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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 Apr 3, 2019, 5:04 pm
  #406  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 595
Originally Posted by farwest101
If the MO machines are broken (which was the OP's original complaint), you can't get cash back.

[redacted]
And you like to make assumptions because the OP never said HOW the machine was broken and couldnt get a MO. [redacted] I simply provided an actual data point that was 100% possible could have happened to the OP and provided him the cash refund that you claimed would only happen when pigs fly.

I stand by my statement.

Last edited by cbn42; Apr 5, 2019 at 2:00 pm
shadow520 is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2019, 11:04 am
  #407  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by craz
I only got ca$h when the csr didnt know that the printer was o/o/o thusly the reg took the money but nothing could print. I never ran into any csr who knew the printer was down and still let me do my biz

So it seems thats what happened with the other poster, the csr didnt know the printer was out and let them do their biz , only to find out no MO and thusly a ca$h refund
near me they will usually try one transaction each day and pay out $2k but any1 else in line would be told the mo is Down.
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Old Apr 4, 2019, 11:16 am
  #408  
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Join Date: Nov 1999
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Originally Posted by Chelski

near me they will usually try one transaction each day and pay out $2k but any1 else in line would be told the mo is Down.
In my old reg places, that usually wouldnt happen. If it was o/o/o from the night before usually a note was left to that affect, w/o such a note then yea theyd sell a MO. Whats confusing is when I do a run way after opening and it didnt go thru and my csr asks the other did you know the printer is o/o/o and I hear my csr being told yea it was that way since last night.

Seems they dont have a method that alerts each new csr working the MC or CS whats what , till they try it or as they are doing it another csr tells them before it goes thru

The worst part is when there is no sign and you wait your turn ask for the MO and get told sorry its o/o/o! At least some places put up a sign that WU is down or MOs are down, so I can head to the next place w/o wasting any more time

But with most of the closest Wallys no longer in the biz, it doesnt matter as much as it did. Just a good thing I have a couple of supermkt chains to work with for now at least, costs still justify what I get from it
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 9:52 pm
  #409  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 152
Ran into an odd issue today. Did multiple swipes, last swipe didn't prompt for pin, but instead printed out a receipt for me to sign. Both MOs printed out (amount are correct). I just checked the balance on one of cards used, and balance wasn't taken off. The rest of the ones where I entered a pin had the balance removed. Is there any easy way to fix this?

Last edited by Compfreak; Apr 6, 2019 at 9:59 pm
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 10:42 pm
  #410  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
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Allow 48 to 72 hour pass, if you still have crefit on your VGC, then ask if they are short and give them cash to make it up. Sometimes it's system delay and you can not use them even showing full balance due to it's already used. No worry.
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 11:13 pm
  #411  
 
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Originally Posted by Compfreak
Ran into an odd issue today. Did multiple swipes, last swipe didn't prompt for pin, but instead printed out a receipt for me to sign. Both MOs printed out (amount are correct). I just checked the balance on one of cards used, and balance wasn't taken off. The rest of the ones where I entered a pin had the balance removed. Is there any easy way to fix this?
I have had the CSR mistakenly indicate that I was paying cash for one of the cards. At least once they didn't notice and I could have left the store with an undrained card and the till would have been $500 short. Of course I didn't do that; I had them sell me another $500 MO (which they usually wouldn't do, but here we're trying to fix their error) and in addition to using the card I gave them $500 cash.

However, it hasn't generated a receipt to sign.

In regard to another recent thread, I have on about 3-4 occasions left the counter with $2K in cash rather than $2K (well, $1998.24) in MO's. It does happen, although not often.
redtop43 is offline  
Old Apr 7, 2019, 1:25 am
  #412  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 970
Originally Posted by Compfreak
Ran into an odd issue today. Did multiple swipes, last swipe didn't prompt for pin, but instead printed out a receipt for me to sign. Both MOs printed out (amount are correct). I just checked the balance on one of cards used, and balance wasn't taken off. The rest of the ones where I entered a pin had the balance removed. Is there any easy way to fix this?
It's likely the cashier pushed the cash button (instead of debit) and their register will be short - over the years, probably happened a half dozen times to me. Usually the solution is to sell you another money order for $500 and they put that $500 MO back in the till and then their register will balance again. Go talk to them about it - cashier's job is on the line if they don't get the issue remedied ASAP.
farwest101 is offline  
Old Apr 7, 2019, 7:24 am
  #413  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by farwest101
It's likely the cashier pushed the cash button (instead of debit) and their register will be short - over the years, probably happened a half dozen times to me. Usually the solution is to sell you another money order for $500 and they put that $500 MO back in the till and then their register will balance again. Go talk to them about it - cashier's job is on the line if they don't get the issue remedied ASAP.
and cashiers entire paycheck is likely on the line. The receipt should state what payment methods were charged and how much. Imagine thinking you would have to repay your workplace your entire paycheck.. it’s best for OP to reach out ASAP or potentially burn OPs liquidation store.
Chelski is offline  
Old Apr 7, 2019, 8:51 am
  #414  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 152
Originally Posted by Chelski

and cashiers entire paycheck is likely on the line. The receipt should state what payment methods were charged and how much. Imagine thinking you would have to repay your workplace your entire paycheck.. it’s best for OP to reach out ASAP or potentially burn OPs liquidation store.
No debate here, not looking to burn any cashiers.

It's just odd though, since it didn't request a pin and requested a physical signature for that one card. That card is also specifically listed on the receipt.

EDIT: Issue resolved. Mysimon411 was correct. There was apparently a day lag

Last edited by Compfreak; Apr 7, 2019 at 8:57 am
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Old Apr 7, 2019, 12:01 pm
  #415  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by Compfreak
No debate here, not looking to burn any cashiers.

It's just odd though, since it didn't request a pin and requested a physical signature for that one card. That card is also specifically listed on the receipt.

EDIT: Issue resolved. Mysimon411 was correct. There was apparently a day lag
I know ur not looking for a debate. With card listed on receipt everything should be fine as it turned out. Just making sure the basics were looked at since OP was entirely clear if all 4 cards were listed on receipt. I.e., did u try restarting lol 😂
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Old Apr 7, 2019, 2:53 pm
  #416  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 152
Originally Posted by Chelski

I know ur not looking for a debate. With card listed on receipt everything should be fine as it turned out. Just making sure the basics were looked at since OP was entirely clear if all 4 cards were listed on receipt. I.e., did u try restarting lol 😂
Haha. No debate as in I 100% agree with what you guys said
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Old Apr 8, 2019, 11:06 am
  #417  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: 787
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Posts: 1,306
Originally Posted by shadow520
I was at my local WM on Saturday. Purchased 1 $998 MO, the register couldn't connect to the MO printer. After a couple fails, the CSR cancelled the transaction, the register refunded me $998.88 in cash. CSR gave me the cash, out I went.


Pretty sure I saw that pig flying by as I walked out.

happened few time to me as well.
jtav559 likes this.
ThePointsCollector is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2019, 7:46 pm
  #418  
 
Join Date: May 2016
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California-based here but headed to PHX for a whole week. Is it a good spot to churn, or hit or miss?
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Old Apr 11, 2019, 8:27 pm
  #419  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
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Posts: 364
2 card limit per money order rumor...?

Guys.... rumor has it that a new limit is coming soon to money orders using debit cards... according to a money service clerk, any similar data points?!

Allegedly the new limits is coming from Money Gram and not Walmart, I was able to do 4x200 still with my favorite guy but another clerk who was next to him mentioned the new limit to him but he didn’t know about it and just ignored her.... for now. So will just wait and see if this virus spread to other Walmarts in my area.... This was in the Buckeyes state.
OHijAAzi73 is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2019, 8:36 pm
  #420  
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 65
Originally Posted by OHijAAzi73
Guys.... rumor has it that a new limit is coming soon to money orders using debit cards... according to a money service clerk, any similar data points?!

Allegedly the new limits is coming from Money Gram and not Walmart, I was able to do 4x200 still with my favorite guy but another clerk who was next to him mentioned the new limit to him but he didn’t know about it and just ignored her.... for now. So will just wait and see if this virus spread to other Walmarts in my area.... This was in the Buckeyes state.
Personally, I don't see the value of churning 200s, so I always stick to a 2 card limit anyways and go with the 2x500 routine or 1x500-1x300. Anything more just seems cumbersome, and I want to stay as easy and below the radar as possible.
pancakeman27 is offline  


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