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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 Mar 21, 2019, 11:22 am
  #376  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: PHL
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Yes I did once she gave me $2000 in money orders.
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Old Mar 21, 2019, 11:45 am
  #377  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Both of my stores that I go to had signs up yesterday that the money order machine was broken. I know I've seen people post all the time about this, but I just found it weird/frustrating that it happened to both of my stores. First time in forever.

It unfortunately looks like these machines don't get fixed very quickly.
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Old Mar 22, 2019, 12:39 am
  #378  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
ID threshold update

As someone suggested earlier, I tried buying MO's for the amount $999.00 from a couple of supercenters (South FL region). DL was not requested in any of them, including the stores that had required DL for $999.11 MO in prior visits.
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Old Mar 23, 2019, 12:25 pm
  #379  
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 206
I have tried doing US bank MC. Trying for first time . I read the wiki, I told them to enter as debit and didn't work. I asked to wait to enter the amount and I would change to debit and didn't work. I have called the number and entered a PIN, and it is a debit gift card. Is it just because it is US MC? Should I just be doing the meta bank visa and then none of this is a problem?
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Old Mar 23, 2019, 3:54 pm
  #380  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,837
Originally Posted by geoff325
Should I just be doing the meta bank visa and then none of this is a problem?
Yes
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Old Mar 23, 2019, 5:18 pm
  #381  
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 206
Yep .just did it and worked great. Metabank it is.
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Old Mar 26, 2019, 12:19 am
  #382  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 34
I recently moved to bay area from midwest. Walmart here are refusing to give MO using VGC. Tried three different walmart in San Jose but no success. What are the other alternatives or strategy in Walmart? If you don't want to share publicly, please message me. I need to get rid of my two $500 GC's which I purchased to meet minimum spend.
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Old Mar 26, 2019, 6:17 am
  #383  
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
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Originally Posted by alert21
I recently moved to bay area from midwest. Walmart here are refusing to give MO using VGC. Tried three different walmart in San Jose but no success. What are the other alternatives or strategy in Walmart? If you don't want to share publicly, please message me. I need to get rid of my two $500 GC's which I purchased to meet minimum spend.
Use them to pay normal bills.............Food/insurance/gas/clothes. Pretty easy to spend $1000 on everyday expenses.
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Old Mar 26, 2019, 9:33 am
  #384  
 
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Originally Posted by alert21
I recently moved to bay area from midwest. Walmart here are refusing to give MO using VGC. Tried three different walmart in San Jose but no success. What are the other alternatives or strategy in Walmart? If you don't want to share publicly, please message me. I need to get rid of my two $500 GC's which I purchased to meet minimum spend.
Some supermarkets (and I am told even gas stations, although I have yet to find one) will sell MOs and allow you to use debit cards. It is strictly a hit or miss proposition so you have to do the hard work of going to multiple sites and asking if they will sell you a MO using a debit card.
What is worse is even if you find one that does, it may be cashier dependent, so one day you can and another day with a different cashier you can't.

There is no way to tell you where to go. It's up to you to do the work. Good luck.
daddyo_daddyo, hi55us and cuthroat like this.
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Old Mar 26, 2019, 7:50 pm
  #385  
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Originally Posted by alert21
I recently moved to bay area from midwest. Walmart here are refusing to give MO using VGC. Tried three different walmart in San Jose but no success. What are the other alternatives or strategy in Walmart? If you don't want to share publicly, please message me. I need to get rid of my two $500 GC's which I purchased to meet minimum spend.
did you try getting 1 MO using both cards? If yes try using 1 card and get 2 MOs each for $499, that will leave $.12 on the card which you can use when making a reg purchase or simply toss the card?s.

When you tell them you are using more then 1 card to pay it sends up a red flag that you are using GCs, if still no luck try getting 2 MOs at 2 different supermkts again for $499 each
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Old Mar 26, 2019, 10:14 pm
  #386  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 34
Originally Posted by BSpatula31
Use them to pay normal bills.............Food/insurance/gas/clothes. Pretty easy to spend $1000 on everyday expenses.
Thanks for your input, ultimately that would be my last resort.


Originally Posted by radonc1
Some supermarkets (and I am told even gas stations, although I have yet to find one) will sell MOs and allow you to use debit cards. It is strictly a hit or miss proposition so you have to do the hard work of going to multiple sites and asking if they will sell you a MO using a debit card.
What is worse is even if you find one that does, it may be cashier dependent, so one day you can and another day with a different cashier you can't.

There is no way to tell you where to go. It's up to you to do the work. Good luck.
I will try hitting some supermarkets near me and see if it works. Thanks!

Originally Posted by craz
did you try getting 1 MO using both cards? If yes try using 1 card and get 2 MOs each for $499, that will leave $.12 on the card which you can use when making a reg purchase or simply toss the card?s.

When you tell them you are using more then 1 card to pay it sends up a red flag that you are using GCs, if still no luck try getting 2 MOs at 2 different supermkts again for $499 each
All three time, I asked for $499 MO, and at all time they asked of me to show the card. After seeing its VGC, they said no. Have you had any success at WM in bay area?
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Old Mar 27, 2019, 1:05 am
  #387  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
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Originally Posted by alert21
Have you had any success at WM in bay area?
SF, LA, and NY metro areas are famously difficult to MS in. Not impossible, but definitely difficult.
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Old Mar 27, 2019, 10:10 am
  #388  
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Originally Posted by alert21
Thanks for your input, ultimately that would be my last resort.




I will try hitting some supermarkets near me and see if it works. Thanks!



All three time, I asked for $499 MO, and at all time they asked of me to show the card. After seeing its VGC, they said no. Have you had any success at WM in bay area?

Im not in the Bay Area, in my area the stores that never cared are the ones asking even if you want just 1 today. While those that always didnt allow split payments (GCs) dont ask anything if you are getting just 1 and not using more then 1 card. The places MG sent their people to are the ones cracking down as well as any other close by, at least in my neck of the woods

that said a couple of supermkt chains charge the same as wally and are alot faster getting in and out, although yesterday i was asked at a couple when I did split, still was able to do all my work
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Old Mar 27, 2019, 10:14 am
  #389  
 
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 18
Question about the WIKI: MCGC.. specifically "The cashier should not enter the amount first. " I noticed that their are 2 separate amounts the CSR enters. The Total amount and the amount per card. Do I slide/hit cancel/debit before they enter the amount per card? Also, (and this is more of a technique question) do I just simply say "can I please slide before you put in the amount?" Or is there a better strategy? Thank you. Forgive me if this was already covered somewhere. I've tried to read the entire post looking for these.

Last edited by egypteys; Mar 27, 2019 at 10:15 am Reason: Grammar
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Old Mar 27, 2019, 10:46 am
  #390  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,295
Originally Posted by egypteys
Question about the WIKI: MCGC.. specifically "The cashier should not enter the amount first. " I noticed that their are 2 separate amounts the CSR enters. The Total amount and the amount per card. Do I slide/hit cancel/debit before they enter the amount per card? Also, (and this is more of a technique question) do I just simply say "can I please slide before you put in the amount?" Or is there a better strategy? Thank you. Forgive me if this was already covered somewhere. I've tried to read the entire post looking for these.
You want to slide before they enter the amount per card. I believe you're mistaken about entering a total amount. I've never noticed that. Maybe they hit "total" or something to get to the payment screen but it's not as you seem to be describing.

You'll have to see what works at your WM. For more friendly ones that know what you're doing, you may just say "These are Mastercards...". For others, you may want to let it fail and say "How about if I swipe it first and see if that works." You gotta feel it out a bit...
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