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Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2019 - 2022)

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Old Jan 2, 2019, 9:51 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________
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.

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. Kates are a distant and pleasant memory now.

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

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Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2019 - 2022)

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Old Nov 19, 2020, 10:31 am
  #2776  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 239
Originally Posted by babycakes01
tried four to buy mo's using visa prepaid cards at four different wm's in my area. all were working as of sunday, none working today. tried the mc cancel trick with no luck. tried changing pin with no luck. tried different amounts with no luck. doesn't sound good.
Were they Simon cards (or some other Blackhawk card) or something else like US Bank? At this point, it'll help to be very specific when posting about what is and isn't working.
History05 is offline  
Old Nov 19, 2020, 10:34 am
  #2777  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: SPG Plat, SWA Companion Pass, United Silver
Posts: 186
Originally Posted by msiamsia
I registered the card over phone when speaking with the agent. “Card being registered” won’t help much? And, I should just go ahead request a replacement? Just checked, the money is still there on my card.
personally, I would just request a new card. Normally takes about a wee to arrive.
doggiefizzle is offline  
Old Nov 19, 2020, 11:34 am
  #2778  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 161
blackhawk. hope that helps.
babycakes01 is offline  
Old Nov 19, 2020, 12:04 pm
  #2779  
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 7
Tried another 2 Walmarts yesterday and no go with the Simon card. That's 5 Walmarts I've tried now. I'm in North Texas.
greatview1 is offline  
Old Nov 19, 2020, 12:30 pm
  #2780  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: SPG Plat, SWA Companion Pass, United Silver
Posts: 186
Originally Posted by greatview1
Tried another 2 Walmarts yesterday and no go with the Simon card. That's 5 Walmarts I've tried now. I'm in North Texas.
Are you trying swipes of $99 or are you trying to unload the entire $1k?
doggiefizzle is offline  
Old Nov 19, 2020, 12:40 pm
  #2781  
 
Join Date: May 2019
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 453
Originally Posted by greatview1
Tried another 2 Walmarts yesterday and no go with the Simon card. That's 5 Walmarts I've tried now. I'm in North Texas.
What dollar amounts did you try? I've had success with $99 swipes...but yeah, not going to be doing that going forward. Was planning on a $25k Simon purchase this week, but with $99 swipes, that'd mean buying 63 MOs. Not going to happen. I can do 25 per month without alarm bells, but too many trips, too much work with the new limits.
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Happy Traveling Consultant is offline  
Old Nov 19, 2020, 12:50 pm
  #2782  
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 7
Originally Posted by Happy Traveling Consultant
What dollar amounts did you try? I've had success with $99 swipes...but yeah, not going to be doing that going forward. Was planning on a $25k Simon purchase this week, but with $99 swipes, that'd mean buying 63 MOs. Not going to happen. I can do 25 per month without alarm bells, but too many trips, too much work with the new limits.
Yeah, that sounds like a lot of work. =

I only tried $495. But I will try $99 today and see what happens. Thanks for the suggestion.
greatview1 is offline  
Old Nov 19, 2020, 2:19 pm
  #2783  
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 7
Thumbs up

Originally Posted by doggiefizzle
Are you trying swipes of $99 or are you trying to unload the entire $1k?
I only tried $495 ($500 on the card). Will be trying $99 swipes later today.
greatview1 is offline  
Old Nov 19, 2020, 2:29 pm
  #2784  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: N/A
Posts: 403
Originally Posted by MaxVO
I would request "refund of loaded funds" via check. Only if they absolutely refuse that option, I would then settle for a replacement for another USB VGC.
Thank you for the suggestion. I will try this approach first. Getting check vs card, of course check is more convenient. Seems I was lucky on the other USB VGC.

Last edited by msiamsia; Nov 19, 2020 at 2:38 pm
msiamsia is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2020, 8:19 am
  #2785  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,673
A few posts about gift card fraud with US Bank gift cards were moved to the dedicated thread:

Gift Card Fraud !!!
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2020, 1:21 pm
  #2786  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 16
A little confused here. I got declined for all the cards I got from Staples. By going through the posts here, seems some cards are limited to $400 in Walmart, and some cards are limited to $99 in Walmart? Am I right? Any clue on which are $400, or $99? Is it $100 or exactly $99?

Thanks,
goback211 is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2020, 1:36 pm
  #2787  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: CMH
Programs: w/+1: AS MVPG; IHG/Marriott Plat; Hilton/BW Diamond; Hertz Prez; SG Silver
Posts: 1,188
Originally Posted by khicon90
so i cant do buy MO or load BB anymore at my local WMs, what is your alternative way to unload 5 x 500 metabank gcs? I really appreciate your advices.
Are you familiar with buyer's clubs?
rxgeek is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2020, 1:37 pm
  #2788  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: CMH
Programs: w/+1: AS MVPG; IHG/Marriott Plat; Hilton/BW Diamond; Hertz Prez; SG Silver
Posts: 1,188
My equal half, who never forgets anything (especially when it is my fault), says the wm issue happened last year, too.
rxgeek is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2020, 3:42 pm
  #2789  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
Originally Posted by rxgeek
My equal half, who never forgets anything (especially when it is my fault), says the wm issue happened last year, too.
which dates?
littlewinglet is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2020, 4:00 pm
  #2790  
 
Join Date: May 2019
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 453
Originally Posted by rxgeek
My equal half, who never forgets anything (especially when it is my fault), says the wm issue happened last year, too.
Mine never forgets anything that is my fault, and regularly misremembers things as being my fault when they weren't...

I don't remember a period like this last year, although I had 3 different extended stays out of the US in 2019 for a total of about 4 months, so I guess something could have happened when I was out of country.
Happy Traveling Consultant is offline  


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