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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 17, 2019, 7:56 pm
  #451  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
Originally Posted by Steve in Olympia


Not quite sure how "India looking male" is relevant information.
Clearly, someone looking like the republic of India is out of the ordinary...
Steve in Olympia likes this.
wyogold is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2019, 10:23 pm
  #452  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by Steve in Olympia
Not quite sure how "India looking male" is relevant information.
Some locations are quite Indian where you are best served by speaking Hindu or another Indian language. Some Indians will say in Indian this type of activity would be suspicious.
mySimon411 likes this.
Chelski is offline  
Old Apr 18, 2019, 1:42 pm
  #453  
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 206
Do visa from USBank work?
geoff325 is offline  
Old Apr 18, 2019, 9:24 pm
  #454  
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 14
Anyone saw a message on CSR screen that says something like "Tell the customer politely that the money orders can not be processed. Do not discuss details"? after entering the DL?
Looks like I got shut down by MG.
Not sure if it is a permanent or if there is a way to get back in.
Buying MOs $2k to $8K per day , 3-5 times a week for the last 4-5 months at 4-6 different walmarts altogether giving my DL.
Shawnee is offline  
Old Apr 18, 2019, 9:58 pm
  #455  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,672
Originally Posted by Shawnee
Anyone saw a message on CSR screen that says something like "Tell the customer politely that the money orders can not be processed. Do not discuss details"? after entering the DL?
Looks like I got shut down by MG.
Not sure if it is a permanent or if there is a way to get back in.
Buying MOs $2k to $8K per day , 3-5 times a week for the last 4-5 months at 4-6 different walmarts altogether giving my DL.
Is it possible you tried to buy more than $8k within a 24 hour period?
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old Apr 18, 2019, 9:59 pm
  #456  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Originally Posted by geoff325
Do visa from USBank work?
yes
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2019, 1:58 pm
  #457  
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, American Plat, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Caesar Diamond
Posts: 28
WM CSR and manager mentioned today that WM will be limiting to only 2 cards in the future. When I asked if this was store policy, they said corporate is implementing this nationwide. Anybody else hear of this?
lavidaesbella is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2019, 2:00 pm
  #458  
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, American Plat, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Caesar Diamond
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Looks like there were other DPs about this higher in the thread. Change is starting next week was what I was told
lavidaesbella is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2019, 3:46 pm
  #459  
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Originally Posted by lavidaesbella
Looks like there were other DPs about this higher in the thread. Change is starting next week was what I was told
thanks for the chuckle
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Old Apr 19, 2019, 3:48 pm
  #460  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
Originally Posted by lavidaesbella
WM CSR and manager mentioned today that WM will be limiting to only 2 cards in the future. When I asked if this was store policy, they said corporate is implementing this nationwide. Anybody else hear of this?
Clearly just a store policy with the corporate thing as an excuse to get you to go away (I'm just doing as I'm told, just following orders)
wyogold is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2019, 4:44 pm
  #461  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,419
Originally Posted by wyogold
Clearly just a store policy with the corporate thing as an excuse to get you to go away (I'm just doing as I'm told, just following orders)
While I will not say what WM corporate says or does, I have discovered that many stores have gone to 2 cards per transaction, although there are many CSRs who will ignore it at the present time for customers whom they know well.
At worst it will mean a doubling in the cost of obtaining equivalent MOs.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2019, 5:09 pm
  #462  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: SPG Plat, SWA Companion Pass, United Silver
Posts: 186
New dp for SoCal: I encountered an error when trying to drain a $200 VGC “card status -> no account # entered.” CSR asked me if I was using a gift card, I said no and she replied that her MG backend has been updated to not accept VGCs. This was a previously burned store so no big deal, but this is the first time I’ve encountered this error with a receipt print-out.
doggiefizzle is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2019, 5:48 pm
  #463  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: SPG Plat, SWA Companion Pass, United Silver
Posts: 186
VGC successfully drained at a different Wally; maybe it was a weak mag-strip? It took more than one swipe for the card reader to accept it? Maybe MG is pushing firmware updates to stores that were audited?
doggiefizzle is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2019, 5:50 pm
  #464  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Originally Posted by Chelski

Some locations are quite Indian where you are best served by speaking Hindu or another Indian language. Some Indians will say in Indian this type of activity would be suspicious.
F Y I Hindu is the religion. Hindi is the national language of India.
Steve in Olympia likes this.
HMPS is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2019, 7:11 pm
  #465  
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Originally Posted by doggiefizzle
New dp for SoCal: I encountered an error when trying to drain a $200 VGC “card status -> no account # entered.” CSR asked me if I was using a gift card, I said no and she replied that her MG backend has been updated to not accept VGCs. This was a previously burned store so no big deal, but this is the first time I’ve encountered this error with a receipt print-out.
it really is a joy to read the things people say in here. “Her MG backend” .... rich.
beast7276 is offline  


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