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Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2019 - 2022)

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)

Old Jan 5, 2019, 12:08 pm
  #31  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by elegua
This person is part of the MC team and was called to a meeting with management regarding the new rules and the events, yes i know this person for over 5 years, this store was ok with using GCs to buy MO until the new MG changes were introduced, i guess pressure from above made them (store management) change their point of view.
If I understand, you know person but not necessarily as a friend; safe to assume acquaintance who sees you regularly for the past 5 yrs? If you bumped into person and they gave you the warning (subtle way of telling you to stop whatever you're doing); it's disturbing when management starts calling specific persons.

I don't think it's regular protocol for a store to call their customers to give them a warning; if they do, I have reasons to think phone numbers came from data they collect when we do financial transactions. If they start calling people that they have identified by matching their personal info + facial recognition software, I won't be surprise if people find out they've been banned at MCs with CCTVs from doing financial transactions. Hopefully, this is not going to be the norm for most WM MSers.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Jan 5, 2019, 12:47 pm
  #32  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 1
BAU at two of my local WM. No ID required on 999.12 MO.
yourtypicalguy8675 is offline  
Old Jan 6, 2019, 3:39 pm
  #33  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: The place where it gets so hot in the summer some planes can't take off.
Programs: Marriott LT Titanium, WoH Globalist, National EE, United Platinum
Posts: 1,442
Originally Posted by knopfler
I would not recommend depositing a lot of money orders in a Chase bank account. Chase shut down my checking account and all of mine and all of Mrs. Knopfler's credit cards for depositing too many money orders into our Chase checking account. They also blacklisted me for a little over a year.
I assume your situation was a little more extreme than mine. Typically only do electronic transfers in, carry significant five figure balance, and only deposited two MO's. Not too worried about this one... just not going to buy MO from Walmart ever again.
bigshooter is offline  
Old Jan 6, 2019, 9:02 pm
  #34  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,492
It's been a while since I've tried a Walmart in NoVa, but anyone know if the Tysons/Vienna and Fairfax locations are selling MOs again?
Billy Mumphrey is offline  
Old Jan 7, 2019, 9:33 am
  #35  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: DFW
Posts: 682
Originally Posted by bigshooter
I assume your situation was a little more extreme than mine. Typically only do electronic transfers in, carry significant five figure balance, and only deposited two MO's. Not too worried about this one... just not going to buy MO from Walmart ever again.
Yes, I was doing much higher volume. Probably $10k a week. It took over a year of weekly deposits before the came down on us. Had a good relationship with all of the tellers and managers at my local branch too, but decision came from above and there was nothing they could do about. You should definitely be OK, I thought maybe you were thinking about depositing them on a regular basis. I still do that to get my points/miles, but I stick to smaller regional banks now.
knopfler is offline  
Old Jan 7, 2019, 9:36 am
  #36  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: DFW
Posts: 682
Originally Posted by cajunguy
Describe "...a lot of money orders in a Chase bank account." Were you depositing ONLY money orders and if so, how much is 'a lot'?
I would estimate $10k a week on average for about a year. I deposited other stuff like a portion of my paycheck, paypal deposits, some cash here and there. But MO's were the largest percentage of my deposits by far.
knopfler is offline  
Old Jan 7, 2019, 12:30 pm
  #37  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, NSA, CIA, MIB
Posts: 537
Originally Posted by knopfler
I would estimate $10k a week on average for about a year. I deposited other stuff like a portion of my paycheck, paypal deposits, some cash here and there. But MO's were the largest percentage of my deposits by far.
WOW! No wonder they flagged your account(s) and then closed them. Sucks but with that kind of volume I can see why they would think you're up to something questionable.

Good thing you have other options available to wash out your MOs.
cajunguy is offline  
Old Jan 7, 2019, 1:39 pm
  #38  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Midwest
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 67
Originally Posted by bigshooter
Not directly related to purchasing, but is anyone having issues depositing Walmart MO via mobile bank apps? I decided to start experimenting with WM even though I despise entering their stores. Was able to purchase 2x$499.10 same as what I do at my local grocery outlets, but the stupid oddly shaped blue MG orders could not be processed by my main two banks' apps. No problem with Western Union MO's which I've been using for years.

I decided just to dump them at my local Chase branch and be done with them... any input here?
Chase has a good amount of valuable credit cards, that I would regret to lose because of mo depositing; in my experience is better to deposit your mo in a local cu, my local CU never ask questions and as soon as I deposit the mo my available balance changes and it is ready to use,
And if for any reason they close my account I can just open an account with a different cu.

good luck
josh1573 is offline  
Old Jan 7, 2019, 10:36 pm
  #39  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 16
Originally Posted by cashbacker
As of Jan 4th, my local WM reqire ID if MO >= $900
How about yours?
Now, any amount will require ID in my local WM.
cashbacker is offline  
Old Jan 7, 2019, 10:45 pm
  #40  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,419
Originally Posted by cashbacker
Now, any amount will require ID in my local WM.

As with everything in Wally World, its YMMV. No problem where I have been liquidating while on vacation in the SW.
cruisr is offline  
Old Jan 8, 2019, 6:07 am
  #41  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,837
Originally Posted by cruisr



As with everything in Wally World, its YMMV. No problem where I have been liquidating while on vacation in the SW.
No vacation from MS?
cruisr likes this.
lumangoy is offline  
Old Jan 8, 2019, 7:45 am
  #42  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 305
Originally Posted by cashbacker
Now, any amount will require ID in my local WM.
what state are you in? without that information your statement is not helpful at all
in4tar is offline  
Old Jan 8, 2019, 10:34 am
  #43  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 16
It is MA.
Even in the same state, it is YMMV
cashbacker is offline  
Old Jan 8, 2019, 11:22 am
  #44  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: DFW
Posts: 682
Originally Posted by in4tar
what state are you in? without that information your statement is not helpful at all
One of my local WM's in the DFW area has the same policy. ID for any amount. But of the other 10-15 WM's in my nearby vicinity, most follow the standard protocol of ID required for over $1k. There are three or four that won't sell them at all if you are using VGC's.
knopfler is offline  
Old Jan 8, 2019, 6:01 pm
  #45  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 299
Originally Posted by Mamibear
If I understand, you know person but not necessarily as a friend; safe to assume acquaintance who sees you regularly for the past 5 yrs? If you bumped into person and they gave you the warning (subtle way of telling you to stop whatever you're doing); it's disturbing when management starts calling specific persons.

I don't think it's regular protocol for a store to call their customers to give them a warning; if they do, I have reasons to think phone numbers came from data they collect when we do financial transactions. If they start calling people that they have identified by matching their personal info + facial recognition software, I won't be surprise if people find out they've been banned at MCs with CCTVs from doing financial transactions. Hopefully, this is not going to be the norm for most WM MSers.
WM employees will not do a job of a detective for the the wages they pay. !! I think the OP is full of it!!
barrytuneup is offline  

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