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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 Jun 1, 2019, 11:15 am
  #661  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,467
Originally Posted by danhouston
...most cashiers i asked to do 4 split pay, they likely asked to see what cards i use which wanted to avoid
Why avoid -- do those cashiers expect to see different cards than you actually use? In my recent experience, the cashiers who wanted to see the $200 VGC's seemed familiar and reassured by the cards they saw. In one instance the cashier insisted that I can proceed as long as all 4 cards are of the same type.
MaxVO is offline  
Old Jun 1, 2019, 11:26 am
  #662  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 970
Originally Posted by MaxVO
Why avoid -- do those cashiers expect to see different cards than you actually use? In my recent experience, the cashiers who wanted to see the $200 VGC's seemed familiar and reassured by the cards they saw. In one instance the cashier insisted that I can proceed as long as all 4 cards are of the same type.
​​​​​​Many WMs prohibit use of vgc and some attempt to show 'real' debits and try to palm gcs. Always funny to see when these guys get caught swapping/palming cards and get banned from WM.
farwest101 is offline  
Old Jun 1, 2019, 11:32 am
  #663  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,837
Originally Posted by MaxVO
In one instance the cashier insisted that I can proceed as long as all 4 cards are of the same type.
Wow, this is the first time I heard the same type!
lumangoy is offline  
Old Jun 1, 2019, 12:26 pm
  #664  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,467
Originally Posted by farwest101
​​​​​​Many WMs prohibit use of vgc and some attempt to show 'real' debits and try to palm gcs. Always funny to see when these guys get caught swapping/palming cards and get banned from WM.
After years of exposure it's perfectly obvious to WM cashiers that 4x$200 involves prepaids -- whether they see them or not. So the silly dance around the subject would seem to them irritating at best.
MaxVO is offline  
Old Jun 1, 2019, 1:23 pm
  #665  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
Originally Posted by MaxVO
Why avoid -- do those cashiers expect to see different cards than you actually use? In my recent experience, the cashiers who wanted to see the $200 VGC's seemed familiar and reassured by the cards they saw. In one instance the cashier insisted that I can proceed as long as all 4 cards are of the same type.
b/c didn't want to be sent away, taking more time & effort trying at another store; any cashier who asked to see cards is not friendly, haha
danhouston is offline  
Old Jun 1, 2019, 2:26 pm
  #666  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,467
Originally Posted by danhouston
b/c didn't want to be sent away, taking more time & effort trying at another store; any cashier who asked to see cards is not friendly, haha
WM stores change their rules periodically due to manager rotation and other factors. It pays to be up to date on your store's current requirements. And if your test purchase gets rejected, just grow a thicker skin
HMPS likes this.
MaxVO is offline  
Old Jun 1, 2019, 5:27 pm
  #667  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
Originally Posted by MaxVO
WM stores change their rules periodically due to manager rotation and other factors. It pays to be up to date on your store's current requirements. And if your test purchase gets rejected, just grow a thicker skin
for those of you folks that r able to do 4 or multiple split pay, or that cashiers don't care, consider it blessed or lucky

earlier this month, after i loaded $500 to gobank, this badass cashier kept the receipt & asked to see the card i used; had no choice to show the vgc; lol, she said it's "illegal" to use the GC; i gently told her it's not illegal as i bought & had a receipt for it; then, as i wanted to move on & told her that i had not known so won't use it again; but she insisted to reverse the whole trxn & asked for my gobank card; i refused to do so stating that my acct had previously had unauthorized trxn when the card was given out before; she then called a spvr, who didn't know what to do; then she next called the mgr, who told me that they can't issue a refund to the card w/o my gobank card; i insisted that i can't or don't want to do that given the previous reason; adding that it will happen here at WM but it could as i had to deal with it before & don't want to go thru that again. I told the group, 3 of them, that i had to go b/c of a really urgent matter and left the store while they tried to figure out what to do; luckily, the mgr decided not to stop me; wonder if wanted to they can ask security / cop to hold me in the store?

heck, i'll likely be banned at that WM, or may not come back there again for a long while

Last edited by danhouston; Jun 2, 2019 at 8:18 am
danhouston is offline  
Old Jun 2, 2019, 8:30 am
  #668  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
Originally Posted by danhouston
for those of you folks that r able to do 4 or multiple split pay, or that cashiers don't care, consider it blessed or lucky

earlier this month, after i loaded $500 to gobank, this badass cashier kept the receipt & asked to see the card i used; had no choice to show the vgc; lol, she said it's "illegal" to use the GC; i gently told her it's not illegal as i bought & had a receipt for it; then, as i wanted to move on & told her that i had not known so won't use it again; but she insisted to reverse the whole trxn & asked for my gobank card; i refused to do so stating that my acct had previously had unauthorized trxn when the card was given out before; she then called a spvr, who didn't know what to do; then she next called the mgr, who told me that they can't issue a refund to the card w/o my gobank card; i insisted that i can't or don't want to do that given the previous reason; adding that it will happen here at WM but it could as i had to deal with it before & don't want to go thru that again. I told the group, 3 of them, that i had to go b/c of a really urgent matter and left the store while they tried to figure out what to do; luckily, the mgr decided not to stop me; wonder if wanted to they can ask security / cop to hold me in the store?

heck, i'll likely be banned at that WM, or may not come back there again for a long while
thanks for sharing....this kind of WM low level cashier nonsense could happen to any of us.
coolguy100 is offline  
Old Jun 3, 2019, 6:55 am
  #669  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 181
A nova WM (fair lakes) that was still doing 1 swipe MO even after the rest fell finally died. I suspect there was a mgmt turnover based on the staff (a noticeable change) and now the MC is dead for MO and loads. RIP in pieces
sempervivum is offline  
Old Jun 3, 2019, 7:50 am
  #670  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
Originally Posted by sempervivum
A nova WM (fair lakes) that was still doing 1 swipe MO even after the rest fell finally died. I suspect there was a mgmt turnover based on the staff (a noticeable change) and now the MC is dead for MO and loads. RIP in pieces
THX for info. Same for billpay?
tuphat is offline  
Old Jun 3, 2019, 8:25 am
  #671  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
Originally Posted by sempervivum
A nova WM (fair lakes) that was still doing 1 swipe MO even after the rest fell finally died. I suspect there was a mgmt turnover based on the staff (a noticeable change) and now the MC is dead for MO and loads. RIP in pieces
what's the latest on MCGC at WM? MC is no longer working as debit at WM?
danhouston is offline  
Old Jun 3, 2019, 9:28 am
  #672  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 181
Originally Posted by tuphat
THX for info. Same for billpay?
I don't do bill pay but the money center is asking about using real debit vs vgc so I assume that's also a goner
sempervivum is offline  
Old Jun 3, 2019, 10:54 am
  #673  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,293
Originally Posted by danhouston
what's the latest on MCGC at WM? MC is no longer working as debit at WM?
MC=money center
danpeake is offline  
Old Jun 3, 2019, 11:38 am
  #674  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
Originally Posted by danpeake
MC=money center
lol, thx... some folks referred MC as mastercard; at all my local WMs, all has to be done there at the center so it's a given; even loading can't be done at regular line cashier

Last edited by danhouston; Jun 3, 2019 at 1:24 pm
danhouston is offline  
Old Jun 3, 2019, 10:27 pm
  #675  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Originally Posted by danhouston
for those of you folks that r able to do 4 or multiple split pay, or that cashiers don't care, consider it blessed or lucky

earlier this month, after i loaded $500 to gobank, this badass cashier kept the receipt & asked to see the card i used; had no choice to show the vgc; lol, she said it's "illegal" to use the GC; i gently told her it's not illegal as i bought & had a receipt for it; then, as i wanted to move on & told her that i had not known so won't use it again; but she insisted to reverse the whole trxn & asked for my gobank card; i refused to do so stating that my acct had previously had unauthorized trxn when the card was given out before; she then called a spvr, who didn't know what to do; then she next called the mgr, who told me that they can't issue a refund to the card w/o my gobank card; i insisted that i can't or don't want to do that given the previous reason; adding that it will happen here at WM but it could as i had to deal with it before & don't want to go thru that again. I told the group, 3 of them, that i had to go b/c of a really urgent matter and left the store while they tried to figure out what to do; luckily, the mgr decided not to stop me; wonder if wanted to they can ask security / cop to hold me in the store?

heck, i'll likely be banned at that WM, or may not come back there again for a long while
they can detain but must have a reasonable cause such as theft... they sometimes do this and most locations have undercover security ready.
Chelski is offline  

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