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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 Oct 16, 2019, 6:10 pm
  #1291  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
Originally Posted by pwm112
...When the cashier entered my drivers license she had a strange look on her face and said for some reason I can’t do it I don’t think it was a system failure
I never had this, but one yellow vest shared that sometimes scanned DL barcodes pull some wild incorrect info.
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Old Oct 16, 2019, 6:16 pm
  #1292  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 59
Originally Posted by ericdabbs
What do you mean by a "very normal $2000 buy"? If you are buying $2K MO and when they enter your DL and it doesn't let them proceed then you are likely banned. How many times did they try to do this to confirm the error? When the ban occurred for me, I tried 2 different amounts and they both didn't work so I knew I was banned. Having no issues at the Walmart previously does not imply that you are exempt from the ID ban. This is most likely triggered by the MG system which WM folks do not have control of.
I just mean I’ve done this exact same transaction with this exact same person 100 times. It was definitely the first time whatever happened tonight happened but it was just a weird look on her face and I immediately did not want to risk not being able to buy $1000 money orders so I just said thank you and left. I’m going to test tomorrow at a non-manufactured spending friendly Walmart with my Discover debit and see if I get the same issue
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Old Oct 17, 2019, 11:14 am
  #1293  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: AA, UAL
Posts: 545
Originally Posted by pwm112
Anybody have this. I haven’t bought in six days I’m definitely not hitting any limits. I just tried to do a very normal $2000 buy at a very regular Walmart that has never had any issues When the cashier entered my drivers license she had a strange look on her face and said for some reason I can’t do it I don’t think it was a system failure
Yes I had exact same scenario at one WM, told CSR I have not bought any MO that day or in last week at that or any other WM. On my insistence, he tried it again (after minutes of discussion) and I walked out with my two MOs !
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Old Oct 17, 2019, 2:59 pm
  #1294  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 59
Originally Posted by fromfall98
Yes I had exact same scenario at one WM, told CSR I have not bought any MO that day or in last week at that or any other WM. On my insistence, he tried it again (after minutes of discussion) and I walked out with my two MOs !
interesting
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Old Oct 20, 2019, 9:29 am
  #1295  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 59
Same Walmart today no longer doing 999.12. Notes behind the counter says it’s looking like person is trying to avoid giving ID so I did a 499.12

coming to an end
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Old Oct 20, 2019, 11:00 am
  #1296  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,507
Originally Posted by pwm112
Same Walmart today no longer doing 999.12. Notes behind the counter says it’s looking like person is trying to avoid giving ID so I did a 499.12

coming to an end
So were you ever able to continue buying your normal $2K MO buy with your ID like before. I didn't see a data point from whether it was just a glitch that one day or you were successful at a different WM.
ericdabbs is online now  
Old Oct 20, 2019, 11:10 am
  #1297  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
one WM CSM told me that WM is going to check ID for MO over $100, it will be a system update, no way to bypass it, he is not sure how soon his store will receive the system update on this.
coolguy100 is offline  
Old Oct 20, 2019, 11:19 am
  #1298  
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 129
I was at WM just now and the CSR informed me that the secret service will be positioning plain clothes officers at select Walmart locations. She said there would be a 1% chance a secret service officer would be monitoring transactions each day and that anyone who purchased a 999.12 money order would be immediately detained for money laundering and other financial crimes.
Tectomoc is offline  
Old Oct 20, 2019, 11:24 am
  #1299  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 59
Originally Posted by ericdabbs
So were you ever able to continue buying your normal $2K MO buy with your ID like before. I didn't see a data point from whether it was just a glitch that one day or you were successful at a different WM.
No I’ve been busy the last couple of days and the one that was going to try their money order machine was out
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Old Oct 20, 2019, 11:26 am
  #1300  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
Originally Posted by Tectomoc
I was at WM just now and the CSR informed me that the secret service will be positioning plain clothes officers at select Walmart locations. She said there would be a 1% chance a secret service officer would be monitoring transactions each day and that anyone who purchased a 999.12 money order would be immediately detained for money laundering and other financial crimes.
freedom of expression...she can say whatever she wants to express.
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Old Oct 20, 2019, 12:09 pm
  #1301  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
Originally Posted by Tectomoc
I was at WM just now and the CSR informed me that the secret service will be positioning plain clothes officers at select Walmart locations. She said there would be a 1% chance a secret service officer would be monitoring transactions each day and that anyone who purchased a 999.12 money order would be immediately detained for money laundering and other financial crimes.

what about 999.11 ?
littlewinglet is offline  
Old Oct 20, 2019, 12:20 pm
  #1302  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: none
Posts: 106
Originally Posted by littlewinglet
what about 999.11 ?
Following your tip, did 999.11 with total 999.99 paid by Simon 1k VGC, no ID check, no one cared today. Lol.
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Old Oct 20, 2019, 1:46 pm
  #1303  
 
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 Tectomoc
I was at WM just now and the CSR informed me that the secret service will be positioning plain clothes officers at select Walmart locations. She said there would be a 1% chance a secret service officer would be monitoring transactions each day and that anyone who purchased a 999.12 money order would be immediately detained for money laundering and other financial crimes.
ROFLMAO.

Would you also like some sure-fire can't miss lock tips on today's NFL games? Or maybe you'd just like to buy a bridge, I have some great ones for sale.
redtop43 is offline  
Old Oct 20, 2019, 2:20 pm
  #1304  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP. Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,134
Originally Posted by Tectomoc
I was at WM just now and the CSR informed me that the secret service will be positioning plain clothes officers at select Walmart locations. She said there would be a 1% chance a secret service officer would be monitoring transactions each day and that anyone who purchased a 999.12 money order would be immediately detained for money laundering and other financial crimes.
If she was going to make something up and lie to you like that she could have at least tried to make it believable.
gmt4 is offline  
Old Oct 20, 2019, 4:04 pm
  #1305  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,295
Originally Posted by redtop43
ROFLMAO.

Would you also like some sure-fire can't miss lock tips on today's NFL games? Or maybe you'd just like to buy a bridge, I have some great ones for sale.
Originally Posted by gmt4
If she was going to make something up and lie to you like that she could have at least tried to make it believable.
I'm pretty sure it was sarcasm.
danpeake is offline  


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