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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 Jun 14, 2019, 11:13 am
  #706  
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Andover, MA, 01810
Posts: 1,972
Originally Posted by cajunguy
Think of it the opposite way...You've bought a money order for $490 with a $500 gift card, there's now a balance on the gift card depending on the fees for the money order you're left with about $9. Take that gift card and go to the supermarket, buy groceries and pay with the low balance gift card, the swipe will pull all the balance off the gift card and you'll then have to pay the rest for your groceries with another card or cash. The credit card reader will 'auto drain' or pull off the entire balance off the gift card.
Why is that so desirable that we make a point to list stores where it happens? If you know there is $9 left on the card, you can just tell the cashier to run $9 as credit. Is it just good because with "auto drain" you don't have to know the exact balance left?
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 12:35 pm
  #707  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
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Posts: 537
Originally Posted by UserMark
Why is that so desirable that we make a point to list stores where it happens? If you know there is $9 left on the card, you can just tell the cashier to run $9 as credit. Is it just good because with "auto drain" you don't have to know the exact balance left?
I explained how I do this. You do what you feel works best for you.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 1:02 pm
  #708  
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: LAX
Posts: 12
Originally Posted by UserMark
Why is that so desirable that we make a point to list stores where it happens? If you know there is $9 left on the card, you can just tell the cashier to run $9 as credit. Is it just good because with "auto drain" you don't have to know the exact balance left?
You might not know the entire balance, and you might also have 5+ cards in your wallet with low balances. Even when I tape a sticky the the cards with the balance, I sometimes spend some of it, and there's still some left, making the original note outdated. For this reason, autodrains are awesome.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 3:03 pm
  #709  
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Andover, MA, 01810
Posts: 1,972
Originally Posted by brokephibroke
You might not know the entire balance, and you might also have 5+ cards in your wallet with low balances. Even when I tape a sticky the the cards with the balance, I sometimes spend some of it, and there's still some left, making the original note outdated. For this reason, autodrains are awesome.
Ok, I got it. Thanks.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 3:33 pm
  #710  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: Marriott/SPG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 887
No consistency about the ID presentation. Visited 2 locations today.
WM NM: MO for $999.12, no ID requested.
WM: MO for $999.12, was asked to hand my ID over which was entered into register.
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Old Jun 18, 2019, 8:38 am
  #711  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SoCal (ONT), PVD/BOS, JAX, RSW
Programs: AA/US PlatPro & 1.05MM, DL Plat (challenge), UA dirt
Posts: 3,189
As a relatively recent data point, one of my local WMs got in trouble by MG for too many people using GCs to purchase MOs. However, the YV has been allowing some of the regulars to unload to PayPal cash with the $3 waived. All in all, the loading part took 5 minutes (had to wait for the WM computers to recognize the 2D barcode that PayPal generated) and within in 15 minutes the money was ready to transfer into my Citi account.
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Old Jun 21, 2019, 1:03 pm
  #712  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 25
We had a WM today state, "you must have your name on the debit card." The Gift Card had our name on it. We pointed that out. The cashier then said, "that is a gift card. We do not accept gift cards for money orders." We pointed out that merely a week ago, we had purchased a money order with the same type of debit card (from giftcardmall.com). The cashier refused. The manager refused.

Anyone have any similar issues?

We were trying to purchase a money order for $1,976.

Thanks.
LaxJumbo is offline  
Old Jun 21, 2019, 1:12 pm
  #713  
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 129
Don't tell them that.
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Tectomoc is offline  
Old Jun 21, 2019, 1:19 pm
  #714  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: CMH
Programs: w/+1: AS MVPG; IHG/Marriott Plat; Hilton/BW Diamond; Hertz Prez; SG Silver
Posts: 1,188
Originally Posted by LaxJumbo
We had a WM today state, "you must have your name on the debit card." The Gift Card had our name on it. We pointed that out. The cashier then said, "that is a gift card. We do not accept gift cards for money orders." We pointed out that merely a week ago, we had purchased a money order with the same type of debit card (from giftcardmall.com). The cashier refused. The manager refused.

Anyone have any similar issues?

We were trying to purchase a money order for $1,976.

Thanks.
I'd wait a few days and try again. Maybe you'll get a cashier that isn't up to date. If that fails, go to another WM.
rxgeek is offline  
Old Jun 21, 2019, 1:19 pm
  #715  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: DFW
Posts: 684
Originally Posted by LaxJumbo
We had a WM today state, "you must have your name on the debit card." The Gift Card had our name on it. We pointed that out. The cashier then said, "that is a gift card. We do not accept gift cards for money orders." We pointed out that merely a week ago, we had purchased a money order with the same type of debit card (from giftcardmall.com). The cashier refused. The manager refused.

Anyone have any similar issues?

We were trying to purchase a money order for $1,976.

Thanks.
Yes, if you do this enough you will run into locations or individual CSR's that will block you. You just need to avoid that CSR, or in some cases you will need to avoid that store. Don't argue with them, you will not change their mind.
danpeake, MaxVO and farwest101 like this.
knopfler is offline  
Old Jun 21, 2019, 1:19 pm
  #716  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, NSA, CIA, MIB
Posts: 537
Originally Posted by LaxJumbo
We had a WM today state, "you must have your name on the debit card." The Gift Card had our name on it. We pointed that out. The cashier then said, "that is a gift card. We do not accept gift cards for money orders." We pointed out that merely a week ago, we had purchased a money order with the same type of debit card (from giftcardmall.com). The cashier refused. The manager refused.

Anyone have any similar issues?

We were trying to purchase a money order for $1,976.

Thanks.
This has happened a few times in the same location for me too. Try to go at a different time and check who's working at that time you do go back, try to get a different csr. It can be hit-n-miss at some locations.
cajunguy is offline  
Old Jun 21, 2019, 1:30 pm
  #717  
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: LAX
Posts: 12
Just tell them thanks, and try with another cashier later. Policies change and denials are part of the game.
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brokephibroke is offline  
Old Jun 21, 2019, 2:12 pm
  #718  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
Originally Posted by LaxJumbo
We had a WM today state, "you must have your name on the debit card." The Gift Card had our name on it. We pointed that out. The cashier then said, "that is a gift card. We do not accept gift cards for money orders." We pointed out that merely a week ago, we had purchased a money order with the same type of debit card (from giftcardmall.com). The cashier refused. The manager refused.

Anyone have any similar issues?

We were trying to purchase a money order for $1,976.

Thanks.
even the card has ur name (from GCM / GC), the words 'gift card' are still somewhere on the card; u need to blacken / hide that; GL the next time
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Last edited by danhouston; Jun 21, 2019 at 2:43 pm
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Old Jun 21, 2019, 2:26 pm
  #719  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by LaxJumbo
We pointed out that merely a week ago, we had purchased a money order with the same type of debit card (from giftcardmall.com). The cashier refused. The manager refused.
This is a big NO, NO when dealing with WM personnel. As much as possible BEST to avoid getting a Front End or any of the Yellow Vested managers involved. You may not be aware but once you try to reason with them and say you were successful in doing something they do not allow, you flagged yourself. These personnel will talk and tell cashiers at MoneyCenter or Customers Service booth to BOLO (be on lookout) for you. It is best to lay low for several days, if not weeks at such location and allow things to cool off.

It has been told time and again, the best approach when getting rejected is just say thank you and leave quietly; feel free to come back later and test a different cashier to see if "policy" is not enforced. If every cashier enforces policy, it's time to buy MOs somewhere else.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Jun 21, 2019, 3:04 pm
  #720  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Originally Posted by LaxJumbo
We had a WM today state, "you must have your name on the debit card." The Gift Card had our name on it. We pointed that out. The cashier then said, "that is a gift card. We do not accept gift cards for money orders." We pointed out that merely a week ago, we had purchased a money order with the same type of debit card (from giftcardmall.com). The cashier refused. The manager refused.

Anyone have any similar issues?

We were trying to purchase a money order for $1,976.

Thanks.
Why $1976 I wouldnt do it for more then $999 = no ID needed. Even better is $499. I find the larger the amount the greater the % of walking away empty handed

But as others have already said, once I get a "No", I simply walkout and say nothing and take a pic in my head of that csr that way when I come back and see them I simply turn around and walk out
craz is offline  


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