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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 Jun 12, 2019, 10:18 am
  #691  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 161
Originally Posted by cajunguy
Curious what others are doing with that small balance, if any, on those gift cards after buying a MO?
McDonalds and supermarkets auto drain
cajunguy likes this.
wanalaugh74 is offline  
Old Jun 12, 2019, 10:18 am
  #692  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
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Originally Posted by cajunguy
Curious what others are doing with that small balance, if any, on those gift cards after buying a MO?
I take a bunch of them grocery shopping, as my local grocery chain, Whole foods, and trader joe's all auto-drain, so I can use up 5-10 small cards pretty quickly.
cajunguy likes this.
littlewinglet is offline  
Old Jun 12, 2019, 10:18 am
  #693  
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
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That happened to me!
Robediente2019 is offline  
Old Jun 12, 2019, 12:50 pm
  #694  
 
Join Date: May 2011
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Originally Posted by cajunguy
Curious what others are doing with that small balance, if any, on those gift cards after buying a MO?
Drain it at Amazon.com.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 2:32 pm
  #695  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
Originally Posted by rxgeek
Drain it at Amazon.com.
No longer a good idea. Amazon started to lock accounts for that.
cajunguy likes this.
MaxVO is offline  
Old Jun 12, 2019, 2:41 pm
  #696  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
Originally Posted by wanalaugh74
McDonalds and supermarkets auto drain
I always buy 2 money order at 999,- each. It aint worth bothering over the remaining 24 cents on one of those cards
wyogold is offline  
Old Jun 12, 2019, 2:57 pm
  #697  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 151
Originally Posted by wyogold
I always buy 2 money order at 999,- each. It aint worth bothering over the remaining 24 cents on one of those cards
There's a reason you don't buy $999.12 instead of $999.00?
Lobachevsky is offline  
Old Jun 12, 2019, 3:28 pm
  #698  
 
Join Date: May 2011
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Posts: 1,188
Originally Posted by MaxVO
No longer a good idea. Amazon started to lock accounts for that.
I've done it many times. Any DP on that?
rxgeek is offline  
Old Jun 12, 2019, 3:38 pm
  #699  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
Originally Posted by Lobachevsky
There's a reason you don't buy $999.12 instead of $999.00?
easier for the CSR and not as weird of a number.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 8:35 pm
  #700  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
Originally Posted by rxgeek
I've done it many times. Any DP on that?
I recall there was an article, most likely on DoC.
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Old Jun 13, 2019, 4:18 am
  #701  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 782
Originally Posted by MaxVO
I recall there was an article, most likely on DoC.
Article
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gw14 is offline  
Old Jun 13, 2019, 5:53 pm
  #702  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: CMH
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Originally Posted by MaxVO
I recall there was an article, most likely on DoC.
Thanks for the follow up. I have only bought Amazon gcs >$1.00 and added them to my balance. Someone in the DoC comments unloads 25 50 centers in a day so we still don't know what triggers the block.
rxgeek is offline  
Old Jun 13, 2019, 6:49 pm
  #703  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
Originally Posted by rxgeek
Thanks for the follow up. I have only bought Amazon gcs >$1.00 and added them to my balance. Someone in the DoC comments unloads 25 50 centers in a day so we still don't know what triggers the block.
You're probably good, but the original poster (cajunguy) asked for ideas to drain the fractional change left over after buying MO's.
MaxVO is offline  
Old Jun 14, 2019, 10:51 am
  #704  
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Andover, MA, 01810
Posts: 1,972
Could someone please explain what exactly does "auto drain" mean? I'm thinking it means that if you buy something for $5 and you pay with a debit card with $200 on it, the system will take the whole $200 automatically and the cashier gives you $195 in change. Is that what happens? That would obviously be very desirable behavior.
UserMark is offline  
Old Jun 14, 2019, 11:09 am
  #705  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
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Posts: 537
Originally Posted by UserMark
Could someone please explain what exactly does "auto drain" mean? I'm thinking it means that if you buy something for $5 and you pay with a debit card with $200 on it, the system will take the whole $200 automatically and the cashier gives you $195 in change. Is that what happens? That would obviously be very desirable behavior.
Think of it the opposite way...You've bought a money order for $490 with a $500 gift card, there's now a balance on the gift card depending on the fees for the money order you're left with about $9. Take that gift card and go to the supermarket, buy groceries and pay with the low balance gift card, the swipe will pull all the balance off the gift card and you'll then have to pay the rest for your groceries with another card or cash. The credit card reader will 'auto drain' or pull off the entire balance off the gift card.
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cajunguy is offline  


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