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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 3, 2020, 7:32 am
  #2881  
 
Join Date: May 2019
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Originally Posted by RedSun
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.....
Agreed. Have to go a different route. I was able to do SMGC 1k, 1 swipe at WM for a while. At $99, agree. WM is also dead to me.
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 8:28 am
  #2882  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
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Originally Posted by Happy Traveling Consultant
Agreed. Have to go a different route. I was able to do SMGC 1k, 1 swipe at WM for a while. At $99, agree. WM is also dead to me.
still depend on the MC registers @ certain stores; some still work while others don’t; e.g., $100 mcgc was successful loaded to BB, but not vgc immediately after @ the same register, strange & frustrating!
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 8:31 am
  #2883  
 
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Originally Posted by danhouston
still depend on the MC registers @ certain stores; some still work while others don’t; e.g., $100 mcgc was successful loaded to BB, but not vgc immediately after @ the same register, strange & frustrating!
I suspect this is just a delay in updating the technology. At some point, all stores will be updated and the limitations we now are dealing with will have become universal.

How long this update window exists, of course, is unknown.
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 8:33 am
  #2884  
 
Join Date: May 2019
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Originally Posted by danhouston
still depend on the MC registers @ certain stores; some still work while others don’t; e.g., $100 mcgc was successful loaded to BB, but not vgc immediately after @ the same register, strange & frustrating!
I understand and agree - it's now YMMV depending upon the store. For me though, the two within 20 minutes won't do anything over $99 which means WM is dead for me. I've still got one good option, but don't want to burn it so slowing down dramatically. Used to be able to liquidate about $6k per week with no effort, no attention. That's going to drop to about $2500 now.
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 8:42 am
  #2885  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
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Originally Posted by radonc1
I suspect this is just a delay in updating the technology. At some point, all stores will be updated and the limitations we now are dealing with will have become universal.

How long this update window exists, of course, is unknown.
i got the part that all stores could eventually get the chg updated... but jeez, a full $100 mcgc worked, but a $100 vgc didn't right after; unless, that register got updated for vgc but not mcgc yet, lol...
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 8:54 am
  #2886  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
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Originally Posted by danhouston
i got the part that all stores could eventually get the chg updated... but jeez, a full $100 mcgc worked, but a $100 vgc didn't right after; unless, that register got updated for vgc but not mcgc yet, lol...
Wasn't this on a reload? Those are run differently. It's why Vanilla cards still work for reloads, I believe.
danpeake is offline  
Old Dec 3, 2020, 8:57 am
  #2887  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
Originally Posted by danpeake
Wasn't this on a reload? Those are run differently. It's why Vanilla cards still work for reloads, I believe.
reload... what did u mean? mine was a simple loading/adding $ at the same register
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 9:00 am
  #2888  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
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Originally Posted by danhouston
reload... what did u mean? mine was a simple loading/adding $ at the same register
The poster said he was reloading a card (like Bluebird)
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 9:08 am
  #2889  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
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Originally Posted by danpeake
The poster said he was reloading a card (like Bluebird)
oh, appears that we all meant the same, just a different term / wording
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 9:44 am
  #2890  
 
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Originally Posted by danhouston
i got the part that all stores could eventually get the chg updated... but jeez, a full $100 mcgc worked, but a $100 vgc didn't right after; unless, that register got updated for vgc but not mcgc yet, lol...
Why not??
Two different companies, two different coding applications.

At some point, all will be enveloped in the same limitations, but who knows when that will be. However, it still makes for a PIA when trying to determine how big a MO to request when trying to liquidate your GCs.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Dec 3, 2020, 10:46 am
  #2891  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: N/A
Posts: 403
Originally Posted by kingscross
Hey buddy,

Have you recently bought VGC by USB at Ralphs? It was huge mess when I purchased a couple years ago at Ralphs in SoCal. tampered and mag-stripe not working. are they ok to liquidate now? Thanks.

sorry if this is wrong thread. I cannot find right place.
I just got one USB from grocery store, changed PIN immediately over the phone, head straight to WM less than 15 min. And, denied with error code 12? and 50, was told something to do with using credit card for payment error. Tried with “change payment” trick, still no go. My SO is testing with “less than 99/swipe” with USB now.

Anyone successfully drain USB in a single swipe at WM lately?
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 11:00 am
  #2892  
 
Join Date: May 2003
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Posts: 403
Originally Posted by msiamsia
I just got one USB from grocery store, changed PIN immediately over the phone, head straight to WM less than 15 min. And, denied with error code 12? and 50, was told something to do with using credit card for payment error. Tried with “change payment” trick, still no go. My SO is testing with “less than 99/swipe” with USB now.

Anyone successfully drain USB in a single swipe at WM lately?
SO went in with 190 MO request for 95/swipe, and 1st swipe went fine, but no go for the 2nd swipe. Tried additional swipes to get that second 95, could not get it work. So, canceled entire transaction. Was my card tampered? We don’t know. Any DP is appreciated.
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 11:14 am
  #2893  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: N/A
Posts: 403
Originally Posted by msiamsia
SO went in with 190 MO request for 95/swipe, and 1st swipe went fine, but no go for the 2nd swipe. Tried additional swipes to get that second 95, could not get it work. So, canceled entire transaction. Was my card tampered? We don’t know. Any DP is appreciated.
We spoke with the live agent and was told to our surprise that our attempt to change PIN over the phone actually never went thru, of course, it will not work. We were trying to drain with a wrong PIN all that time. PIN is locked now for one hour, so we’ll try later this evening. Funds all intact.
msiamsia is offline  
Old Dec 3, 2020, 12:39 pm
  #2894  
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Join Date: Jan 2017
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Originally Posted by danpeake
The poster said he was reloading a card (like Bluebird)
I just do not think there is any difference loading, MO or BP. They all drain the same payment system. Maybe the system can recognize the cards by the first 4 or 8 digits as GCs and reject them.
RedSun is offline  
Old Dec 3, 2020, 2:07 pm
  #2895  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The World!!!
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Posts: 1,532
Originally Posted by msiamsia
I just got one USB from grocery store, changed PIN immediately over the phone, head straight to WM less than 15 min. And, denied with error code 12? and 50, was told something to do with using credit card for payment error. Tried with “change payment” trick, still no go. My SO is testing with “less than 99/swipe” with USB now.

Anyone successfully drain USB in a single swipe at WM lately?
Just left Wally with a MO for $998.00 and used two Krogy VGCs for $500 each via split payment. No problem at all doing it. They both drained with the last four digits from each card (new pin for them) versus the piece of paper that used to be attached. So business as usual ...
carlitos is offline  


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