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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 Aug 6, 2019, 1:05 pm
  #946  
 
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Originally Posted by jonathoneskel
The clerk who was helping me was really patient and friendly as I was getting frustrated with why it wasn't working.

Has anyone else had a problem with getting a MO at the WM Neighborhood Market vs. regular WM?
In my experience WM NM and regular are essentially the same. I've been to many of each and the process is always the same, sometimes you get a customer service person that just doesn't know what their doing and that is usually the hang up.
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 1:10 pm
  #947  
 
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Let's assume your WM cashier is in a really, really bad mood, almost sick, logs in all the details, confirm with you the swipe amount but then shockingly the MO machine breaks down and goes into that countdown mode. Let's assume that when the countdown ends, the cashier simply forgets you haven't swiped any card yet but still proceeds with printing these MOs. Let's assume you are given $4K in MOs that you did not pay for.

What would you do?
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 1:27 pm
  #948  
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Originally Posted by pbmiles
Let's assume your WM cashier is in a really, really bad mood, almost sick, logs in all the details, confirm with you the swipe amount but then shockingly the MO machine breaks down and goes into that countdown mode. Let's assume that when the countdown ends, the cashier simply forgets you haven't swiped any card yet but still proceeds with printing these MOs. Let's assume you are given $4K in MOs that you did not pay for.

What would you do?
The cashier may have accidentally press Cash as payment form - only when payment is received (regardless any form) the MO would print. No confirmed payment, no printing. Period.

In your scenario the drawer would be short by $4K receipt.

You can think about what would you do when at the end of the shift, your cashier's drawer is found short of $4K. While your DL info is also logged, unlike in the past you can vanish without a trace.

Do you still need an answer from the community?
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 1:46 pm
  #949  
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
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Originally Posted by daddyo_daddyo
Are the POS terminals at eye level at your NM locations? The reason I prefer super center MCs is because the POS terminals are usually lower down, away from eyesight.
A couple are at eye level, but most are attached lower to the counter. But of the ones attached lower, half are placed where the CSR can clearly see everything and half are placed where the register blocks their view.
But the NM employees around here are much easier to deal with and don’t bother looking at what I’m doing. My guess is that because the NMs aren’t as busy as the regular stores, the NM employees aren’t as stressed out and overworked. They therefore are much more easygoing. And based on my interaction with them, they don’t see a ton of volume at the NM stores, where the regular stores definitely do.
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 3:36 pm
  #950  
 
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Originally Posted by MaxVO
Get out of Cali sooner if you want to improve your chances, e.g. take I-40 via Flagstaff.
Thanks for the suggestion but I misspoke - we are going to Tucson. Regardless of PHX or TUS going via Flagstaff adds well over 2 hours to an already long drive.
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 4:29 pm
  #951  
 
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Originally Posted by pbmiles
Let's assume your WM cashier is in a really, really bad mood, almost sick, logs in all the details, confirm with you the swipe amount but then shockingly the MO machine breaks down and goes into that countdown mode. Let's assume that when the countdown ends, the cashier simply forgets you haven't swiped any card yet but still proceeds with printing these MOs. Let's assume you are given $4K in MOs that you did not pay for.

What would you do?
Asking for a friend?
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 4:53 pm
  #952  
 
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Originally Posted by pbmiles
Let's assume your WM cashier is in a really, really bad mood, almost sick, logs in all the details, confirm with you the swipe amount but then shockingly the MO machine breaks down and goes into that countdown mode. Let's assume that when the countdown ends, the cashier simply forgets you haven't swiped any card yet but still proceeds with printing these MOs. Let's assume you are given $4K in MOs that you did not pay for.

What would you do?
Would not use. Knowingly cashing a bad check is either a misdemeanor or felony in all 50 states.
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 5:45 pm
  #953  
 
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Originally Posted by gmt4
Would not use. Knowingly cashing a bad check is either a misdemeanor or felony in all 50 states.
Yes, but in this case the check is perfectly fine. A bad check does not have funds backing it. This is a check that *may* have been obtained using questionable means. What if the person who received those checks has the same faulty memory as the clerk . . . sorry, but I though I had swiped my card(s).
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 6:09 pm
  #954  
 
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Originally Posted by Surface Interval
Yes, but in this case the check is perfectly fine. A bad check does not have funds backing it. This is a check that *may* have been obtained using questionable means. What if the person who received those checks has the same faulty memory as the clerk . . . sorry, but I though I had swiped my card(s).
Except there is no money backing the MO. No funds were exchanged to buy it. You're depositing a worthless financial instrument. Not to mention fraudulently issued by the computer.

Do people not realize these are all traceable documents? They are serialized, and can be tracked from the location and time of issue all the way to you and your bank account. You're on video when you buy it and video when you deposit it. There is zero anonymity.

There is absolutely no argument anyone can make that makes attempting to cash or deposit them an acceptable course of action. I suggest this line of discussion stop now.
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 6:26 pm
  #955  
 
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 6:30 pm
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Last edited by ericdabbs; Aug 7, 2019 at 11:23 am
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 6:44 pm
  #957  
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Originally Posted by pbmiles
Let's assume your WM cashier is in a really, really bad mood, almost sick, logs in all the details, confirm with you the swipe amount but then shockingly the MO machine breaks down and goes into that countdown mode. Let's assume that when the countdown ends, the cashier simply forgets you haven't swiped any card yet but still proceeds with printing these MOs. Let's assume you are given $4K in MOs that you did not pay for.

What would you do?
I would do exactly what I have done numerous times when the csr instead of pressing the debit button and I swipe my GC pressed the ca$h button and I saw the transction finish up w/o my swiping my card and they hand me the MO. I tell thx but no thx! I explain I never swiped my DC for the last transaction so when they count up your draw it will be short a few hundred dollars
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 7:11 pm
  #958  
 
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As soon as management figures out the cash register is short by $4k due to these MO transactions, that could trigger a loss prevention audit that will finally be used as an excuse to shut down the game.
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Old Aug 6, 2019, 8:03 pm
  #959  
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
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Originally Posted by Orochimaru
As soon as management figures out the cash register is short by $4k due to these MO transactions, that could trigger a loss prevention audit that will finally be used as an excuse to shut down the game.
Exactly. And since the drawer is short $4k, the CSR is going to be fired at the very least. Good way to burn a location and cause problems for a low-wage employee. It’s not OP’s fault that the transaction was screwed up, but the mistake should have been pointed out and the MOs returned.
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Old Aug 7, 2019, 6:23 am
  #960  
 
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Originally Posted by DBFL
Exactly. And since the drawer is short $4k, the CSR is going to be fired at the very least. Good way to burn a location and cause problems for a low-wage employee. It’s not OP’s fault that the transaction was screwed up, but the mistake should have been pointed out and the MOs returned.
OP declined MOs for all these reasons. Was curious to hear from some of you.
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