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 Oct 10, 2018, 2:29 pm
  #1636  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by abhilife2001
Went to Walmart MC and tried reloading Serve or getting a MO issued using Visa GC issued by Sunrise bank. Declined both times with message "Debit not available".
Pretty supportive MC and they tried helping but no clue why it was declining. Have used this MC multiple times for reloads / MO's so wondering if its because its a Sunrise bank issued VGC or something else. Finally tested buying a Walmart GC and it worked for that. So seems some restrictions on this type of VGC ?
Any insight appreciated.
read the wiki.
best,
helper
Chelski is offline  
Old Oct 10, 2018, 2:36 pm
  #1637  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,481
Originally Posted by Chelski

read the wiki.
best,
helper
Am I missing something? Wiki doesn't mention anything about Sunrise bank.

Poster sounds like they've used VGC before to load onto Serve/MO, so I imagine they know how to use the debit card?
hurnik is offline  
Old Oct 10, 2018, 2:53 pm
  #1638  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: PDX
Programs: Don't think it matters...
Posts: 5,240
Originally Posted by Chelski

read the wiki.
best,
helper
no specific info on VGC's issued by Sunrise bank. other searches on the net seem to state it works fine , but those are dated blogs and hence wondering if anything changed recently
abhilife2001 is offline  
Old Oct 10, 2018, 3:14 pm
  #1639  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 483
Originally Posted by abhilife2001
no specific info on VGC's issued by Sunrise bank. other searches on the net seem to state it works fine , but those are dated blogs and hence wondering if anything changed recently
Gdot/sun work but take about an hour to activate.
Travelz is offline  
Old Oct 10, 2018, 3:32 pm
  #1640  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: PDX
Programs: Don't think it matters...
Posts: 5,240
Originally Posted by Travelz
Gdot/sun work but take about an hour to activate.
Maybe this is the issue.
abhilife2001 is offline  
Old Oct 10, 2018, 8:59 pm
  #1641  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 10
A WM that was frequented changed its policy to inputting cust info for MO purchase.

Upon inquiring about the change, the store associate mentioned the info collection was part of a system-wide update coming on 10/17 involving WMs requiring personal info entered at time of MO purch when $1k or above. Associate was unable to elaborate further.

Provided the information shared is correct, will such a change prevent the purchase of additional MOs since the cust info already captured (kinda like what CVS did a while back)?
NegotiatorRogerSmith is offline  
Old Oct 10, 2018, 9:49 pm
  #1642  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: PDX
Programs: Don't think it matters...
Posts: 5,240
Originally Posted by Travelz
Gdot/sun work but take about an hour to activate.
Originally Posted by hurnik
Am I missing something? Wiki doesn't mention anything about Sunrise bank.

Poster sounds like they've used VGC before to load onto Serve/MO, so I imagine they know how to use the debit card?
I tried again late evening and this time everything worked smoothly. Maybe the 1st time, I was in WM NM within 20 minutes after buying it from HD, so maybe it was not activated. This time I gave it few hrs.
So hopefully a false alarm.
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abhilife2001 is offline  
Old Oct 12, 2018, 12:26 pm
  #1643  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
a training manager was in a WM super center in my neck of woods was training all the customer service cashiers on "new system", she said going forward only bank issued debit cards can be used for MOs and BPs. I asked if this is new policy...she said this is the existing law to control money laundering. I said ok then left.
coolguy100 is offline  
Old Oct 12, 2018, 12:49 pm
  #1644  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Northeastern United States
Posts: 587
Originally Posted by coolguy100
a training manager was in a WM super center in my neck of woods was training all the customer service cashiers on "new system", she said going forward only bank issued debit cards can be used for MOs and BPs. I asked if this is new policy...she said this is the existing law to control money laundering. I said ok then left.
Technically the VGCs and MCGCs we are all using are in fact bank issued debit cards, but we all know what they really mean is a debit card that is linked to a personal checking or savings account at some local or well known bank. I'm not going to be the one to get into specifics about it with them, but I'm sure someone likely will.
Prometheus77 is offline  
Old Oct 12, 2018, 6:40 pm
  #1645  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by Prometheus77
I'm not going to be the one to get into specifics about it with them, but I'm sure someone likely will.
I think it's futile to try to explain to them because they may just be parroting whatever they were told w/o fully understanding. I'd just smile and say thanks.
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Mamibear is offline  
Old Oct 12, 2018, 8:58 pm
  #1646  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by NegotiatorRogerSmith
A WM that was frequented changed its policy to inputting cust info for MO purchase.

Upon inquiring about the change, the store associate mentioned the info collection was part of a system-wide update coming on 10/17 involving WMs requiring personal info entered at time of MO purch when $1k or above. Associate was unable to elaborate further.

Provided the information shared is correct, will such a change prevent the purchase of additional MOs since the cust info already captured (kinda like what CVS did a while back)?
they have to enter the info every time even if doing multiple transactions. They only need to enter when not using personal dc. Some wm by me have that system and others dont. Its unlikely to be rolled out nationally that day.
Chelski is offline  
Old Oct 12, 2018, 10:57 pm
  #1647  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: DFW
Posts: 682
Originally Posted by NegotiatorRogerSmith
A WM that was frequented changed its policy to inputting cust info for MO purchase.

Upon inquiring about the change, the store associate mentioned the info collection was part of a system-wide update coming on 10/17 involving WMs requiring personal info entered at time of MO purch when $1k or above. Associate was unable to elaborate further.

Provided the information shared is correct, will such a change prevent the purchase of additional MOs since the cust info already captured (kinda like what CVS did a while back)?
Friendly CSR told me about the changes and let me glimpse the memo. I was super tired so I didn't pay much attention to the effective date but I'm pretty sure it said $1k regardless of method of payment and that it was automatic, not manually initiated. Memo also said the the daily limit for MO will be $8k.
knopfler is offline  
Old Oct 13, 2018, 12:55 pm
  #1648  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by knopfler
Memo also said the the daily limit for MO will be $8k.
this gives me hope : )
Mamibear is offline  
Old Oct 13, 2018, 1:38 pm
  #1649  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Saw the friendly YV associate and she showed me the memo, these are what I can remember of the two pages.

Memo came from AMLCompliance sent to Store Management

Changes to limits and Know Your Customer (KYC) are coming this Tuesday, Oct 16, 2018

New MO limit is $8K per transaction per customer per day. Amounts higher than that will be blocked by register.

The register will now *prompt eMSAR at $1K MO* instead of the previous $3K. This will be for ALL MO transactions

Sad to say, Bill Payments are also affected ~ new B/P limit will be $8K per transaction per customer on a rolling 30 days. If a customer goes over this amount, transaction will be blocked.**

*I know there are cashiers who file eMSAR for much lesser amount based on mere suspicions you're up to no good. With this memo, I expect them to be stricter.
**I don't think we can go around this because they have all our info when we're doing B/P whether by phone look-up or via app. Perhaps HHs can hire "special helpers" to pay their bills for another $8K quota? Just an idea

For those who have no known recycling centers other than WM, don't get caught with several Ks of plastics in case the memo is enforced at YOUR WM this coming Tuesday.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Oct 13, 2018, 1:50 pm
  #1650  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: DFW
Posts: 682
Originally Posted by Mamibear
New MO limit is $8K per transaction per customer per day. Amounts higher than that will be blocked by register.
Hopefully this means you can do 4x$2k transactions per day, and not a one transaction per day limit with a cap of up to $8k on that one transaction. With the recent pod of whales roaming from WM to WM, I figured changes were coming soon.
knopfler is offline  

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