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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 Jan 12, 2019, 8:34 am
  #76  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: DFW
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Start slow and build your level up gradually to avoid FR.
knopfler is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 8:55 am
  #77  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: NY
Posts: 523
Originally Posted by beast7276
Thank you for providing us with this very helpful datapoint. I'm happy to know that the nationwide roll out of ID above 1k also applies to your store.
Being from NY I find his data point helpful. It's been reported here that some WMs are asking for ID at any amount so that fact that he can still buy w/o ID <1K is good to know. There's no need for snark here, we get enough of it trying to MS.
FrankMS is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 9:49 am
  #78  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: Diners Club
Posts: 35
Has anyone gotten "DEBIT NOT AVAILABLE APPR. CODE= 01" before? Popped up in the last 2 days using gc.com mcgc (no issues ever before last 2 days.)
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Old Jan 13, 2019, 10:03 am
  #79  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
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Originally Posted by notalent
Has anyone gotten "DEBIT NOT AVAILABLE APPR. CODE= 01" before? Popped up in the last 2 days using gc.com mcgc (no issues ever before last 2 days.)
01 is declined by issuer.

Card is active?
lumangoy is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 11:41 am
  #80  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: Diners Club
Posts: 35
Originally Posted by lumangoy
01 is declined by issuer.

Card is active?
That was my first thought, so I re-activated them. Nothing shows up in the activity section that it was declined. Only three initial balance load shoes.
notalent is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 1:17 pm
  #81  
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Join Date: Sep 2016
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Originally Posted by FrankMS
Being from NY I find his data point helpful. It's been reported here that some WMs are asking for ID at any amount so that fact that he can still buy w/o ID <1K is good to know. There's no need for snark here, we get enough of it trying to MS.
lol, the datapoint was that they needed ID above the threshold.
beast7276 is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 1:19 pm
  #82  
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Originally Posted by notalent
That was my first thought, so I re-activated them. Nothing shows up in the activity section that it was declined. Only three initial balance load shoes.
it’s user error - either cashier or you. App doesn’t activate the cards - is that your error?
beast7276 is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 1:50 pm
  #83  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: Diners Club
Posts: 35
Originally Posted by beast7276

it’s user error - either cashier or you. App doesn’t activate the cards - is that your error?
Sirry, I don't follow. What does "App doesn't activate the cards"

For GC.com you have to activate before use. Have there been DPs of cards not activating?

It seems weird since I tried twice over 2 days with 2 seasoned csrs and 2 different terminals. I've not had this happen over many months of bau.
notalent is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 2:08 pm
  #84  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 970
Originally Posted by knopfler
I would estimate $10k a week on average for about a year. I deposited other stuff like a portion of my paycheck, paypal deposits, some cash here and there. But MO's were the largest percentage of my deposits by far.

The problem isn't depositing MOs per se, it's multiple deposits under $10K in a 7 day period that then exceed $10K that can then be deemed "structuring". Chase AML folks hate that.

Keep your deposits over $10K and you can deposit as many MOs as your heart desires.
farwest101 is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 2:11 pm
  #85  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 970
Originally Posted by notalent
Has anyone gotten "DEBIT NOT AVAILABLE APPR. CODE= 01" before? Popped up in the last 2 days using gc.com mcgc (no issues ever before last 2 days.)
Yes. Had this exact error code just start 2 days ago. Per the Wiki, it's "01 = Refer to card issuer. The merchant must call the issuer before the transaction can be approved" But that doesn't make sense.
farwest101 is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 2:13 pm
  #86  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 970
Originally Posted by beast7276

it’s user error - either cashier or you. App doesn’t activate the cards - is that your error?
No,it's not user error. This is a new issue that's just started.
farwest101 is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 2:30 pm
  #87  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,837
Originally Posted by notalent
Sirry, I don't follow. What does "App doesn't activate the cards"

For GC.com you have to activate before use. Have there been DPs of cards not activating?

It seems weird since I tried twice over 2 days with 2 seasoned csrs and 2 different terminals. I've not had this happen over many months of bau.
were you splitting payment?

you were able to enter pin?
lumangoy is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 9:39 pm
  #88  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: Diners Club
Posts: 35
Originally Posted by farwest101
No,it's not user error. This is a new issue that's just started.
How many others have you heard having this issue?
notalent is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 9:48 pm
  #89  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 970
Millions
farwest101 is offline  
Old Jan 13, 2019, 10:06 pm
  #90  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: Diners Club
Posts: 35
Do you think this is a change in WM? I have DP's from others saying it worked for them today
notalent is offline  


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