Jan 2, 2019, 9:51 am
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
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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.
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
Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2019 - 2022)
Dec 11, 2019, 8:47 am
#1726
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
From Visa Merchant Card Acceptance Guidelines --
The unembossed Visa card (e.g., prepaid card) may look and feel different, but it is a valid card that
can be accepted at any Visa merchant location that has an electronic terminal. Unlike an embossed
Visa card with raised numbers, letters, and symbols, the unembossed card has a smooth, flat surface.
From a merchant perspective, the processing of an unembossed card at the point-of-sale should
be seamless. There’s no need for new software, special hardware, or modified terminal procedures. You
simply swipe, insert, or wave the unembossed card just as you would an embossed card, then wait for
an authorization and obtain the cardholder’s signature.
edit @danpeake -- This guide applies to all Visa-branded cards, including debit. Note also that a "prepaid card" (debit) is used as an example of an unembossed card.
The unembossed Visa card (e.g., prepaid card) may look and feel different, but it is a valid card that
can be accepted at any Visa merchant location that has an electronic terminal. Unlike an embossed
Visa card with raised numbers, letters, and symbols, the unembossed card has a smooth, flat surface.
From a merchant perspective, the processing of an unembossed card at the point-of-sale should
be seamless. There’s no need for new software, special hardware, or modified terminal procedures. You
simply swipe, insert, or wave the unembossed card just as you would an embossed card, then wait for
an authorization and obtain the cardholder’s signature.
edit @danpeake -- This guide applies to all Visa-branded cards, including debit. Note also that a "prepaid card" (debit) is used as an example of an unembossed card.
No biz must accept any and all payment. There are plenty of places that refuse to accept a 50 or 100. Others No Amex or Discover, try using anything but a Visa at Costco and see how far you get, yet if you read the T&Cs of a card other then Visa it wont say 'not good at Costco'. So take a MCs T&Cs to Costco and see what happens when you stand your ground.
Same with Wally (forget for now MGs T&Cs) Wally can decide which types of payment is OK for what if it so chooses, and it has
Dec 11, 2019, 9:23 am
#1727
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,295
Now if that was Wallys T&Cs it would be different.
No biz must accept any and all payment. There are plenty of places that refuse to accept a 50 or 100. Others No Amex or Discover, try using anything but a Visa at Costco and see how far you get, yet if you read the T&Cs of a card other then Visa it wont say 'not good at Costco'. So take a MCs T&Cs to Costco and see what happens when you stand your ground.
Same with Wally (forget for now MGs T&Cs) Wally can decide which types of payment is OK for what if it so chooses, and it has
No biz must accept any and all payment. There are plenty of places that refuse to accept a 50 or 100. Others No Amex or Discover, try using anything but a Visa at Costco and see how far you get, yet if you read the T&Cs of a card other then Visa it wont say 'not good at Costco'. So take a MCs T&Cs to Costco and see what happens when you stand your ground.
Same with Wally (forget for now MGs T&Cs) Wally can decide which types of payment is OK for what if it so chooses, and it has
My point was that the payments for MOs run through the debit system (think Plus, Most, etc. networks). That's a different network that the Visa/MC. Yes, I know Visa owns Plus and MC owns Cirrus, but they have different payment structures and are different. For some banks you can get a debit-only card (no Visa/MC logo) meaning you can use the card as debit (and enter a pin), but if you go to a merchant that accepts credit cards only, you're out of luck.
Last edited by danpeake; Dec 11, 2019 at 9:29 am
Dec 11, 2019, 11:06 am
#1728
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 269
Now if that was Wallys T&Cs it would be different.
No biz must accept any and all payment. There are plenty of places that refuse to accept a 50 or 100. Others No Amex or Discover, try using anything but a Visa at Costco and see how far you get, yet if you read the T&Cs of a card other then Visa it wont say 'not good at Costco'. So take a MCs T&Cs to Costco and see what happens when you stand your ground.
Same with Wally (forget for now MGs T&Cs) Wally can decide which types of payment is OK for what if it so chooses, and it has
No biz must accept any and all payment. There are plenty of places that refuse to accept a 50 or 100. Others No Amex or Discover, try using anything but a Visa at Costco and see how far you get, yet if you read the T&Cs of a card other then Visa it wont say 'not good at Costco'. So take a MCs T&Cs to Costco and see what happens when you stand your ground.
Same with Wally (forget for now MGs T&Cs) Wally can decide which types of payment is OK for what if it so chooses, and it has
Let us stick to the subject of "Buying Money Orders at Walmart".
At Walmart, most "debit cards" are not hard coded against being processed for MOs. The cashiers may or may not be hard coded. That is the issue here. Good luck on reprogramming them. No amount of legal mumbo jumbo is going to make a difference and will probably burn the location for the rest of us.
Dec 12, 2019, 9:36 am
#1729
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
....No biz must accept any and all payment. There are plenty of places that refuse to accept a 50 or 100. Others No Amex or Discover, try using anything but a Visa at Costco and see how far you get, yet if you read the T&Cs of a card other then Visa it wont say 'not good at Costco'. So take a MCs T&Cs to Costco and see what happens when you stand your ground.
Same with Wally (forget for now MGs T&Cs) Wally can decide which types of payment is OK for what if it so chooses, and it has
Same with Wally (forget for now MGs T&Cs) Wally can decide which types of payment is OK for what if it so chooses, and it has
So, the point is that (1) merchants like WM that accept Visa are supposed to follow the Visa merchant rules, including acceptance of all cards bearing the Visa logo, incl. prepaid, and (2) self-righteous CSRs and managers override this requirement & the POS, and impose their own "rules," and WM seems perfectly happy to let them do so.
Dec 12, 2019, 9:57 am
#1730
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
You really don't get it. If any merchant accepts Visa (or MC, or AX, or Discover), they are supposed to follow the Visa (or MC, or ...) rules for merchants for acceptance of that card. Yes, we all understand that not all merchants accept Visa, or AX, or whatever. That's not the point.
So, the point is that (1) merchants like WM that accept Visa are supposed to follow the Visa merchant rules, including acceptance of all cards bearing the Visa logo, incl. prepaid, and (2) self-righteous CSRs and managers override this requirement & the POS, and impose their own "rules," and WM seems perfectly happy to let them do so.
So, the point is that (1) merchants like WM that accept Visa are supposed to follow the Visa merchant rules, including acceptance of all cards bearing the Visa logo, incl. prepaid, and (2) self-righteous CSRs and managers override this requirement & the POS, and impose their own "rules," and WM seems perfectly happy to let them do so.
So even if you are 100% correct in theory, ,in practice its worthless thats my point
Dec 12, 2019, 10:40 am
#1731
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,832
You really don't get it. If any merchant accepts Visa (or MC, or AX, or Discover), they are supposed to follow the Visa (or MC, or ...) rules for merchants for acceptance of that card. Yes, we all understand that not all merchants accept Visa, or AX, or whatever. That's not the point.
So, the point is that (1) merchants like WM that accept Visa are supposed to follow the Visa merchant rules, including acceptance of all cards bearing the Visa logo, incl. prepaid, and (2) self-righteous CSRs and managers override this requirement & the POS, and impose their own "rules," and WM seems perfectly happy to let them do so.
So, the point is that (1) merchants like WM that accept Visa are supposed to follow the Visa merchant rules, including acceptance of all cards bearing the Visa logo, incl. prepaid, and (2) self-righteous CSRs and managers override this requirement & the POS, and impose their own "rules," and WM seems perfectly happy to let them do so.
Let us know how that goes.
Dec 12, 2019, 10:50 am
#1732
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 317
Don't forget that WM sells Vanilla Visa cards issued by InComm--and those cards are hard blocked from any transactions (over $50) which require a PIN. I've never figured out why those are blocked yet MetaBank Visas are accepted. A few years ago the Vanilla cards worked like the others at WM.
Dec 12, 2019, 10:57 am
#1733
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
I take it tuphat that if I was to rent a car from say Hertz, that they would accept w/o question my Gebit since they accept Visa and MC and say Debit cards are accepted. Please next time you rent a car use a Gebit and post bacvk how effortlessly it was and how the rental gladly accepted the Gebit and gave you a car
Im talking about when you return the car to switch to a Gebit but to use the Gebit from when you rented the car.
Why oh why dont I get the feeling that youd be walking or Ubering if all you had was a Gebit, yet they say they accept DCs
Im talking about when you return the car to switch to a Gebit but to use the Gebit from when you rented the car.
Why oh why dont I get the feeling that youd be walking or Ubering if all you had was a Gebit, yet they say they accept DCs
Dec 12, 2019, 3:57 pm
#1734
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 48
I now go in the mornings and never have a line, but when I started a couple months ago, the first couple times had some of the sleeziest people in those lines. 2 dudes were returning filthy pink bunny costumes after the halloween party weekend, just claiming they didn't fit. Another guy half asleep in his wheelchair was returning old meat w/ no proof of purchase.
Dec 12, 2019, 8:57 pm
#1735
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards, Hilton Honors
Posts: 255
I now go in the mornings and never have a line, but when I started a couple months ago, the first couple times had some of the sleeziest people in those lines. 2 dudes were returning filthy pink bunny costumes after the halloween party weekend, just claiming they didn't fit. Another guy half asleep in his wheelchair was returning old meat w/ no proof of purchase.
Dec 14, 2019, 10:17 am
#1737
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
I've been in quite a few WMs with separate Money desks. I agree that they're usually in lower income areas. I like not having to wait behind returns/refunds, but avoid them on paydays (usually Friday), and 1st and 15th of the month.
Dec 14, 2019, 11:23 am
#1738
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Many aren’t regularly staffed. I haven’t noticed the lower income correlation but past experience seems to mostly validate that. I’m yet to Ms in a state that doesn’t have some with and without MCs.
Dec 18, 2019, 4:51 pm
#1739
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 239
After getting the MO's, has anybody cashed out the MO a few days later and then just deposit the actual cash? I do a few thousand a month, and typically just mobile deposit the MO in my bank account. But there is always the risk of the bank questioning why you are depositing so many MO's. Just curious if it might be better to actually cash out the MO, and then deposit, say, $900-$1k in actual cash into my bank account.That way there's a spread between actual cash deposits and mobile MO deposits on the account.
Dec 18, 2019, 7:33 pm
#1740
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,507
After getting the MO's, has anybody cashed out the MO a few days later and then just deposit the actual cash? I do a few thousand a month, and typically just mobile deposit the MO in my bank account. But there is always the risk of the bank questioning why you are depositing so many MO's. Just curious if it might be better to actually cash out the MO, and then deposit, say, $900-$1k in actual cash into my bank account.That way there's a spread between actual cash deposits and mobile MO deposits on the account.