Jan 2, 2019, 9:51 am
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
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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.
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
Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2019 - 2022)
Oct 23, 2019, 2:32 pm
#1321
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: Hilton-Diamond Lifetime Platinum AA UA, WN-CP, SPG Gold.
Posts: 7,377
I dumped 2k the first day, at WM, it was right across the street and they worked, next day I was dumped on, same store,
Thank you for the reply Staples no fee is still a great deal this week,
Thank you for the reply Staples no fee is still a great deal this week,
Oct 23, 2019, 2:51 pm
#1323
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: Hilton-Diamond Lifetime Platinum AA UA, WN-CP, SPG Gold.
Posts: 7,377
Oct 24, 2019, 7:40 pm
#1324
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 194
cashed my first VGC -> money order at local Walmart. $1000 total ($999.12 + $0.88 fee), split over 2 $500 VGC's.
He asked for my ID when I first said a $1,000, but I think he just glanced at hte license. Don't think he actually put anything into the computer. Then I said oh let me reduce it to account for the fee.
He asked for my ID when I first said a $1,000, but I think he just glanced at hte license. Don't think he actually put anything into the computer. Then I said oh let me reduce it to account for the fee.
Last edited by idkmybffjill; Oct 24, 2019 at 8:09 pm
Oct 24, 2019, 10:32 pm
#1325
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
So none of the heavy hitters are going to discuss the elephant in the room here?
That there has been a CBL released indicating that Money Orders will be reduced to 8k a month (instead of 8k a day) starting next month?! Even the folks doing 1-2k a day 20 days a month to save up for a Saaver award to Europe are gonna feel the grunt of that one.
That there has been a CBL released indicating that Money Orders will be reduced to 8k a month (instead of 8k a day) starting next month?! Even the folks doing 1-2k a day 20 days a month to save up for a Saaver award to Europe are gonna feel the grunt of that one.
Oct 24, 2019, 10:38 pm
#1326
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
MOs in Las Vegas
I spend a lot of time in Lost Wages. A couple of times in the past I went to stores asking if I could use debit gift cards and was told no. On my last two trips I’ve been able to buy MOs for $995.17 with no problem. No request for ID.
in general it’s not worth my time to drive from WM to WM for a single MO but if I have time to kill and/or am close to one, it seems at least possible.
Old saying, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
in general it’s not worth my time to drive from WM to WM for a single MO but if I have time to kill and/or am close to one, it seems at least possible.
Old saying, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
Oct 25, 2019, 5:15 am
#1327
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 90
I spend a lot of time in Lost Wages. A couple of times in the past I went to stores asking if I could use debit gift cards and was told no. On my last two trips I’ve been able to buy MOs for $995.17 with no problem. No request for ID.
in general it’s not worth my time to drive from WM to WM for a single MO but if I have time to kill and/or am close to one, it seems at least possible.
Old saying, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
in general it’s not worth my time to drive from WM to WM for a single MO but if I have time to kill and/or am close to one, it seems at least possible.
Old saying, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
Oct 25, 2019, 6:11 am
#1328
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 595
I spend a lot of time in Lost Wages. A couple of times in the past I went to stores asking if I could use debit gift cards and was told no. On my last two trips I’ve been able to buy MOs for $995.17 with no problem. No request for ID.
in general it’s not worth my time to drive from WM to WM for a single MO but if I have time to kill and/or am close to one, it seems at least possible.
Old saying, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
in general it’s not worth my time to drive from WM to WM for a single MO but if I have time to kill and/or am close to one, it seems at least possible.
Old saying, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
Using SM's 1k cards, I've had no trouble in LAS at WM or Smiths. In about 1.5 hours, I can hit the SM South for 10k in cards, then about 3-4 Smiths and WMs in that general area and have them all cashed out. A good thing to do in the morning when there isn't much going on in LAS. Just got back from there last week. I generally don't try to cash out more than 2-3k in cards per location, either via 2k in MOs or a couple Serve/BB loads. Depends on the location and CSR. There is a CSR at the Smiths on LVB south of the SM there that I am really comfortable with and she somewhat knows me from my several visits 2x a year. But I still don't go nuts - don't want to burn the location.
The WMNM on Bermuda/Silverado Ranch and the WM on Serene/Eastern are pretty much dead zones, however.
Oct 25, 2019, 1:23 pm
#1329
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 6
Just dipping my feet in to the pond.. bought one $200 MCGC from staples earlier this week and lady at 1st WM said cant use GC, so i politely thanked her and walked away. Went to another one, and when i swiped i couldnt get debit to come up, the CSR kept pressing cancel and then her manager was like if its a GC it wont work. So i quickly punched my pin and it worked. Fast forward to next day, bought two from staples and went to liqudate at same WM, but when i swiped i didnt get an option for debit. I swipped again, she asked to see the card and said cant use GC without name to do MO. Walked out. Went to another one, and as i was about to swipe, the person behind the counter asked to see the card said cant use GC to swipe. I dont have the GC out in the open, i usually have it tucked under my debit card. Am i supposed to hit the red key before swiping or it supposed to be after the first swipe?
Oct 25, 2019, 1:40 pm
#1330
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Just dipping my feet in to the pond.. bought one $200 MCGC from staples earlier this week and lady at 1st WM said cant use GC, so i politely thanked her and walked away. Went to another one, and when i swiped i couldnt get debit to come up, the CSR kept pressing cancel and then her manager was like if its a GC it wont work. So i quickly punched my pin and it worked. Fast forward to next day, bought two from staples and went to liqudate at same WM, but when i swiped i didnt get an option for debit. I swipped again, she asked to see the card and said cant use GC without name to do MO. Walked out. Went to another one, and as i was about to swipe, the person behind the counter asked to see the card said cant use GC to swipe. I dont have the GC out in the open, i usually have it tucked under my debit card. Am i supposed to hit the red key before swiping or it supposed to be after the first swipe?
1stly using more then 1 card at a Wally will in most cases result in being asked to see the card/s being used, IMO youd do yourself a tremendous favor if you found another source to unload the cards
2ndly even some other places I unload mine at using or saying youd be using more then 1 card will result in being denied, even w/o being asked to see the card
Oct 25, 2019, 1:54 pm
#1331
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 6
fair enough.. more than happen to do just do 1 card. But is the process correct? Or am i supposed to swipe, have them enter debit and then reswipe/pin?
Oct 25, 2019, 3:04 pm
#1333
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 317
For MCs, you swipe, change type to debit, then enter pin--THEN have the CSR submit. If the CSR hits the submit button before you change the type to debit, your MC gets processed as a credit card and (usually) doesn't get authorized. So you tell the CSR to hold off submitting until you've changed the type.
WMs vary--you could be asked to show your card or not. No way to tell in advance for a particular store--and no way to make the claim that something or other is true for "most cases" unless you've done a survey of all the WM stores in the US.
. At some stores, it's a policy to not allow GCs to be used and that's enforced. At some, some cards are allowed and some aren't. At other WMs, no one ever checks the cards. At others, some CSRs check and some don't.
WMs vary--you could be asked to show your card or not. No way to tell in advance for a particular store--and no way to make the claim that something or other is true for "most cases" unless you've done a survey of all the WM stores in the US.
. At some stores, it's a policy to not allow GCs to be used and that's enforced. At some, some cards are allowed and some aren't. At other WMs, no one ever checks the cards. At others, some CSRs check and some don't.
Oct 25, 2019, 4:43 pm
#1334
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 319
So none of the heavy hitters are going to discuss the elephant in the room here?
That there has been a CBL released indicating that Money Orders will be reduced to 8k a month (instead of 8k a day) starting next month?! Even the folks doing 1-2k a day 20 days a month to save up for a Saaver award to Europe are gonna feel the grunt of that one.
That there has been a CBL released indicating that Money Orders will be reduced to 8k a month (instead of 8k a day) starting next month?! Even the folks doing 1-2k a day 20 days a month to save up for a Saaver award to Europe are gonna feel the grunt of that one.
