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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 May 25, 2019, 7:08 pm
  #646  
 
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
It can happen that you swipe a SM card (those are the only ones I use) at WM and the transaction doesn't complete, but it shows the amount taken from the card. However every time this has happened to me (which is rare nonetheless) the money comes back eventually - usually after about 24 hours. I wouldn't panic.

I have occasionally also gotten "debit not available" and found that the card was never activated. What this basically means is that the cashier at SM gave you a card that wasn't activated, and didn't give you the activated one. Theoretically they could steal from you that way, but I've found it's always an honest mistake. It does require cross-referencing the cards you've used and the ones you have with the receipt, to find the unaccounted for card. Then you have to call customer service for Metabank and get them to cancel and replace the missing card. In the past that was a fairly simple process but I'm currently having that issue with a card and it's been going on over a month. I think I will eventually get my money but it's annoying.
redtop43 is offline  
Old May 26, 2019, 5:23 am
  #647  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: NY
Posts: 523
I also got debit not available on Friday, but card was drained anyway. Money still not back on card. I'll give it a few days before I deal with the cash office since it's a friendly WM that I don't want to lose.
FrankMS is offline  
Old May 27, 2019, 10:57 am
  #648  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: MSP
Programs: DL, BA, AA
Posts: 270
Same thing happened here. Got a debit not available on Friday, card was drained anyway. Card was from GCM. Balance still not returned so will wait 7 or 8 days to see if returned. Used 4 other cards to complete transaction. Will call Walmart 800 number as they can track the card number. and go from there.
FrankMS likes this.
worldtravels is offline  
Old May 27, 2019, 2:19 pm
  #649  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
I was told on my last run that MOs can now be refunded at the WM where you purchased them if you have the receipt. Not sure what that could be useful for, but never heard this before.
wyogold is offline  
Old May 27, 2019, 4:21 pm
  #650  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,295
Originally Posted by wyogold
I was told on my last run that MOs can now be refunded at the WM where you purchased them if you have the receipt. Not sure what that could be useful for, but never heard this before.
I was told that too, but whenever I've seen it done (seemingly for "legitimate" transactions, not MS) it's been a time consuming process. CSR has to call into MG, go through the prompts including entering the MO number and amount, get an approval code from MG, then process the refund transaction and get an override. Doesn't seem to scale well to me.
danpeake is offline  
Old May 28, 2019, 10:04 am
  #651  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
Originally Posted by danpeake
I was told that too, but whenever I've seen it done (seemingly for "legitimate" transactions, not MS) it's been a time consuming process. CSR has to call into MG, go through the prompts including entering the MO number and amount, get an approval code from MG, then process the refund transaction and get an override. Doesn't seem to scale well to me.
it could be useful under some cases that bank where you deposit the MO messed it up....it happened to me several times so I had to call MG to get refund check with $18 processing fee). if you can get refund from WM w/o paying $18 fee, it would be nice.
coolguy100 is offline  
Old May 28, 2019, 3:10 pm
  #652  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,295
Originally Posted by coolguy100
it could be useful under some cases that bank where you deposit the MO messed it up....it happened to me several times so I had to call MG to get refund check with $18 processing fee). if you can get refund from WM w/o paying $18 fee, it would be nice.
Yes, it's nice it's an option.

I would add that the MO has to have the stub attached, at least at my WM. I've seen them turn people away for that.
danpeake is offline  
Old May 31, 2019, 7:23 am
  #653  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: World of Hyatt Globalist; American Airlines Platinum; IHG Platinum; Marriott Gold
Posts: 42
I know this has probably been answered, but I couldn't find the answer. Do the "Fashion Everywhere" or "Fuel Everywhere" VGCs work at Walmart? My OD had no GEs at the beginning of the week.

Sorry for the repost if this has been answered already! I couldn't find it.
LocoBigH is offline  
Old May 31, 2019, 9:42 am
  #654  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 77
Originally Posted by LocoBigH
I know this has probably been answered, but I couldn't find the answer. Do the "Fashion Everywhere" or "Fuel Everywhere" VGCs work at Walmart? My OD had no GEs at the beginning of the week.

Sorry for the repost if this has been answered already! I couldn't find it.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manu...l#post31157093
daddyo_daddyo is offline  
Old May 31, 2019, 10:22 am
  #655  
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: BA Silver, UA Premier Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10
Went to local WM neighborhood market in Chicago area and was told that store policy is only 1 swipe per MO. Will have to find different location now for liquidation.
HCGTown is offline  
Old May 31, 2019, 8:29 pm
  #656  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 169
Haven't in the game of MO for a while. Can someone confirm if OneVanilla MasterCard Spanish Version(MetaBank) will works at WM? Thanks a lot.
st0ne is offline  
Old May 31, 2019, 9:20 pm
  #657  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,832
The last time I bought M.O.'s at the WMNM in Olympia WA was March 18 (I checked my records). It is the last WM in the county that hasn't been burned.

This morning, I visited the store again, asking for my usual $200 x 4 = 1 x $800 M.O.

It was a new clerk who I did not recognize. She said, "Are you the the one who had to get a talking to by the manager, who told you that you were buying too many of these?"

My reply: "No, I haven't been in the store for several months, and I have never met the manager." (All true.)

Clerk: "OK, here is your money order."

So, will the greedy person please fess up? You are about to kill the golden goose. Please stop.
briang191 likes this.
Steve in Olympia is offline  
Old May 31, 2019, 11:15 pm
  #658  
 
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 wyogold
I was told on my last run that MOs can now be refunded at the WM where you purchased them if you have the receipt. Not sure what that could be useful for, but never heard this before.
I will have to give that a try. I have a MO that was defective. The print was light to begin with, and by the time it arrived at its destination (was not a MS-related MO) it was too faint to read. I wrote to MG but haven't heard back. I don't feel like I should have to pay $18 when the document itself was defective.
redtop43 is offline  
Old Jun 1, 2019, 9:45 am
  #659  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
Originally Posted by Steve in Olympia
The last time I bought M.O.'s at the WMNM in Olympia WA was March 18 (I checked my records). It is the last WM in the county that hasn't been burned.

This morning, I visited the store again, asking for my usual $200 x 4 = 1 x $800 M.O.

It was a new clerk who I did not recognize. She said, "Are you the the one who had to get a talking to by the manager, who told you that you were buying too many of these?"

My reply: "No, I haven't been in the store for several months, and I have never met the manager." (All true.)

Clerk: "OK, here is your money order."

So, will the greedy person please fess up? You are about to kill the golden goose. Please stop.
good that ur local WM / cashier was ok with 4 split pay; mine is only 2; most cashiers i asked to do 4 split pay, they likely asked to see what cards i use which wanted to avoid
danhouston is offline  
Old Jun 1, 2019, 9:48 am
  #660  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
Originally Posted by st0ne
Haven't in the game of MO for a while. Can someone confirm if OneVanilla MasterCard Spanish Version(MetaBank) will works at WM? Thanks a lot.
not likely; try to liquidate for an MO at a supermarket
danhouston is offline  


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