Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Credit, Debit and Prepaid Card Programs > Manufactured Spending
Reload this Page >

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.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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

​​​​​











Print Wikipost

Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2019 - 2022)

Old Dec 19, 2019, 4:07 am
  #1741  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,467
Originally Posted by ericdabbs
If you want to pay the extra costs to cash a check/MO. I think WM charges $3 to cash a check...
I think WM can also cash a debit card. If OP wants to pay higher fees and deal with cash, then the MO step is not even needed.
MaxVO is offline  
Old Dec 19, 2019, 9:49 am
  #1742  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards, Hilton Honors
Posts: 255
Originally Posted by MaxVO
I think WM can also cash a debit card. If OP wants to pay higher fees and deal with cash, then the MO step is not even needed.
Maybe they can give you cashback from a bank debit card, but I've never heard that WM will cash a gebit card. That would be a pretty big game changer for MS.
deker0 is offline  
Old Dec 19, 2019, 9:59 am
  #1743  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP. Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,129
Transaction will fail if you try to get cash back on a MB gebit at WM. WM can't give straight cash back against a gebit swipe either. Proven many times over in the past. MO is your option at WM.
deker0 likes this.
gmt4 is offline  
Old Dec 19, 2019, 2:46 pm
  #1744  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,496
Originally Posted by MaxVO
I think WM can also cash a debit card. If OP wants to pay higher fees and deal with cash, then the MO step is not even needed.
ROFL....you are not the only one to EVER think about this approach. If it was even viable, people would have done it a long time ago.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Dec 20, 2019, 12:26 am
  #1745  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NRT
Programs: UA gold
Posts: 135
Whoever thinks he could cash back on ANY debit card has no clue how cash back works.
ezakipocky is offline  
Old Dec 21, 2019, 7:37 am
  #1746  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
WSJ: "Walmart’s Secret Weapon to Fight Off Amazon: The Supercenter."
https://www.wsj.com/articles/walmart...er-11576904460

" ... customers can also fill medical prescriptions, transfer money or get their hair done."
tuphat is offline  
Old Dec 21, 2019, 7:06 pm
  #1747  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 299
Just asking!! How many here are still alive re: can still get 2k in MO at WM? I was alive till yesterday. No rhyme or reason that I can figure. Only did 2 k MO 1x per week and for different amounts. Doesn't work. seems eventually you will get shut out. I am thankful we can still do 999.12 MO at least.
barrytuneup is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2019, 8:25 pm
  #1748  
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 24
How many is safe MO amount per day

I need 520k Alaska points. How many MO per transaction per day can i do with wally. I know that limit is 8k. But if i do 7k, will it raise any concern with wally manager?
even if i decide to put in my info in system. Can i still do 7k every day?

thanks guy
Tam Tran is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2019, 8:37 pm
  #1749  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 239
Originally Posted by Tam Tran
I need 520k Alaska points. How many MO per transaction per day can i do with wally. I know that limit is 8k. But if i do 7k, will it raise any concern with wally manager?
even if i decide to put in my info in system. Can i still do 7k every day?

thanks guy
Depends. 520k by when?
History05 is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2019, 8:40 pm
  #1750  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,671
Originally Posted by Tam Tran
I need 520k Alaska points. How many MO per transaction per day can i do with wally. I know that limit is 8k. But if i do 7k, will it raise any concern with wally manager?
even if i decide to put in my info in system. Can i still do 7k every day?

thanks guy
Very few Walmart managers will let you buy that many, but YMMV.

Last edited by ChrisFlyer66; Dec 22, 2019 at 11:08 pm Reason: type
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2019, 8:50 pm
  #1751  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,467
Originally Posted by Tam Tran
...Can i still do 7k every day?
Many have also been banned by Moneygram. If a company uses AI to id unprofitable customers (as may be the case with MG), there will not be a safe number. Humans can not crack AI criteria based on a few DPs.
MaxVO is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2019, 9:07 pm
  #1752  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: DFW
Posts: 683
Originally Posted by Tam Tran
I need 520k Alaska points. How many MO per transaction per day can i do with wally. I know that limit is 8k. But if i do 7k, will it raise any concern with wally manager?
even if i decide to put in my info in system. Can i still do 7k every day?

thanks guy
The limit is not $8k per day, it is $8k per rolling 24 hours. That might seem like a minor difference but it becomes a pain in the rear once you get up to about 6-8 MO's a day. To get $6k a day you will likely have to visit 3 WM's for $2k at each, and the next day you will have to make sure you don't go over the $8k in 24 hours rule. For the 7th MO, if they don't require DL then it won't affect the timing. If they do require DL then the timing the next day becomes even more of a pain.
knopfler is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2019, 9:16 pm
  #1753  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 198
Talking

Originally Posted by MaxVO
Many have also been banned by Moneygram. If a company uses AI to id unprofitable customers (as may be the case with MG), there will not be a safe number. Humans can not crack AI criteria based on a few DPs.
beast7276 is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2019, 9:23 pm
  #1754  
ogg
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 317
Why would a large buyer be unprofitable while a small buyer is not? The issue can’t be profitability.
ogg is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2019, 10:51 pm
  #1755  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,467
Originally Posted by ogg
Why would a large buyer be unprofitable while a small buyer is not? The issue can’t be profitability.
A small buyer generating small losses can be tolerated longer than a large one. It's also true that we can not know all criteria that's input to AI as a starting point.
MaxVO is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.