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Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2019 - 2022)

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)

Old Feb 7, 2019, 10:05 pm
  #241  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 213
Originally Posted by craz
Its a tell imo asking for a $499.12 I ask for either a $499 even and use the rest later on when buying something in a store, or $498.nn (where nn is any odd amount eg .93 it makes it appear that its a legit MO Im getting and then the rest when making a real purchase) Other then a Wally I get the 1st MO for $499 and the 2nd for say $499.10 as long as the fee is <$1
This. do not ask for the "12 cents". red flag! Ask for an even amount.

also, since the OP bought from Giant, that 12 cents will auto drain on your next grocery purchase. I've swipe 10 cards at SCO before without an issue. (never tried more)
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 8:37 am
  #242  
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Originally Posted by alanisrox69
This. do not ask for the "12 cents". red flag! Ask for an even amount.

also, since the OP bought from Giant, that 12 cents will auto drain on your next grocery purchase. I've swipe 10 cards at SCO before without an issue. (never tried more)
Yes, don't ask for 12 cents, they'll know exactly what you're doing and call the cops to have you arrested! God I love reading this thread!
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 11:41 am
  #243  
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Originally Posted by beast7276
Yes, don't ask for 12 cents, they'll know exactly what you're doing and call the cops to have you arrested! God I love reading this thread!
say what you want, no one said theyd call the cops, but any time I asked for a MO at Wally for even $499.10 in the area I do my biz in , almost every time the past few months it was followed by 'can I please see the card you will be using' anytime I asked for 499 even or slightly less, I walked out with the MO w/o being asked to show the card and in a couiple of cases from tehe xact csr that a week before asked to see the card

Man I just love how a person thinks that since they dont run into any flack that MUST mean everyone wont!
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 12:28 pm
  #244  
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If that's what you have to resort to, 1 partial card, what's the point?
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Old Feb 8, 2019, 2:34 pm
  #245  
c2d
 
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Originally Posted by craz
Its a tell imo asking for a $499.12 I ask for either a $499 even and use the rest later on when buying something in a store, or $498.nn (where nn is any odd amount eg .93 it makes it appear that its a legit MO Im getting and then the rest when making a real purchase) Other then a Wally I get the 1st MO for $499 and the 2nd for say $499.10 as long as the fee is <$1
Thanks! When I try next, I will ask for something round less than $499.

Originally Posted by alanisrox69
This. do not ask for the "12 cents". red flag! Ask for an even amount.

also, since the OP bought from Giant, that 12 cents will auto drain on your next grocery purchase. I've swipe 10 cards at SCO before without an issue. (never tried more)
Thanks for that tip, I can use up the little leftovers at the grocery purchase.
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Old Feb 10, 2019, 10:19 pm
  #246  
c2d
 
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Alright, success today for a round $ value, no problems. Next step, split transaction Starting slow, and only hoping to do around $10k/mo. Thanks for the tips.
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Old Feb 10, 2019, 11:23 pm
  #247  
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Originally Posted by c2d
Alright, success today for a round $ value, no problems. Next step, split transaction Starting slow, and only hoping to do around $10k/mo. Thanks for the tips.
Id stay away from split transactions, its also a tell, at least in regards to doing it at Wallys. Once you know which csrs care and which dont you might try then. At least in my area I found once I say Im using more then 1 DC they ask to see the cards. I found its less problems where you dont go to a money center but reg CS, or is in the boondocks.
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 2:44 am
  #248  
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MCI
Posts: 698
Originally Posted by Chelski

my primary WM told me today there is a memo that no mo starting Jan 1 2020 and another for 2021 and 2022.. you heard it here first ,, the sky is falling
Absolutely huge news if this is true. Assuming this means a corporate, nation-wide policy that says no MO orders using gift cards...

Well we'll see come 01/2020.....
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 8:58 am
  #249  
c2d
 
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Originally Posted by craz
Id stay away from split transactions, its also a tell, at least in regards to doing it at Wallys. Once you know which csrs care and which dont you might try then. At least in my area I found once I say Im using more then 1 DC they ask to see the cards. I found its less problems where you dont go to a money center but reg CS, or is in the boondocks.
Thanks, good tip. I will keep it simple for now. Its only 88c, not huge to get separate MOs. I am also going to start with Serve, so one MO and one Serve load per trip should be good enough for me.
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 11:07 am
  #250  
 
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Interesting DP: Had a trip to central Virginia so went to WM for MO, asked for $999 MO with split payment, no problem with issuing the MO but was asked for a 'Name' for payee on the MO, was told the name would not appear on the MO but would be on the receipt. Asked CSR why they were doing this, she said because they could validate the payee name entered against the payee name written on the MO. Also said they don't ask for payee name if MO is under $750. This did not make sense to me but, okay, I get the MO I want.

Anybody else find something similar? I do not think this is a red flag, just weird. Never saw this before.
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 1:11 pm
  #251  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 595
It's a Virginia thing. They have a law for MOs over $750 that requires the MO have the name added at the purchase point. Or something to that effect. That has already been discussed here somewhere (as I am in MI and have never bought a MO in VA, hence how I know).
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 3:57 pm
  #252  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 305
A strange thing happened to me today when I was purchasing 2 x $1000 MO at my local WM...I was using VGC from GiftCarMall - 3 of them went down as usual as debit (where I had to enter pin #), but the last apparently went through as credit card (no pin was required)...the MOs printed normally as usual, but receipt indicated 4 cards being used - 3 "debit" and 1 "Visa"...I think I was more worried than my cashier - I didn't want their register to be short, but the cashier said "no, it all went through fine, the machine accepted it as credit card", and when I later checked the balance - it was 0...so it definitely went through...did it auto drain itself?...or maybe the cashier hit some button that made it do that?....has anyone had anything similar??
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 6:30 pm
  #253  
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 34
Originally Posted by in4tar
A strange thing happened to me today when I was purchasing 2 x $1000 MO at my local WM...I was using VGC from GiftCarMall - 3 of them went down as usual as debit (where I had to enter pin #), but the last apparently went through as credit card (no pin was required)...the MOs printed normally as usual, but receipt indicated 4 cards being used - 3 "debit" and 1 "Visa"...I think I was more worried than my cashier - I didn't want their register to be short, but the cashier said "no, it all went through fine, the machine accepted it as credit card", and when I later checked the balance - it was 0...so it definitely went through...did it auto drain itself?...or maybe the cashier hit some button that made it do that?....has anyone had anything similar??
What was the amount charged to the last card? If it was under $50 then that explains it.
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 8:34 pm
  #254  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Again, baffled by the difference between South California and the middle of nowhere Mid West. Yesterday, my good friend at the Wally was working and just allow me to do 4 X $995 MO with all Simon VGCs. Again, she is my friend and they CSRs in those Wallys have from 10 year to 15 year seniority. No memos, everything business as usual. Went to the other Wally in town, and another good CSR with many years seniority had no problem for 2 X $997 MO with split payment. Of course, in South Cali, all of that would be close to impossible. ...
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 11:04 pm
  #255  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Some CSRs instructed to enter DL if regular regardless of amount for reg custs at at least one wm near me. If asked for ID <$1k just ask if its due to the KYC random ID check (10% of transactions).
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