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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 Sep 19, 2019, 12:36 pm
  #1186  
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 766
Originally Posted by ericdabbs
If you say so. I don't think that is how it works because at this point once something like this gets started it will only be a slippery slope. It has only gotten worse at WM over the years with now requiring KYC information now to $1K when used to be $3K which are federal rules. People who are still "alive" for MOs will be on pins and needles wondering what the threshold is to avoid being banned. Its the same idea about those that still have alive Serve/BB cards thinking that if they play it slow they will never get banned. Playing it slow may not always be a great strategy.
I 100%, and I am the banned one! Again, I'd been hammering walmart for years, and years to the tune of over $30K a month. I accelerate due to Simon.

With that said, if I had to guess, I'd suggest not doing $4k splits as that is the thing that changed for me in the recent past. Keep it under the $3K deal where they grab your SS# etc. Only time will tell if right, and you can still do great at $3K/day.
THEsocalledfan is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2019, 12:40 pm
  #1187  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,936
Originally Posted by THEsocalledfan
I 100%, and I am the banned one! Again, I'd been hammering walmart for years, and years to the tune of over $30K a month. I accelerate due to Simon.

With that said, if I had to guess, I'd suggest not doing $4k splits as that is the thing that changed for me in the recent past. Keep it under the $3K deal where they grab your SS# etc. Only time will tell if right, and you can still do great at $3K/day.
I only twice exceeded $3K, and on the second attempt, was shut down.
TTT103 is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2019, 1:04 pm
  #1188  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,500
Originally Posted by THEsocalledfan
I 100%, and I am the banned one! Again, I'd been hammering walmart for years, and years to the tune of over $30K a month. I accelerate due to Simon.

With that said, if I had to guess, I'd suggest not doing $4k splits as that is the thing that changed for me in the recent past. Keep it under the $3K deal where they grab your SS# etc. Only time will tell if right, and you can still do great at $3K/day.
Will definitely be doing that going forward assuming we get unbanned.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2019, 1:08 pm
  #1189  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 77
Anyone get banned liquidating something other than Simon?

(GCM, for example)
daddyo_daddyo is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2019, 1:28 pm
  #1190  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,936
Originally Posted by daddyo_daddyo
Anyone get banned liquidating something other than Simon?

(GCM, for example)
The majority for me was NOT Simon, although the first $4K transaction I did a month ago was Simon, and the last one I did (when I was shut down) was Simon. In addition to those two transactions, I only did one other transaction over $2K that was a combo of two $1K Simon's and two $500 from another merchant.
TTT103 is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2019, 2:15 pm
  #1191  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
At least WM hasn't hardcoded its system to ban VGCs like usps did. folks banned can do at least one MO per store...better than nothing.
ChrisFlyer66 likes this.
coolguy100 is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2019, 2:23 pm
  #1192  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,936
Originally Posted by coolguy100
At least WM hasn't hardcoded its system to ban VGCs like usps did. folks banned can do at least one MO per store...better than nothing.
That's exactly how I look at it, although I'm afraid that it's only a matter of time before ID's are required for all Money Center transactions regardless of dollar amount. Now that associates can scan ID's at most, but not all WM's, it certainly streamlines the process.
TTT103 is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2019, 2:56 pm
  #1193  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: JRF
Programs: AA Gold, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by ericdabbs
The last thing I want to think about in Vegas is to MS at a WM. Also the WMs in Vegas suck since they are very sensitive to GCs.
When is Vegas, do people just take a stack of VGCs into casinos and ask to cash it out? Or does that get you banned at the casino...?
msp3 is offline  
Old Sep 20, 2019, 10:01 am
  #1194  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 269
Originally Posted by msp3
When is Vegas, do people just take a stack of VGCs into casinos and ask to cash it out? Or does that get you banned at the casino...?
You can use them in place of chips. 2 VGCs on green.
the188 is offline  
Old Sep 20, 2019, 10:46 am
  #1195  
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 6
Friendly reps have started to recognize at my regular walmart/local grocery stores. What do you guys respond when they ask why you're purchasing so many money orders?
ChrisFlyer66 likes this.
liuiam13 is offline  
Old Sep 20, 2019, 11:34 am
  #1196  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,293
Originally Posted by liuiam13
Friendly reps have started to recognize at my regular walmart/local grocery stores. What do you guys respond when they ask why you're purchasing so many money orders?
The truth
gm9928, tuphat, cuthroat and 1 others like this.
danpeake is offline  
Old Sep 20, 2019, 2:31 pm
  #1197  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: none
Posts: 106
Originally Posted by liuiam13
Friendly reps have started to recognize at my regular walmart/local grocery stores. What do you guys respond when they ask why you're purchasing so many money orders?
It's funny how they remember me after just 3 times for the whole month, I normally use 2 cards for one MO, but when I went Walmart yesterday, cashier smiled and said I knew why you do that, I waited for her to continue. She said there's another guy come in once per week and use 4 cards one time for miles and fuel points, and told me that there is no issue with her and she knew it's gift visa card. I nodded my head and said can I get one MO by using 3 cards of 300 each, she took care it within 1 minute. I don't have to hide my cards when it's her, lol
cuthroat likes this.
mySimon411 is offline  
Old Sep 20, 2019, 5:09 pm
  #1198  
 
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
Originally Posted by TTT103
So you guys travel to Vegas to visit Walmart. Sounds like a good time!
I spend about 50-60 days a year there. So it's not exactly extraordinary. I always buy GC's at the SM's there. Not at Premium Outlets North since they charge for parking now, but at Outlets South, or occasionally at Forum Shops if I happen to be there.
redtop43 is offline  
Old Sep 22, 2019, 6:18 pm
  #1199  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Plat Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Club Carl Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,002
I'm trying to make sense of the shutdowns and the "most" common thread seems to be single purchases of MOs exceeding $2k (usually $3k or $4k using SM GCs). Has anyone who has ONLY done $2k transactions been shut down?
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iamthehpt is offline  
Old Sep 22, 2019, 6:49 pm
  #1200  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,936
Originally Posted by redtop43
I spend about 50-60 days a year there. So it's not exactly extraordinary. I always buy GC's at the SM's there. Not at Premium Outlets North since they charge for parking now, but at Outlets South, or occasionally at Forum Shops if I happen to be there.
That makes a little more sense.
Joonydell likes this.
TTT103 is offline  


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