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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 Jan 3, 2021, 9:24 am
  #3151  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,442
Originally Posted by Steve in Olympia
I purchased a $500 USB VGC at Kroger yesterday, and successfully purchased a $500 MO at Safeway a few minutes later. In between, I registered the card and changed the PIN, if that matters.
Steve
Did you pay for the MO purchase fee separately or did you buy up to $500 MO with the fee added in?

And did you use cash or just swipe a second GC to make the payment? I have been thinking about doing the latter but am concerned about the CSR getting hinky when doing 2 swipes.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2021, 10:22 am
  #3152  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: CVG
Programs: AAdvantage, Delta Skymiles, CapOne Venture, Citi ThankYou
Posts: 486
The WalMart memo had very little impact at the WMs that I'm using. I continue to buy money orders. It is very light compared to many. I use the Staples sales to boost Chase UR against a 5X business card with max 50k per year. I do one MO per visit per store using four swipes totaling $395.12. I've expanded to MO from grocery stores to make up the reduced consolidation amounts. This has opened up more locations.

Has anyone seen a change to the max $99. on Metabank issued Visa and MC gift cards at WM or Krogers affiliates?

I have a couple friendly associates but have been hesitant to periodically test in the current environment.
CVG_Kid is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2021, 10:33 am
  #3153  
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 28
Just did another 395.12 with Meta vgc this morning at socal Wm. No issues.

regarding $500 USB vgc from ralphs any Recent DP on liquidations at WM? I understand meta is limited to $99 but are there any parameters i need to be aware of with $500 USB VGC’s?
titanicMS is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2021, 3:28 pm
  #3154  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,833
Originally Posted by radonc1
Steve
Did you pay for the MO purchase fee separately or did you buy up to $500 MO with the fee added in?

And did you use cash or just swipe a second GC to make the payment? I have been thinking about doing the latter but am concerned about the CSR getting hinky when doing 2 swipes.
I purchased a MO for $499.88, which included the fee. One swipe.
Steve in Olympia is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2021, 8:29 pm
  #3155  
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 58
Originally Posted by Steve in Olympia
I purchased a $500 USB VGC at Kroger yesterday, and successfully purchased a $500 MO at Safeway a few minutes later. In between, I registered the card and changed the PIN, if that matters.
Hi how much is the fee for money order at Safeway? Do they allow multiple swipes? Thanks
bunny425 is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2021, 8:31 pm
  #3156  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,833
Originally Posted by bunny425
Hi how much is the fee for money order at Safeway? Do they allow multiple swipes? Thanks
The fee is 88 cents. I have never asked to do multiple swipes, not wanting to push my luck.
Steve in Olympia is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2021, 12:46 am
  #3157  
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Programs: Delta Diamond (MM) | Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 158
Originally Posted by Steve in Olympia
I purchased a $500 USB VGC at Kroger yesterday, and successfully purchased a $500 MO at Safeway a few minutes later. In between, I registered the card and changed the PIN, if that matters.
Thanks for the DP.. You are in my region so maybe the extra fraud protection I was speaking of is a thing of the past... That being said, I never register the GCs so it could make a difference but my understanding is that it's just for online ordering that requires AVS & ZIP verifications. It could be involved with the debit-PIN failures but no DPs to support that.

Why Safeway though? Limited to $500 MOs for the same .88 fee.

-b.

Last edited by Carrisco; Jan 4, 2021 at 12:51 am
Carrisco is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2021, 8:26 am
  #3158  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,833
Originally Posted by Carrisco

Why Safeway though? Limited to $500 MOs for the same .88 fee.

-b.
I don’t consider the 88 cents to be a significant factor in my overall MS activities.

Also, I am doing only one swipe, and the places where I buy gift cards don’t carry anything larger than $500. So Safeway works great, and there are four nearby.

Thus, the Walmart crackdown doesn’t affect me much.
nwflyboy and titanicMS like this.
Steve in Olympia is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2021, 9:28 am
  #3159  
soy
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
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Posts: 3,690
Originally Posted by bunny425
Hi how much is the fee for money order at Safeway? Do they allow multiple swipes? Thanks
IME, asking for multi-swipes at grocers is a sure-fire path to end game.
WM was really the only place where multi-swipes could be scaled, and even then it was YMMV depending on your store
soy is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2021, 4:35 pm
  #3160  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,442
Another DP to add to our collection.

Bought a $500 Sunrise VGC and tried to make it into a $500 MO. Complete fail, and the CSR did just about every trick she knew to get it to work.

Had to monetize it at my local grocer, but I was hoping for another outcome.

I did notice that Sunrise is also part of Blackhawk, so I was wondering if there was some link here between Meta, Sunrise and MO failures
littlewinglet likes this.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2021, 4:59 pm
  #3161  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
Originally Posted by radonc1
Another DP to add to our collection.

Bought a $500 Sunrise VGC and tried to make it into a $500 MO. Complete fail, and the CSR did just about every trick she knew to get it to work.

Had to monetize it at my local grocer, but I was hoping for another outcome.

I did notice that Sunrise is also part of Blackhawk, so I was wondering if there was some link here between Meta, Sunrise and MO failures
where to buy Sunrise VGCs? Walmart used to sell VGCs issued by Sunrise, Vanilla and Greendot several years ago, but only sell Vanilla and Greendot ones lately.
coolguy100 is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2021, 5:17 pm
  #3162  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,442
Originally Posted by coolguy100
where to buy Sunrise VGCs? Walmart used to sell VGCs issued by Sunrise, Vanilla and Greendot several years ago, but only sell Vanilla and Greendot ones lately.
Who cares?

I thought that they may work when the Metas did not, but that proved not to be the case.

They aren't any better than Metas, IMO.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2021, 7:09 pm
  #3163  
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 28
Hey all

any recent DP on USB $500 VGC’s liquidated at WM for MO? Looking to try it and would appreciate any insight. Tia
titanicMS is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2021, 8:25 pm
  #3164  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL, WoH
Posts: 1,253
Originally Posted by titanicMS
Hey all

any recent DP on USB $500 VGC’s liquidated at WM for MO? Looking to try it and would appreciate any insight. Tia
Did 2xusb visas today for 1 mo. No problem.
titanicMS likes this.
ricohitman is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2021, 8:48 pm
  #3165  
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 28
Originally Posted by ricohitman
Did 2xusb visas today for 1 mo. No problem.
thanks for the DP! I’ll give it a try!
titanicMS is offline  


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