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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 Dec 2, 2020, 9:24 am
  #2866  
 
Join Date: May 2019
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Originally Posted by Happy Traveling Consultant
Great news - thank you!

Now I'm wondering if it was a short term issue? I'll give a try with a $1000 and a $500 tomorrow and report back.
Nothing good to report. Tried $1000 and $500 yesterday with SMGCs and both failed at two different WMs. Ended up with a $380 MO at both of them, doing 4 $95 swipes.

It sounds like some WMs have new software and others don't or possibly the new software is only triggering limits on some bins (SM) and not on others (S&S) but not sure. Either way, I'm out for a while. Not going to make runs for MOs less than $400. Just not worth the effort.
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 10:22 am
  #2867  
 
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Originally Posted by Broncocsu05
wait, are you saying you did $200 in a single meta swipe at the MC?
It was for a BB load at Customer service. $200 works fine from MCGC to BB.
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 2:39 pm
  #2868  
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Meta VGC failed at two WM MCs....
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 3:09 pm
  #2869  
 
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Originally Posted by RedSun
Meta VGC failed at two WM MCs....
At what amounts?
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 6:00 pm
  #2870  
 
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Was doing $2k money order with four meta VGCs, first two times failed with one card, one succeeded, other two tries with other cards failed, told the cashier to cancel the transaction.
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 7:28 pm
  #2871  
ogg
 
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Originally Posted by msthegame
Was doing $2k money order with four meta VGCs, first two times failed with one card, one succeeded, other two tries with other cards failed, told the cashier to cancel the transaction.
Was the one that succeeded different from the ones that failed--a different card type or different first six numbers on the card? The surprise is that one succeeded, not that the others failed.
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 7:36 pm
  #2872  
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Originally Posted by danpeake
At what amounts?
$500 single card loading.
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 9:07 pm
  #2873  
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Originally Posted by RedSun
Meta VGC failed at two WM MCs....
guessing you do not read the Simon or Wally threads. Meta is dead for us there
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 9:15 pm
  #2874  
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Originally Posted by soy
guessing you do not read the Simon or Wally threads. Meta is dead for us there
I know. I just want to report back to confirm it....

It seems someone still have some success?
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 9:30 pm
  #2875  
 
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Originally Posted by soy
guessing you do not read the Simon or Wally threads. Meta is dead for us there
I had no trouble buying a $400 M.O. this morning at my local WMNM, using $4 X $100 Meta VGCs. YMMV
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 9:57 pm
  #2876  
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Originally Posted by Steve in Olympia
I had no trouble buying a $400 M.O. this morning at my local WMNM, using $4 X $100 Meta VGCs. YMMV
Newbie question, what is WMNM?
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 10:32 pm
  #2877  
 
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Originally Posted by RedSun
Newbie question, what is WMNM?
walmart neighborhood market
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Old Dec 2, 2020, 10:35 pm
  #2878  
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Not sure if it makes any difference. All 3 WMs I tried are WMSC. Meta cards do not work at MC.
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 6:43 am
  #2879  
 
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Originally Posted by RedSun
Not sure if it makes any difference. All 3 WMs I tried are WMSC. Meta cards do not work at MC.
Do not work at all? I had to go down below $99 per swipe, but then mine worked. Not that it matters that much, I guess. Not working is the same as $99 in my mind given the effort vs. payback.
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 7:08 am
  #2880  
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Originally Posted by Happy Traveling Consultant
Do not work at all? I had to go down below $99 per swipe, but then mine worked. Not that it matters that much, I guess. Not working is the same as $99 in my mind given the effort vs. payback.
I would not dare to do multi swipes at either check-out and MC. It draws too much attention and they will certainly ask to see the actual cards. They will turn away if they see you get GCs in hands. Those people are smart now.

Even if you can fool some of them, at $99 per swipe, it is dead to me. Before, for a ~$1k MO, you swipe twice. Now you'll have to multiple MOs. It is dead to me.....
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