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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 Apr 27, 2019, 12:43 pm
  #526  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 276
I'm gonna assume cashier requesting ID for MO less than 1k is doing it on their own accord? But why?? Isn't it more work for them? It's been happening in my area on a random basis, or is it some short of new Walmart or MoneyGram policy? I don't want to be banned, every time they put it in makes me worried.
benny08 is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2019, 1:03 pm
  #527  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by benny08
I'm gonna assume cashier requesting ID for MO less than 1k is doing it on their own accord? But why?? Isn't it more work for them? It's been happening in my area on a random basis, or is it some short of new Walmart or MoneyGram policy? I don't want to be banned, every time they put it in makes me worried.
It’s store and/or csr specific and/or time of month
Chelski is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2019, 1:23 pm
  #528  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
Originally Posted by Chelski

It’s store and/or csr specific and/or time of month
so no clear pattern and totally random?
coolguy100 is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2019, 1:49 pm
  #529  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by coolguy100
so no clear pattern and totally random?
Pretty much
Chelski is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2019, 8:31 pm
  #530  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 429
False alarm for me. Laid low for a few days. "Banned" as of last Tuesday, worked today. Must have been a temporary glitch.
coolguy100 likes this.
waygora is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2019, 8:47 pm
  #531  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
Originally Posted by Chelski

It’s store and/or csr specific and/or time of month
Don't forget management. I was banned at my go-to store by management because of reasons, with new management and enough CSR turnover I'm back in the game ...

It also depends on the phase of the moon, the weather, and whether venus is in orion.
wyogold is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2019, 11:45 am
  #532  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: CMH
Programs: w/+1: AS MVPG; IHG/Marriott Plat; Hilton/BW Diamond; Hertz Prez; SG Silver
Posts: 1,187
BAU in central Ohio. Wife and I just bought $2,000 each. My friendly CSR was not aware of any issues or upcoming system updates.
rxgeek is online now  
Old Apr 29, 2019, 4:49 pm
  #533  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 6
I recently purchased a money order from local walmart. At the end of transaction, the receipt was not printed immediately. The associate said the system was frozen, then after some clicking, the receipt was printed out but not the small receipt for the money order. Then I checked its status online on moneygram when I got home, and it said "This item requires further research; please fill out this form for submission". Then I returned to the store, they tried cashing it but failed, so they asked me contact moneygram and fill the form and pay the fee to get refund from moneygram. I think I will do that. However it looks like the refund from moneygram is not guaranteed. So I am wondering what is my best option if moneygram is not going to refund me. Any suggestion? Thanks!
zhlu9890 is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2019, 5:19 pm
  #534  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by zhlu9890
I recently purchased a money order from local walmart. At the end of transaction, the receipt was not printed immediately. The associate said the system was frozen, then after some clicking, the receipt was printed out but not the small receipt for the money order. Then I checked its status online on moneygram when I got home, and it said "This item requires further research; please fill out this form for submission". Then I returned to the store, they tried cashing it but failed, so they asked me contact moneygram and fill the form and pay the fee to get refund from moneygram. I think I will do that. However it looks like the refund from moneygram is not guaranteed. So I am wondering what is my best option if moneygram is not going to refund me. Any suggestion? Thanks!
did u use cash, debit, or Gebit to buy it? Of debit or Gebit have you checked the card(s) for the value? Also, wmt can reconcile their books to determine if there is extra money tying to the mo trans...
Chelski is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2019, 5:37 pm
  #535  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by Chelski

did u use cash, debit, or Gebit to buy it? Of debit or Gebit have you checked the card(s) for the value? Also, wmt can reconcile their books to determine if there is extra money tying to the mo trans...
I used 2 Gebit and both showed transactions on that day and not fund left. I asked them to check the register on that day and they said it was balanced.
zhlu9890 is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2019, 8:17 pm
  #536  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by zhlu9890
I used 2 Gebit and both showed transactions on that day and not fund left. I asked them to check the register on that day and they said it was balanced.
do you still have the receipt from that day? does it show pay cash? Surely not, since the MOs printed. Since wmt balances then probably an error on mg’s Side
Chelski is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2019, 8:21 pm
  #537  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by Chelski

do you still have the receipt from that day? does it show pay cash? Surely not, since the MOs printed. Since wmt balances then probably an error on mg’s Side
Yes, I have the regular receipt, but not the small receipt with money order info. The regular receipt showed 2 debit transaction. Any recommendation what I should do here?
zhlu9890 is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2019, 9:11 pm
  #538  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
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Originally Posted by zhlu9890
Yes, I have the regular receipt, but not the small receipt with money order info. The regular receipt showed 2 debit transaction. Any recommendation what I should do here?
Then I checked its status online on moneygram when I got home, and it said "This item requires further research; please fill out this form for submission".
most likely money order is good and the online status check is not accurate. you can call money order number and check MO status which is usually more accurate.
coolguy100 is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2019, 9:11 pm
  #539  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
Usually, if there's a register failure in between you finishing payment and before the MOs print out, the WM store has your money....somewhere in the cloud. They just have to go dig around for it in the back office. Happened to me a few times, took a day or two for them to give me cash refund.
littlewinglet is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2019, 9:33 pm
  #540  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by coolguy100
Then I checked its status online on moneygram when I got home, and it said "This item requires further research; please fill out this form for submission".
most likely money order is good and the online status check is not accurate. you can call money order number and check MO status which is usually more accurate.
I called the their 1800 number and the response was "the money order is not updated in our system, please check back in 2 to 3 day". I purchased it 2 weeks ago.
zhlu9890 is offline  

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