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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 May 8, 2019, 6:39 pm
  #571  
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Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
BAU for me at a few places 4 swipes 1 MO $799 (thx Staples) out in the Boondocks, any place closer would have been a waste of my time. Finished off at a supermkt chain to unload all my Staples. Problem is out there from the last promo they all enforced the 1 per person per day. Just happy I found a couple on my way out there that had no problem selling 10 at a time
craz is offline  
Old May 9, 2019, 2:29 am
  #572  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
Originally Posted by redtop43
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.
Originally Posted by helpboo
Are visa gift cards from metabank allowed to be used at walmart in north california ( bay area )?
I had no problem in San Jose during a trip there over NYE.
horseymen is offline  
Old May 9, 2019, 9:16 am
  #573  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 161
Anyone in Knoxville are have DP about getting MO's? 4 swipes or are they not allowing. Thanks.
wanalaugh74 is offline  
Old May 9, 2019, 12:58 pm
  #574  
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Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 198
Originally Posted by wanalaugh74
Anyone in Knoxville are have DP about getting MO's? 4 swipes or are they not allowing. Thanks.
God, I love this place!
beast7276 is offline  
Old May 9, 2019, 3:52 pm
  #575  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 161
Originally Posted by beast7276
God, I love this place!
Does that mean they are MS friendly or are you just talking about living there?
wanalaugh74 is offline  
Old May 10, 2019, 9:14 am
  #576  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,291
Originally Posted by wanalaugh74
Does that mean they are MS friendly or are you just talking about living there?
I think he's lamenting someone being asked to have information spoon fed to them. Best to try out places for yourself.
mhdena likes this.
danpeake is offline  
Old May 10, 2019, 6:17 pm
  #577  
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by beast7276
God, I love this place!
Haha thank you. Made me laugh.
IL0veFish is offline  
Old May 10, 2019, 10:19 pm
  #578  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 161
Originally Posted by danpeake
I think he's lamenting someone being asked to have information spoon fed to them. Best to try out places for yourself.
trust me.. dont need to be spoon fed.. i was asking bc im going to be there for only 3 days and thought I would ask to see if it was worth taking down 50K to unload.. funny how people think they know everything and everyone else is a noobie bc they ask for a DP.. what a joke.. LOL
wanalaugh74 is offline  
Old May 10, 2019, 11:58 pm
  #579  
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 224
Originally Posted by wanalaugh74
trust me.. dont need to be spoon fed.. i was asking bc im going to be there for only 3 days and thought I would ask to see if it was worth taking down 50K to unload.. funny how people think they know everything and everyone else is a noobie bc they ask for a DP.. what a joke.. LOL
Thats absolutely true some people think they know everything. Can you please share which Walmart you get MOs at? TIA.
beast7276 likes this.
I Fly Delta Jets is offline  
Old May 11, 2019, 4:43 am
  #580  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,374
Originally Posted by wanalaugh74
trust me.. dont need to be spoon fed.. i was asking bc im going to be there for only 3 days and thought I would ask to see if it was worth taking down 50K to unload.. funny how people think they know everything and everyone else is a noobie bc they ask for a DP.. what a joke.. LOL
So, I assume that you are 100% honest, and you really are taking $50K worth of cards with you. That is 100 cards, which I cannot imagine weigh more than 5 gm/card. So maybe 1/2 kg? If you are flying, I cannot image that weight is going to deter you or even inconvenience you. They aren't even that bulky (maybe akin to carrying a paperback Michener novel ).

Security cannot be your issue since, if you knew you could use WM, you would not only bring down the cards, but also carry the MOs (unless you remote deposit, but that is another story)

I think the point is, if you want to find out, just bring them and see @:-). What would really be helpful is after you have, to let us here know how you fared
radonc1 is offline  
Old May 11, 2019, 7:33 am
  #581  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 595
I would be more worried about carrying that much in VGCs or MOs and having it seized through civil asset forfeiture as suspected drug/criminal proceeds.
kjbrant and cuthroat like this.
shadow520 is offline  
Old May 11, 2019, 11:32 am
  #582  
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Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 198
Originally Posted by wanalaugh74
trust me.. dont need to be spoon fed.. i was asking bc im going to be there for only 3 days and thought I would ask to see if it was worth taking down 50K to unload.. funny how people think they know everything and everyone else is a noobie bc they ask for a DP.. what a joke.. LOL
Sincerely, I appreciate the laughs you're providing
beast7276 is offline  
Old May 11, 2019, 1:17 pm
  #583  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,374
Originally Posted by shadow520
I would be more worried about carrying that much in VGCs or MOs and having it seized through civil asset forfeiture as suspected drug/criminal proceeds.
It is a sad day when we have to carry our receipts of purchase for the gift cards (showing the personal CC that was used) in order to prove innocence

However, I guess he is a whale who runs around with so much on a routine basis and has this contingency covered.

One concern that I didn't mention in my prior post was his ruining functional WMs by going in and basically trashing them by purchasing multiple MOs. I have a number of functional WMs that work because I buy low and infrequently. I have had one previously functional WM trashed by a whale who wouldn't stop using it until they shut the GC to MO process down.
radonc1 is offline  
Old May 11, 2019, 3:56 pm
  #584  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by beast7276
Sincerely, I appreciate the laughs you're providing
this is exactly why people dont share specific data points. If I can do $50k at a wmt I will not broadcast it, nor a specific location for minimal amts
Chelski is offline  
Old May 11, 2019, 5:10 pm
  #585  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 274
Originally Posted by wanalaugh74
trust me.. dont need to be spoon fed.. i was asking bc im going to be there for only 3 days and thought I would ask to see if it was worth taking down 50K to unload.. funny how people think they know everything and everyone else is a noobie bc they ask for a DP.. what a joke.. LOL
Best DP are your own DP. If you have 50k laying around, you need to visit every WM you come across.

Knoxville/East TN was pretty MS friendly depending on which area. But... that was 5 year ago.
benny08 is offline  

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