller, who looked barely out of high school, didn't have any familiarity with a MO. She finally asked another teller "we treat money orders like checks, right?"
She finally deposited it. I'm walking out to my car and see the receipt says deposit was for $119.12. Walked back in, got that straightened out. So I think it all worked.
I suppose my next step is trying a multi-swipe.
First time doing all of this. I used a Blackhawk Network/Metabank VGC from the recent Office Depot sale. I registered the card before going to Walmart Thursday (3/22).
I confirmed the $0.88 fee and said I wanted a money order for $199.12. I did the swipe and put the VGC in my pocket. Got the money order, left the store - no issues.
Took it to my CU today. The teller, who looked barely out of high school, didn't have any familiarity with a MO. She finally asked another teller "we treat money orders like checks, right?"
She finally deposited it. I'm walking out to my car and see the receipt says deposit was for $119.12. Walked back in, got that straightened out. So I think it all worked.
I suppose my next step is trying a multi-swipe.
Mar 23, 2018, 3:16 pm
#538
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
n00b report
First time doing all of this. I used a Blackhawk Network/Metabank VGC from the recent Office Depot sale. I registered the card before going to Walmart Thursday (3/22).
I confirmed the $0.88 fee and said I wanted a money order for $199.12. I did the swipe and put the VGC in my pocket. Got the money order, left the store - no issues.
Took it to my CU today. The teller, who looked barely out of high school, didn't have any familiarity with a MO. She finally asked another teller "we treat money orders like checks, right?"
She finally deposited it. I'm walking out to my car and see the receipt says deposit was for $119.12. Walked back in, got that straightened out. So I think it all worked.
I suppose my next step is trying a multi-swipe.
First time doing all of this. I used a Blackhawk Network/Metabank VGC from the recent Office Depot sale. I registered the card before going to Walmart Thursday (3/22).
I confirmed the $0.88 fee and said I wanted a money order for $199.12. I did the swipe and put the VGC in my pocket. Got the money order, left the store - no issues.
Took it to my CU today. The teller, who looked barely out of high school, didn't have any familiarity with a MO. She finally asked another teller "we treat money orders like checks, right?"
She finally deposited it. I'm walking out to my car and see the receipt says deposit was for $119.12. Walked back in, got that straightened out. So I think it all worked.
I suppose my next step is trying a multi-swipe.
Mar 23, 2018, 3:26 pm
#539
Join Date: Nov 2015
Programs: DL, Marriott & IHG Platty; HH Diamonte
Posts: 861
n00b report
First time doing all of this. I used a Blackhawk Network/Metabank VGC from the recent Office Depot sale. I registered the card before going to Walmart Thursday (3/22).
I confirmed the $0.88 fee and said I wanted a money order for $199.12. I did the swipe and put the VGC in my pocket. Got the money order, left the store - no issues.
Took it to my CU today. The teller, who looked barely out of high school, didn't have any familiarity with a MO. She finally asked another teller "we treat money orders like checks, right?"
She finally deposited it. I'm walking out to my car and see the receipt says deposit was for $119.12. Walked back in, got that straightened out. So I think it all worked.
I suppose my next step is trying a multi-swipe.
First time doing all of this. I used a Blackhawk Network/Metabank VGC from the recent Office Depot sale. I registered the card before going to Walmart Thursday (3/22).
I confirmed the $0.88 fee and said I wanted a money order for $199.12. I did the swipe and put the VGC in my pocket. Got the money order, left the store - no issues.
Took it to my CU today. The teller, who looked barely out of high school, didn't have any familiarity with a MO. She finally asked another teller "we treat money orders like checks, right?"
She finally deposited it. I'm walking out to my car and see the receipt says deposit was for $119.12. Walked back in, got that straightened out. So I think it all worked.
I suppose my next step is trying a multi-swipe.
Mar 23, 2018, 4:16 pm
#540
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,439
