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 23, 2018, 6:38 pm
#541
Join Date: Nov 2015
Programs: DL, Marriott & IHG Platty; HH Diamonte
Posts: 861
Mar 23, 2018, 6:54 pm
#542
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 506
My WM has different rules depending on CSR. Yesterday they let me do only 3K but today, same store different CSR sold me 8k in MOs but after first 4K I had to enter my SS. Another WM no longer do MOs but let me do unlimited BPs which is nice. They even joke if I want to make payment for them since I do so many of them 
Mar 23, 2018, 7:29 pm
#543
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: Lots
Posts: 320
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 24, 2018, 2:12 pm
#544
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EWR
Posts: 884
If they had a small notice at the money center regarding debit card requirements of name, bank, etc. like is found at pretty much most locations that sells Western Union products, I think a lot of people would be less annoyed when they get turned down, because invariably the CSR will say something stupid like "no vanilla cards" when in actuality they may have been told "no prepaid cards."
Mar 24, 2018, 4:41 pm
#545
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 184
Keep getting 'Debit Not Available Appr. Code = 51' at my local WM. I tried twice with $999.12 and then again with $500 with my VGC from GCM..same thing. Is it my local WM CSR issue?
Mar 24, 2018, 6:02 pm
#546
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,837
There is a balance on VGC?
did you try a single MO for 499.12?
Most likely a CSR issue not entering amount correctly or sabotaging
Mar 24, 2018, 8:23 pm
#547
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 22
I kept the one $200 card for the money order just to go through the experience and gain some familiarity for any future MSR.
I was just saying the next test for my local Walmart is a multi-swipe MO.
Mar 26, 2018, 1:12 pm
#548
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: BOS
Posts: 550
Had my first annoying issue this past wknd, could use some advice. Purchased $1k MO, the money order had printed but before I was able to pay $0.88c MO fee the register had locked up and eventually had to be re-started. I've asked for the store manager, he wrote 'VOID' on the MO and kept it. According to him, he had called MoneyGram to confirm that the MO was voided, and I have a copy of that MO. Lady from the office called me today saying that she is not able to see debit transactions from the cards in question (she can see transactions from my other MO purchase, so looking at the right place), and thinks the funds will go back to those cards, or the transactions will drop off, as debits are not showing up in the system. Anyone else has been in a situation before and has any advice? I've had MOs that jammed the printer, transactions were voided and they had to give me cash, but here the register had locked up, so not sure whether I should give it a few days to see if the money go back or keep pushing the office manager to investigate further.
Mar 26, 2018, 2:08 pm
#549
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 506
Had my first annoying issue this past wknd, could use some advice. Purchased $1k MO, the money order had printed but before I was able to pay $0.88c MO fee the register had locked up and eventually had to be re-started. I've asked for the store manager, he wrote 'VOID' on the MO and kept it. According to him, he had called MoneyGram to confirm that the MO was voided, and I have a copy of that MO. Lady from the office called me today saying that she is not able to see debit transactions from the cards in question (she can see transactions from my other MO purchase, so looking at the right place), and thinks the funds will go back to those cards, or the transactions will drop off, as debits are not showing up in the system. Anyone else has been in a situation before and has any advice? I've had MOs that jammed the printer, transactions were voided and they had to give me cash, but here the register had locked up, so not sure whether I should give it a few days to see if the money go back or keep pushing the office manager to investigate further.
Mar 26, 2018, 3:19 pm
#550
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: BOS
Posts: 550
So you have ended up with a valid MO and funds back on the cards? I am not looking to scam WM here, that just sounds odd.
Mar 26, 2018, 7:19 pm
#551
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 506
Yes i did, eventually it got solved after I talked to the right person in that WM. But for a while they did not know how it was possible to buy a MO and get credit on GVs after few days. From that day I always check my used GCs for any balance just in case. This only happens when you pay, MO prints, receipt doesn't print and register crashes at that moment. Sometimes if they wait it might print the receipt and all is fine. But many times it takes too long so CSR reboots register and transactions gets reversed later on.
Last edited by cashcyclone; Mar 26, 2018 at 7:30 pm
Mar 27, 2018, 7:03 am
#552
Suspended
Join Date: May 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, Hilton HHonors Gold
Posts: 2,863
Money Order at Walmart - Issue getting money back
Hi,
I went to my local Walmart Supercenter and wrote a $999 money order using two $500 visa gift cards. The transaction went through fine, but then the person at the counter (totally inept) could not print out the money order because the machine was out of ink. She then voided the transaction, and gave me a printout of the receipt showing everything was voided.
One week after, and my money is not back on my gift cards yet. I called Blackhawk to ask for help, and they said we have to wait 10 days before they can do anything because it might take that long.
Has anyone else experienced this? if so, what are my viable options to recover my money?
Thanks a lot!
I went to my local Walmart Supercenter and wrote a $999 money order using two $500 visa gift cards. The transaction went through fine, but then the person at the counter (totally inept) could not print out the money order because the machine was out of ink. She then voided the transaction, and gave me a printout of the receipt showing everything was voided.
One week after, and my money is not back on my gift cards yet. I called Blackhawk to ask for help, and they said we have to wait 10 days before they can do anything because it might take that long.
Has anyone else experienced this? if so, what are my viable options to recover my money?
Thanks a lot!
Mar 27, 2018, 7:24 am
#553
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Hi,
I went to my local Walmart Supercenter and wrote a $999 money order using two $500 visa gift cards. The transaction went through fine, but then the person at the counter (totally inept) could not print out the money order because the machine was out of ink. She then voided the transaction, and gave me a printout of the receipt showing everything was voided.
One week after, and my money is not back on my gift cards yet. I called Blackhawk to ask for help, and they said we have to wait 10 days before they can do anything because it might take that long.
Has anyone else experienced this? if so, what are my viable options to recover my money?
Thanks a lot!
I went to my local Walmart Supercenter and wrote a $999 money order using two $500 visa gift cards. The transaction went through fine, but then the person at the counter (totally inept) could not print out the money order because the machine was out of ink. She then voided the transaction, and gave me a printout of the receipt showing everything was voided.
One week after, and my money is not back on my gift cards yet. I called Blackhawk to ask for help, and they said we have to wait 10 days before they can do anything because it might take that long.
Has anyone else experienced this? if so, what are my viable options to recover my money?
Thanks a lot!
Look on your receipt towards the bottom I think is there a line saying how much you are due as a - (minus) Mine did, but my mgr never dealt with it and asked I come back the next day so the Cash Room can deal with it, no can do I had an Intl flight. Called and he said I wasa correct and when I return to stop by and p/u the ca$h
My suggestion to you is go back to that store and ask for the mgr and ask that they check with the cash room person to see ifd the $$ indeed was refunded by Meta or Blackhawk it wont be and they will have to give you a ca$h back.
FWIW my receipt had Void in a couple of places as well, to no avail as I said once the employee presses the ;last button on their end for the MO to print the funds are gone and wont be returned to the card/s used
This is the only negative about getting MOs when travelling and why I no longer will do it unless I have 2 biz days left before my flight out
Mar 27, 2018, 8:08 am
#554
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: BOS
Posts: 550
Update on my story: checked the cards, funds are back.
Mar 27, 2018, 10:13 am
#555
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 665
I went to my local store in Norcal yesterday and was told the MO machine was down.