Jan 2, 2019, 9:51 am
Last edit by: danpeake
As of Nov 11, 2020, Meta gebits are getting declined when used for MO/BP purchases at MC/SD. New limit appears to be $99 per swipe with some metas at some stores. READ the posts below and add a data point with details. USB and GD gift cards do not seem to be affected.
This is the thread for 2019. The previous discussion can be found here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manu...rt-2018-a.html
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.
Note: The policy for allowing gift cards as payment for money orders can be more restrictive with certain stores or certain clerks. Just because an employee says there's a new restrictive policy "for all Walmarts" means nothing. There are plenty of cases where the employee is incorrect and the new policy is only regional or store specific.
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Tested Gebit (gift debit) cards:
1. DO NOT WORK - Any Vanilla product affiliated with InComm or ITC Financial Services will not work for swipes over $49.99.
2. See above on Visas issued by MetaBank. New limit appears to be $99 per swipe with some metas at some stores. Follow the posts below for the latest information.
3. MC issued by US bank OR Metabank MC (Giftcards.com) can work, but you need to change payment type to debit before they enter the amount in the register. See below for details.
4. Gdot/sun work but take about an hour to activate.(VGC issued by Sunrise also limited to $99/swipe, same as Metabank issued cards, and Sunrise was available immediately).
5. USB work
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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 $1 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 $1 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 transactions: 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.
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.
7. SSN/ID entry - Any MO purchases in one transaction at or over $3K requires you to input your SSN. Any MO at or over $1K requires ID input (and ID requirement can also be forced by cashier at any amount).
Debit codes PDF
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/attac...0&d=1461170080
Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2019 - 2022)
Apr 2, 2020, 7:11 pm
#2116
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 6
Thanks for the info. I'll see if other locations around me have money orders available.
Apr 2, 2020, 9:02 pm
#2117
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
All the low income folk who clog the line at my local Money Center seem to have fancy phones. Clearly they know how to use the internet. What's stopping them from using Transferwise or paying from their bank account? Mostly it's stupidity and being set in their ways. I've talked about this with the usual CSR who sells me MOs. She definitely know she can pay online but doesn't "trust" the system for whatever reason.
Apr 2, 2020, 9:43 pm
#2118
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Northeastern United States
Posts: 597
I'm in Southeastern Mass and it's been BAU at my local WMs.
Apr 4, 2020, 10:11 am
#2121
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,295
I actually went this morning and they said all financial services were down (they claimed it was a WM system-wide issue).
Apr 4, 2020, 1:00 pm
#2123
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 299
why would you even chance a trip to a dirty WM and touch the POS machine many times for MO, in the first place. Plus tie up employees who are probably needed to stock shelves? Inconsiderate and dumb IMO. Ive been a mser for 6 years and taking my first few months off ever. Im losing lots of $$$ but at least I wont get virus. I go 1x per week to Trader Joes during senior hours (im 71) in and out in 9 minutes then home. Trader Joes is very small and I know the layout. All the quarterly deals on Dis Chase ABOC are great and OBC cards plus the 3% Discover will have to wait. My 3% disc miles expires in 1 month and not sure if I can hit it hard anymore. But Im still healthy.
Apr 4, 2020, 1:47 pm
#2124
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
In my area (FL) many Walmarts are superior to big grocery chains (except Trader Joe's). They dispense sanitary wipes at store entrances, stock most of the usual products, including locally grown produce, with the MS being the icing (albeit intermittent). Big chain grocery stores are mostly in deplorable condition, just barely escaping the designation of domestic terrorists. They stopped dispensing sanitizing wipes, leave a good third of their shelves bare, stopped the supply chain from local growers (while continuing to import from Guatemala & Mexico). The local farms show their harvest rotting in the fields, as the big chains stopped buying it. The only bright side is one can still buy MO's there.
Apr 4, 2020, 3:07 pm
#2125
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EWR
Posts: 884
In my area (FL) many Walmarts are superior to big grocery chains (except Trader Joe's). They dispense sanitary wipes at store entrances, stock most of the usual products, including locally grown produce, with the MS being the icing (albeit intermittent). Big chain grocery stores are mostly in deplorable condition, just barely escaping the designation of domestic terrorists. They stopped dispensing sanitizing wipes, leave a good third of their shelves bare, stopped the supply chain from local growers (while continuing to import from Guatemala & Mexico). The local farms show their harvest rotting in the fields, as the big chains stopped buying it. The only bright side is one can still buy MO's there.
Apr 4, 2020, 5:48 pm
#2126
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
FYI: Most of the wipes I've seen provided at grocery stores are antimicrobial with benzalkonium chloride and not alcohol based, as currently recommended by the CDC. Can't say for sure what the active ingredient in the ones Walmart has is, since I haven't looked. Having or not having wipes available doesn't make a difference to me if they are wipes that are possibly not effective.
Apr 4, 2020, 6:49 pm
#2127
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
Speaking of Trader Joe's, this from my local news --
The ever-busy Trader Joe’s store in XXXXX was closed this morning, with a sign on the door saying an employee had tested positive for COVID-19.
The store is now closed for a thorough cleaning and restocking, according to the sign, after which it plans to reopen.
The sign says the employee was last in the store on Sunday. The full text is below.
The ever-busy Trader Joe’s store in XXXXX was closed this morning, with a sign on the door saying an employee had tested positive for COVID-19.
The store is now closed for a thorough cleaning and restocking, according to the sign, after which it plans to reopen.
The sign says the employee was last in the store on Sunday. The full text is below.
Apr 4, 2020, 8:17 pm
#2128
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,551
My local WM had a "No Money Order" sign out today, but they said it was because they couldn't find the key to the money order machine - I assume they ran out.
But I will probably back off my MSing once I liquidate my rather large inventory.
But I will probably back off my MSing once I liquidate my rather large inventory.
Apr 4, 2020, 8:20 pm
#2129
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EWR
Posts: 884
That's not true. The C6-C8 disinfectant (e.g. in Lysol or similar brands) that's claimed to kill 99.9% viruses works as advertised. A local TV station actually ran a test last year before the epidemic, and sent samples to labs for analysis. Shopping cart handles with no treatment were found to contain more pathogens than public toilets. After wiping, there were practically no viruses or bacteria left. Disinfactants with alcohol are ok too. I wouldn't use "all natural" products like vinegar or lactic acid.
Apr 5, 2020, 9:34 am
#2130
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 299
BTW the virus spread mainly via close contact with a carrier who may or may not know he has the virus. So wiping carts, POS terminals, etc wont work if a contagious person touches an item and puts it back..then you touch same item. Also with POS terminal. Its not sanitized after each customer, is it.? So sanitizing the terminal 2 or 3x daily is of no use. Also a WM or Trader Joes customer or any store can pass you by in an aisle and emit a slight cough and you can get it within 27'. Why chance going to many stores like its BAU.? Just lay back. I have a good amt of VGC to liquidate but Im holding off. All the deals will still be around by next month..Im following the guidelines as it seems to work. Im in NYS and every day there are 1000 more cares at least.. and 100 deaths each day. Where did they get the virus? Probably from someone in a store or something like that. Good news is about 98% dont get very sick and some dont even get sick..But they are still carriers. Another month and it will probably be done. I pray for the sick and dead that absolutely did not deserve this. BTW I passed up 2 weeks of S&S gas points and the Staples no fee MCGC deal. And the gas points I amassed from S&S VGC promo 3 weeks ago will go to waste (30 days). I dont drive much anymore except for a weekly trip to grocery. Good thing is I have time for other stuff.