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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 29, 2019, 9:45 pm
  #541  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by littlewinglet
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.
The money order printed out was ok though. The associate mentioned system frozen after the last couple digits of MO was entered the system. I asked them for replace or refund with the money order and receipt on hand, they said the register was balance and insisted nothing they could do and ask me to contact MG. Is there step they were missing?
zhlu9890 is offline  
Old Apr 29, 2019, 9:49 pm
  #542  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
Originally Posted by zhlu9890
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.
you have to talk to a live person on MG to find out if the MO is good. if MO is bad, you have to talk to WM store manager, not the low level guys.
coolguy100 is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2019, 4:13 am
  #543  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
Originally Posted by zhlu9890
The money order printed out was ok though. The associate mentioned system frozen after the last couple digits of MO was entered the system. I asked them for replace or refund with the money order and receipt on hand, they said the register was balance and insisted nothing they could do and ask me to contact MG. Is there step they were missing?
If you got the MO then who cares what their system does? Try to deposit and don't worry unless the check doesn't clear.
littlewinglet is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2019, 12:02 pm
  #544  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
Originally Posted by littlewinglet
If you got the MO then who cares what their system does? Try to deposit and don't worry unless the check doesn't clear.
Bounced checks usually come with stiff penalties. You might also want to visit the Shutdown Thread, as returned payments/deposits are a proven shutdown trigger. Being intentionally sloppy is an awful idea.
MaxVO is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2019, 4:52 pm
  #545  
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 3
Originally Posted by waygora
False alarm for me. Laid low for a few days. "Banned" as of last Tuesday, worked today. Must have been a temporary glitch.
I just got the "banned" message for the first time today. I've been doing $2k/day pretty much every day, sometimes $4k if they let me, so between $50k-$75k/month, for years at the same walmart.

Hopefully it is just a temporary ban, and I'll be let back in if I wait a while like waygora. Slightly worse because they've started asking for ID no matter what the amount at this walmart so I can't wipe out the $200s while I wait.
Dcflyer8 is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2019, 9:08 pm
  #546  
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 206
I know the wiki #2 says VGC by meta bank work great, what about by US bank? My grocery store where I purchase doesn't have metabank which I have used in the past. It is an hour and a half away - I live in the middle of now where lol, so not like I can just swing by and see what works.
geoff325 is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2019, 9:40 pm
  #547  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,674
Originally Posted by geoff325
I know the wiki #2 says VGC by meta bank work great, what about by US bank? My grocery store where I purchase doesn't have metabank which I have used in the past. It is an hour and a half away - I live in the middle of now where lol, so not like I can just swing by and see what works.
I think it will work.
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old May 1, 2019, 5:02 am
  #548  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by geoff325
I know the wiki #2 says VGC by meta bank work great, what about by US bank? My grocery store where I purchase doesn't have metabank which I have used in the past. It is an hour and a half away - I live in the middle of now where lol, so not like I can just swing by and see what works.
worked in the past.. my grocery switched to MB In the past 12-18 months.. just say no to vanilla
Chelski is offline  
Old May 1, 2019, 9:43 am
  #549  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Programs: N/A
Posts: 21
Are visa gift cards from metabank allowed to be used at walmart in north california ( bay area )?
helpboo is offline  
Old May 1, 2019, 2:26 pm
  #550  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Long Beach
Programs: HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,171
Originally Posted by helpboo
Are visa gift cards from metabank allowed to be used at walmart in north california ( bay area )?
your definition of "allowed" and my definition of "allowed" may not be the same. are you asking is it a sure thing? or are you asking can it be done?
particlemn is offline  
Old May 1, 2019, 8:59 pm
  #551  
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
Originally Posted by helpboo
Are visa gift cards from metabank allowed to be used at walmart in north california ( bay area )?
I'll be a little more forthcoming.

It's very individual by store. The only way to find out is to either locate someone familiar with the area, or to go to the store and try.

One thing that can usually work is loading a Bluebird card at the register, using just one card per transaction.

The Walmart SYSTEM allows the cards. However the individual CSR may not.
HMPS likes this.
redtop43 is offline  
Old May 1, 2019, 11:56 pm
  #552  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 920
Originally Posted by redtop43
The only way to find out is to either locate someone familiar with the area.
My go-to for this is to hang out by the GC rack until I see someone grabbing a fistful of GCs, then flinging my CSP like a ninja star so it sticks into the rack with my name facing them.

Best way to make a GC-friendly acquaintance.
hitman1420 is offline  
Old May 2, 2019, 12:04 am
  #553  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,528
Originally Posted by redtop43
I'll be a little more forthcoming. [snip] The Walmart SYSTEM allows the cards. However the individual CSR may not.
To elaborate, the Bay Area has a number of Walmarts, but also a very high concentration of people who try to (ab)use these methods, so the cashiers tend to be on the lookout and check cards. It is possible, but be prepared for a lot of rejections, and don't make a fuss (politely leave if declined).
HMPS likes this.
nall is offline  
Old May 2, 2019, 12:51 pm
  #554  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
at WM, any folks was able to buy a $5k (i.e. 10 of $500 VGC) in 1 trans? earlier tried to do $5k in 1 trans at WMNM, but the system asked for a special / country code that no one including a MGR knew what to input, so they cancelled the tran
danhouston is offline  
Old May 2, 2019, 4:26 pm
  #555  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
Originally Posted by danhouston
at WM, any folks was able to buy a $5k (i.e. 10 of $500 VGC) in 1 trans? earlier tried to do $5k in 1 trans at WMNM, but the system asked for a special / country code that no one including a MGR knew what to input, so they cancelled the tran
It is well known that only 4 swipes can be done / transaction
wyogold is offline  


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