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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 13, 2019, 2:20 pm
  #436  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
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BAU for me yesterday, although one of my friendly stores was just audited by Moneygram and now stopped taking prepaid cards. 4 other Walmarts were fine.
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Old Apr 13, 2019, 2:53 pm
  #437  
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Chatted with a WM rep. She said they do not do split payments since that is a red flag. But it is fine to do an order of multiple MOs, but with just one payment. So I just bought two MOs separately there.
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Old Apr 13, 2019, 4:47 pm
  #438  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
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BAU at my SoCal WMs for the past several weeks; in fact, a previously burned location has come back to life due to staff churn.
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Old Apr 13, 2019, 7:39 pm
  #439  
 
Join Date: May 2016
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Originally Posted by RedSun
Chatted with a WM rep. She said they do not do split payments since that is a red flag. But it is fine to do an order of multiple MOs, but with just one payment. So I just bought two MOs separately there.
In my years of doing of this I have discovered a few set outcomes on a store by store or employee by employee basis:
1. Most common when can't unload: split payment triggers checking of what cards you use. Makes you wonder if you should have just bought $499 instead so it wasn't a waste of time.
2. Less Common but happens: WM checks all cards, or checks your card if you are purchasing a perfect $500 MO or very close like $499 +$0.88
3. Less common but happens: cashier believes GC's are fine, but split payment is not, will allow either 1 MO, and if you are lucky, two separate MO's at $500 each, even if you said using a GC.
4. Most common during successful unload: no questions asked, even with split payment.
5. Less common during successful unloads: Store is a super friendly location they will even directly ask you if you are doing this for airline points and you can actually just be honest. Store sees your gift cards and even talks about other clientele who come in. Store managers will be happy to process your MO. Most of the time, I still do max $2k to be considerate of their time.
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Old Apr 14, 2019, 5:48 am
  #440  
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The GC policy (if any) is really store and person specific. The WM I like to go to, there is one CSM who is an enemy of GC and she checks cards. Most of the other regular CSRs do not check cards. They just do not care what you are doing.

But split payment with 4 cards clearly raises a red flag in most of WMs.
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Old Apr 14, 2019, 8:43 am
  #441  
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 271
Originally Posted by doggiefizzle
BAU at my SoCal WMs for the past several weeks; in fact, a previously burned location has come back to life due to staff churn.
for how much? < $500, $500, $1k, $2k? how many tx?
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Old Apr 14, 2019, 1:13 pm
  #442  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
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Originally Posted by RedSun
The GC policy (if any) is really store and person specific. The WM I like to go to, there is one CSM who is an enemy of GC and she checks cards. Most of the other regular CSRs do not check cards. They just do not care what you are doing.

But split payment with 4 cards clearly raises a red flag in most of WMs.
Today 4/14/2019 I went to 2 Walmart in the Midwest BAU split payment on both locations, at one of them the yellow vest manager did the transaction without asking any further questions and thank me for my business..

Good Luck
josh1573 is offline  
Old Apr 15, 2019, 8:03 am
  #443  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: NJ
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Any central NJ Walmart still alive for MO purchase? Please PM and share information.
westlaker is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2019, 6:44 pm
  #444  
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Programs: Chase, Citi, Amex
Posts: 1
I had the same issue today at my Wal-Mart in Northern IL. Clerk told me no GC are allowed. Said it was Wal-Mart wide.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 7:48 pm
  #445  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
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BAU. Bought $1k each at 3 WM in South TX.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 7:53 pm
  #446  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
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Originally Posted by tuckerlr
I had the same issue today at my Wal-Mart in Northern IL. Clerk told me no GC are allowed. Said it was Wal-Mart wide.
I can tell you that it is not Wal-Mart wide.
It may an issue with a) that clerk having a power trip or some other issue with you on that specific visit b) a store policy (which you can only test by trying other days with other clerks) or c) an area wide policy which is more common in certain cities and regions where MS has been rife and abused.
You can also look for other data points in other on-line forums for your specific area.
However, if you read this thread, you can see that there are DPs which show BAU.
What would be nice ii as you gather more information that you disseminate it here.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2019, 10:43 pm
  #447  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
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clerk can say whatever he/she wants... can even say it is global rule.
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Old Apr 17, 2019, 12:05 pm
  #448  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
BAU in Wyoming 4 x 500 MCGC. For anyone out there, WM CSRs playing Calvinball is also BAU. The only rule of Wal-Mart is there are no rules
wyogold is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2019, 2:48 pm
  #449  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
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Yes, Walmart rule is no rule, always base on which cashier and which walmart, one time, I tried to load 2 serve cards, an india looking male cashier checked my ID and said I can't load my Wife's serve card, lol. I didn't argue and left after just 1 load. Lots people are not service oriented but power Trip.
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Old Apr 17, 2019, 5:03 pm
  #450  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,828
Originally Posted by mySimon411
Yes, Walmart rule is no rule, always base on which cashier and which walmart, one time, I tried to load 2 serve cards, an india looking male cashier checked my ID and said I can't load my Wife's serve card, lol. I didn't argue and left after just 1 load. Lots people are not service oriented but power Trip.
Not quite sure how "India looking male" is relevant information.
Steve in Olympia is offline  


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