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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 Jul 4, 2019, 1:19 pm
  #811  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 115
Originally Posted by History05
This also seems like a very good idea, assuming the vanilla cards or other prepaid debit cards bought at stores can be entered and transferred through venmo without a fee.
I searched this forum and didn't find mentions of Venmo. Also searched the "New" forum and it's barely mentioned. There might be some limitations that prevent people from using it. I'm not sure since I'm new to all this but I'd have thought it'd work
yoyotogblo is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2019, 2:17 pm
  #812  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
Originally Posted by gbenrus25
I searched this forum and didn't find mentions of Venmo. Also searched the "New" forum and it's barely mentioned. There might be some limitations that prevent people from using it. I'm not sure since I'm new to all this but I'd have thought it'd work
not mentioned much b/c most accts got shut down
danhouston is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2019, 3:08 pm
  #813  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 115
Originally Posted by danhouston
not mentioned much b/c most accts got shut down
Ah okay. I guess they don't mind the occasional use but not for something more continual.

Thanks
yoyotogblo is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2019, 3:41 pm
  #814  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 276
Originally Posted by History05
Thank you very much! That's what I was looking for. I'm trying to hit a $5000 spending limit on an AMEX card. I don't care too much about the small gift card fees, which are far less than trying to manufacture spend thru something like Venmo or Plastiq services. I'll look into the MetaBank issued cards. But out of curiosity, why doesn't everyone just do the Metabank ones and not risk the Vanilla getting denied? Do they have higher fees?
MS with your brand new AMEX card? lol So brave.
benny08 is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2019, 3:45 pm
  #815  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,440
Originally Posted by gbenrus25
I searched this forum and didn't find mentions of Venmo. Also searched the "New" forum and it's barely mentioned. There might be some limitations that prevent people from using it. I'm not sure since I'm new to all this but I'd have thought it'd work
Originally Posted by danhouston
not mentioned much b/c most accts got shut down
This has been extensively discussed. Basically, DanHouston is correct in that many Venmo accounts were shut down early on for abusing the site.
But more importantly, Venmo got smart and limited debit cards to 1 per quarter which basically took down the heavy hitters and then restricted the DCs that could be used on the site.
Venmo is way to valuable as a freestanding tool to risk being shut down for a crummy $2K a year, IMO.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2019, 11:31 pm
  #816  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 115
Originally Posted by radonc1
This has been extensively discussed. Basically, DanHouston is correct in that many Venmo accounts were shut down early on for abusing the site.
But more importantly, Venmo got smart and limited debit cards to 1 per quarter which basically took down the heavy hitters and then restricted the DCs that could be used on the site.
Venmo is way to valuable as a freestanding tool to risk being shut down for a crummy $2K a year, IMO.
What's DC? Are you saying they don't accept all prepaid gift cards now?
yoyotogblo is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2019, 11:44 pm
  #817  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,674
Let's keep this thread focused on buying MO at Walmart. There are other threads more appropriate for discussing what to do with your Vanilla cards.
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old Jul 5, 2019, 4:07 pm
  #818  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by TalkingPoint


You can do unlimited $1000s or simply use multiple IDs.
at the right locations you can
Chelski is offline  
Old Jul 5, 2019, 4:10 pm
  #819  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by radonc1
Further f/u on my carding at a WMSC MC for one $800 MO.
I did not have any further requests for ID when I went to several other WMs without a MC for $800 MOs.
When I went back to the same WM that had carded me, a new CSM did not request any ID. So go figure.
IMO, it was just generated by one CSM for whatever reason. I will keep tracking this.
this has been posted about for nearly 9 months.. bau
Chelski is offline  
Old Jul 5, 2019, 4:14 pm
  #820  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by History05
Thank you very much! That's what I was looking for. I'm trying to hit a $5000 spending limit on an AMEX card. I don't care too much about the small gift card fees, which are far less than trying to manufacture spend thru something like Venmo or Plastiq services. I'll look into the MetaBank issued cards. But out of curiosity, why doesn't everyone just do the Metabank ones and not risk the Vanilla getting denied? Do they have higher fees?
Simon mall is the cheapest place in town to buy gc’s with an Amex
Chelski is offline  
Old Jul 5, 2019, 4:48 pm
  #821  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 276
Originally Posted by Chelski

Simon mall is the cheapest place in town to buy gc’s with an Amex
He needs to do some reading. MS with AMEX to meet min spend especially at Simon is just asking for trouble.
benny08 is offline  
Old Jul 5, 2019, 5:35 pm
  #822  
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 32
Originally Posted by benny08
He needs to do some reading. MS with AMEX to meet min spend especially at Simon is just asking for trouble.
Probably not trouble, but I don't think buying Visa gift cards at Simon malls qualify for minimum spend requirements (or regular spend for that matter). You would just be paying $3.95 fee per $500 Visa gift for no reason.
joemeckler is offline  
Old Jul 5, 2019, 6:04 pm
  #823  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 276
Originally Posted by joemeckler
Probably not trouble, but I don't think buying Visa gift cards at Simon malls qualify for minimum spend requirements (or regular spend for that matter). You would just be paying $3.95 fee per $500 Visa gift for no reason.
That. You are inviting AMEX to do FR.
cuthroat likes this.
benny08 is offline  
Old Jul 5, 2019, 6:09 pm
  #824  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 161
Originally Posted by Chelski

Simon mall is the cheapest place in town to buy gc’s with an Amex
I mean, I guess if you absolutely hate earning any points and miles at all, sure.
shipitkthx is offline  
Old Jul 5, 2019, 6:11 pm
  #825  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 161
Originally Posted by Chelski

don’t structure and no issue.. I’ve deposited >$10k of MOs plenty of times..
It is, by definition, literally impossible to structure money order deposits as there is no amount of them that triggers a CTR.
shipitkthx is offline  


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