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)
Dec 7, 2018, 2:39 am
#2102
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
I am not saying that the sky is falling. You are correct that there have been dire predictions over the past several years about WM. However, just as a lowering sky full of nimbo-stratus clouds to the west portend a thunderstorm to be, not all ominous skies produce rain and hail. That does not mean you should go out without an umbrella.
We have all seen significant changes in the way WM handles MO requests, and none of them have been an easing of restrictions (just the opposite). I will continue to use WM until I cannot, but just like the PO, one day it worked and the next day it didn't.
We can safely say that WM is not like the PO. There are signs out there. Whether people want to believe them or not is up to them.
We have all seen significant changes in the way WM handles MO requests, and none of them have been an easing of restrictions (just the opposite). I will continue to use WM until I cannot, but just like the PO, one day it worked and the next day it didn't.
We can safely say that WM is not like the PO. There are signs out there. Whether people want to believe them or not is up to them.
Dec 7, 2018, 6:05 am
#2103
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,438
In fairness, there were a lot of signs about the post office. Just about every heavy hitter getting visited by postal inspectors certainly probably got discussion pretty ramped up. I'd say if multiple people started getting Moneygram investigators at their house and/or an uptick in criminal investigations - it would probably be time to dial back. Otherwise, sometimes the scariest storm clouds are the most beautiful.
Lets revisit the PO for a second. What was the problem with postal patrons buying MOs with VGCs? The PO got their money, they got their fees and what did they care if the MOs were converted to cash the moment they were bought. The postal inspectors probably discovered that very fact when they investigated the heavy hitters. There was nothing "illegal" about what was happening. It certainly wasn't ML'ing either. Yet the PO closed down that avenue for MO purchases. And I think the PO inspectors were the storm clouds predicting a pretty severe drenching.
Now lets look at the current situation. MG is "auditing" certain WMs for some reason (excessive MO purchases perhaps??). And WM restrictions are starting to appear in a still random and illogical fashion, but they are appearing. Just as the PO flipped a switch and voila, no more GCs for MO purchases, WM can do exactly the same.
And in truth, there is no reason for them not to. When do legitimate MO pruchasers actually use a GC to purchase a MO, and how many use more than one GC to purchase a single MO in the same amount every time??
I suspect very, very few.
Just my opinion. That and a dollar may get you a cup of coffee
Dec 8, 2018, 6:55 am
#2104
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,066
In fairness, there were a lot of signs about the post office. Just about every heavy hitter getting visited by postal inspectors certainly probably got discussion pretty ramped up. I'd say if multiple people started getting moneygram investigators at their house and/or an uptick in criminal investigations - it would probably be time to dial back. Otherwise, sometimes the scariest storm clouds are the most beautiful.
Dec 8, 2018, 3:25 pm
#2105
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,438
Can you buy a MO from the PO any more with a GC?
And while MG does not have the legal investigative arm of the PO, they still have auditors who can tell MG management to shut down a company and deny them the privilege of selling MG MOs..
I don't think that WM wants that to happen. So if it takes some changes in the way MO's are sold to comply with MG, I think that WM would do so.
You don't need the power of arrest to effect changes in selling behavior.
:
Dec 8, 2018, 5:38 pm
#2106
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 305
Really,..... nothing came of it??
Can you buy a MO from the PO any more with a GC?
And while MG does not have the legal investigative arm of the PO, they still have auditors who can tell MG management to shut down a company and deny them the privilege of selling MG MOs..
I don't think that WM wants that to happen. So if it takes some changes in the way MO's are sold to comply with MG, I think that WM would do so.
You don't need the power of arrest to effect changes in selling behavior.:
Can you buy a MO from the PO any more with a GC?
And while MG does not have the legal investigative arm of the PO, they still have auditors who can tell MG management to shut down a company and deny them the privilege of selling MG MOs..
I don't think that WM wants that to happen. So if it takes some changes in the way MO's are sold to comply with MG, I think that WM would do so.
You don't need the power of arrest to effect changes in selling behavior.
:
Dec 8, 2018, 5:42 pm
#2107
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 34
Another Walmart here went to NO GC. It was fine last weekend, so it must have started sometime the past week, maybe Monday. This Walmart has lasted a long time while the surrounding Walmart's have died one by one. The game is getting harder and harder. It is not sustainable for MG anyway. MG is losing money from MS activity. Think about it, most MO's from MS activity are deposited the same day, and the bank took the money from MG the next business day. while Walmart gets the money from the debit card the next business day and MG probably gets the money from Walmart days or weeks later. A MO for normal business purpose usually takes days or weeks before it is deposited and MG gets the money floating in its pocket. In the end, MG has to ban GC unless they can devise some smart ways (holding MO from GC, increasing fee for GC, etc.) to make a profit in the gloomy economy without incurring legal issues.
Dec 8, 2018, 7:37 pm
#2108
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,066
Really,..... nothing came of it??
Can you buy a MO from the PO any more with a GC?
And while MG does not have the legal investigative arm of the PO, they still have auditors who can tell MG management to shut down a company and deny them the privilege of selling MG MOs..
I don't think that WM wants that to happen. So if it takes some changes in the way MO's are sold to comply with MG, I think that WM would do so.
You don't need the power of arrest to effect changes in selling behavior.:
Can you buy a MO from the PO any more with a GC?
And while MG does not have the legal investigative arm of the PO, they still have auditors who can tell MG management to shut down a company and deny them the privilege of selling MG MOs..
I don't think that WM wants that to happen. So if it takes some changes in the way MO's are sold to comply with MG, I think that WM would do so.
You don't need the power of arrest to effect changes in selling behavior.
:
Dec 8, 2018, 7:55 pm
#2109
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
Another Walmart here went to NO GC. It was fine last weekend, so it must have started sometime the past week, maybe Monday. This Walmart has lasted a long time while the surrounding Walmart's have died one by one. The game is getting harder and harder. It is not sustainable for MG anyway. MG is losing money from MS activity. Think about it, most MO's from MS activity are deposited the same day, and the bank took the money from MG the next business day. while Walmart gets the money from the debit card the next business day and MG probably gets the money from Walmart days or weeks later. A MO for normal business purpose usually takes days or weeks before it is deposited and MG gets the money floating in its pocket. In the end, MG has to ban GC unless they can devise some smart ways (holding MO from GC, increasing fee for GC, etc.) to make a profit in the gloomy economy without incurring legal issues.
Dec 9, 2018, 4:52 am
#2110
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
Yep - buddy of mine saw a Moneygram Investigator in his store - and ended up losing that store. Another one got banned from a market/region after a Moneygram investigation. They usually don't talk to you - they audit the store. Whereas the PI's definitely talk to you.
Dec 9, 2018, 2:03 pm
#2111
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,438
You are absolutely correct that there are people who will not care about anything other than the next MO and how many they can get during each visit to a WM. Their philosophy is "hit hard and hit often", and they could be called egocentric, i.e. it's just about them and no one else matters. There is nothing you can do about that.
My point in this discussion is not to be surprised if things go south for good.
It's time to start exploring other options, but nowadays, finding out about them will be much much harder, since no one is going to be willing to divulge their secrets to a general audience.
I survived before MSing and will survive when it's gone. But I will continue to explore
Dec 9, 2018, 3:36 pm
#2112
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
The only thing that we can do is be careful not to purchase so many GCs that may be difficult or impossible to convert to cash, thereby putting our finances into peril.
You are absolutely correct that there are people who will not care about anything other than the next MO and how many they can get during each visit to a WM. Their philosophy is "hit hard and hit often", and they could be called egocentric, i.e. it's just about them and no one else matters. There is nothing you can do about that.
My point in this discussion is not to be surprised if things go south for good.
It's time to start exploring other options, but nowadays, finding out about them will be much much harder, since no one is going to be willing to divulge their secrets to a general audience.
You are absolutely correct that there are people who will not care about anything other than the next MO and how many they can get during each visit to a WM. Their philosophy is "hit hard and hit often", and they could be called egocentric, i.e. it's just about them and no one else matters. There is nothing you can do about that.
My point in this discussion is not to be surprised if things go south for good.
It's time to start exploring other options, but nowadays, finding out about them will be much much harder, since no one is going to be willing to divulge their secrets to a general audience.
Dec 10, 2018, 10:59 am
#2113
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Look up - On a ✈ DELTA ✈ jet NOW!
Programs: Blogger & Delta Diamond Medallion Million Miler
Posts: 4,174
Just to counter "the sky is falling" folks - today BAU for wife and I with 2x $999.12 buys.
Dec 10, 2018, 11:45 am
#2114
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,438
Did you have to present your DL to complete the transaction? And was it entered into the register before your MO transaction was finished
If so, then it is not BAU. It is now the BA new usual. We didn't have to give ID information in the past prior to buying MO's. What are they doing with that information???
Dec 10, 2018, 1:46 pm
#2115
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Look up - On a ✈ DELTA ✈ jet NOW!
Programs: Blogger & Delta Diamond Medallion Million Miler
Posts: 4,174
Just wondering...
Did you have to present your DL to complete the transaction? And was it entered into the register before your MO transaction was finished
If so, then it is not BAU. It is now the BA new usual. We didn't have to give ID information in the past prior to buying MO's. What are they doing with that information???
Did you have to present your DL to complete the transaction? And was it entered into the register before your MO transaction was finished
If so, then it is not BAU. It is now the BA new usual. We didn't have to give ID information in the past prior to buying MO's. What are they doing with that information???