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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 25, 2019, 5:45 pm
  #1336  
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 129
I've been preparing for it by finding out the news from this thread and becoming extremely distressed. Hoping it is just a "rumor" but I've seen a few different people with confirmations from their CSRs. Guess I'll ask mine tomorrow.
Tectomoc is offline  
Old Oct 25, 2019, 6:09 pm
  #1337  
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 19
Originally Posted by horseymen
So none of the heavy hitters are going to discuss the elephant in the room here?

That there has been a CBL released indicating that Money Orders will be reduced to 8k a month (instead of 8k a day) starting next month?! Even the folks doing 1-2k a day 20 days a month to save up for a Saaver award to Europe are gonna feel the grunt of that one.
for those of us who typically buy $999 or less and rarely ever get asked for IDs, it seems like this monthly limit will be tough to enforce unless they lower the dollar amount that requires ID.

I’ve not seen the changes requirements/limits listed anywhere but would be interested to see if there are expected changes to the ID requirements or some other way they will enforce this for folks who stay below the 1k radar. Obviously can’t do the volume that others can that way but can definitely exceed $8k a month pretty easily.
skaterr03 is offline  
Old Oct 25, 2019, 6:11 pm
  #1338  
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 129
That is what I am really waiting to see, personally. I would be ok with the rumored 8k monthly limit if there are no changes to the current ID rules. And I could handle new ID rules if there is no 8k monthly limit. But if they did both at once it would be a giant PITA.
Tectomoc is offline  
Old Oct 25, 2019, 8:55 pm
  #1339  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,528
Originally Posted by skaterr03
for those of us who typically buy $999 or less and rarely ever get asked for IDs, it seems like this monthly limit will be tough to enforce unless they lower the dollar amount that requires ID.
Rumor is ID required for transactions of $100 or more.
nall is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2019, 1:09 am
  #1340  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: JRF
Programs: AA Gold, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by nall
Rumor is ID required for transactions of $100 or more.
Why do people take ramblings from shill bloggers seriously?

https://www.pointchaser.com/walmart-...-change-rumor/
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msp3 is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2019, 3:21 am
  #1341  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
I can't speak to the $100 limit - it wasn't discussed in the CBL discussions at my Walmart (have to imagine there will be some pissed off Water Bill paying customers) - but certainly SOME employees are being trained that MOs are moving to an 8k a month limit.
horseymen is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2019, 4:30 pm
  #1342  
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by horseymen
I can't speak to the $100 limit - it wasn't discussed in the CBL discussions at my Walmart (have to imagine there will be some pissed off Water Bill paying customers) - but certainly SOME employees are being trained that MOs are moving to an 8k a month limit.
Was turned down yesterday by the system at a Walmart in Dallas. Clerk looked surprised when a message popped up instructing her to tell the customer they have exceeded their purchasing limit for the month. I had done $16k in the past week liquidating $4k at a time with ID & SSN.
manlinear is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2019, 5:40 pm
  #1343  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
Originally Posted by manlinear
Was turned down yesterday by the system at a Walmart in Dallas. Clerk looked surprised when a message popped up instructing her to tell the customer they have exceeded their purchasing limit for the month. I had done $16k in the past week liquidating $4k at a time with ID & SSN.
so we still dont know the banning criteria and trigger.
coolguy100 is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2019, 7:42 pm
  #1344  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 644
Originally Posted by nall
Rumor is ID required for transactions of $100 or more.
This one is happening for real.
Stivelio is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2019, 7:51 pm
  #1345  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
The MO fee went up today in my area. It's now $0.98.
MaxVO is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2019, 8:28 pm
  #1346  
 
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
This isn't technically a "WM' post, but relevant since we're all looking for workarounds to WM. Following up on a post above, I checked out the Smith's on Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas, just south of the Premium Outlets. Bought a MO for just under $1000 with no issue. I happen to be in Louisville today and tomorrow (for the first and likely last time in my life) and found a Kroger (I think Smith's is actually Kroger) and did two separate MO's,again for just under $1K each, with no problem. I may have some time to kill tomorrow and I might drive around to a few Krogers'. And maybe hit a WM just to see if any of the gloom-and-doom predictions are valid. In all these cases I make no mention of payment, I just wait until the terminal is ready and then swipe.

In the town I live in, the only grocery store close to me is a Giant Food, and they won't take GC's and I think the max MO is $500 anyway. I might check out Weis, which is the other chain in my area.
redtop43 is offline  
Old Oct 27, 2019, 6:02 pm
  #1347  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
Senior moment: Say I'm purchasing a $999 MO at WM with two cards: one is a $500 VGC and the other is a $500 MCGC. If I use the VGC first, do I need to do the MC workaround for second card or will it work without the workaround? Thanks.
tuphat is offline  
Old Oct 27, 2019, 6:08 pm
  #1348  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,949
Originally Posted by tuphat
Senior moment: Say I'm purchasing a $999 MO at WM with two cards: one is a $500 VGC and the other is a $500 MCGC. If I use the VGC first, do I need to do the MC workaround for second card or will it work without the workaround? Thanks.
Nope, both cards work the same. No need to use the workaround.
TTT103 is offline  
Old Oct 27, 2019, 6:17 pm
  #1349  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 213
Originally Posted by redtop43
This isn't technically a "WM' post, but relevant since we're all looking for workarounds to WM. Following up on a post above, I checked out the Smith's on Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas, just south of the Premium Outlets. Bought a MO for just under $1000 with no issue. I happen to be in Louisville today and tomorrow (for the first and likely last time in my life) and found a Kroger (I think Smith's is actually Kroger) and did two separate MO's,again for just under $1K each, with no problem. I may have some time to kill tomorrow and I might drive around to a few Krogers'. And maybe hit a WM just to see if any of the gloom-and-doom predictions are valid. In all these cases I make no mention of payment, I just wait until the terminal is ready and then swipe.

In the town I live in, the only grocery store close to me is a Giant Food, and they won't take GC's and I think the max MO is $500 anyway. I might check out Weis, which is the other chain in my area.
Weis is cash only.
Giant works but 99% employees check the debit card.
alanisrox69 is offline  
Old Oct 27, 2019, 6:51 pm
  #1350  
ogg
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 317
Originally Posted by TTT103
Nope, both cards work the same. No need to use the workaround.
What? Is that a recent change? I always have had to change product type to debit if using any MC card.
msp3 likes this.
ogg is offline  


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