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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 Jul 31, 2020, 6:49 pm
  #2311  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,418
Originally Posted by ericdabbs
It could be their own made up store policy to track down who is coming in everyday and your activity which would quickly add you to their store ban list especially when you say its only one of your local WMs in your state that has this bogus policy. If your friendly CSR at this particular WM is now asking for your name and recording your name somewhere then he/she is just following the rules and can't be as friendly to you anymore.
Or worse, they could be filing a report with MG which may lead to a shut down.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2020, 9:56 am
  #2312  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 90
anyone else's MO down for the last couple days?
Unitedsux is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2020, 12:46 pm
  #2313  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,293
Originally Posted by Unitedsux
anyone else's MO down for the last couple days?
No. BAU for me.
danpeake is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2020, 1:13 pm
  #2314  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,672
Originally Posted by danpeake
No. BAU for me.
me too
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2020, 1:29 pm
  #2315  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: MSP
Posts: 469
The two places I buy WU have machines that suck so bad that the ink is barely visible. Mobile deposit is therefore impossible. Kind of sucks. They're easy locations to hit but I only have time to go through so many drive thrus.
jbandy10 is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2020, 2:46 pm
  #2316  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,418
Originally Posted by jbandy10
The two places I buy WU have machines that suck so bad that the ink is barely visible. Mobile deposit is therefore impossible. Kind of sucks. They're easy locations to hit but I only have time to go through so many drive thrus.
Just remember that MG now has am exclusion of liability for mobile deposits, so if you lose your deposit for any reason, MG does not have to make you whole.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2020, 3:24 pm
  #2317  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,293
Originally Posted by jbandy10
The two places I buy WU have machines that suck so bad that the ink is barely visible. Mobile deposit is therefore impossible. Kind of sucks. They're easy locations to hit but I only have time to go through so many drive thrus.
If you have a decent relationship with the CSR you could ask them if they can replace it. "I notice the ink is really faint. Do you know how to replace it?"
danpeake is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2020, 3:47 pm
  #2318  
soy
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
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Posts: 3,683
Originally Posted by danpeake
If you have a decent relationship with the CSR you could ask them if they can replace it. "I notice the ink is really faint. Do you know how to replace it?"
Ha!
Last time my lot tried that, they took the machine down for a week
soy is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2020, 3:53 pm
  #2319  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,468
Originally Posted by danpeake
"I notice the ink is really faint. Do you know how to replace it?"
WM CSRs are not allowed to service the printer, only report problems to a MG contractor.
MaxVO is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2020, 7:55 pm
  #2320  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,293
Originally Posted by MaxVO
WM CSRs are not allowed to service the printer, only report problems to a MG contractor.
I just know what's worked for me. My friendly CSR said she replaced the ink last time. And I've seen them call MG and follow steps to fix it.
MaxVO likes this.
danpeake is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2020, 8:11 pm
  #2321  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: MSP
Posts: 469
Originally Posted by danpeake
I just know what's worked for me. My friendly CSR said she replaced the ink last time. And I've seen them call MG and follow steps to fix it.
I should be clear. The ink on this location is always weak. I've been going there for 4 years and it has never once been even almost bold enough to work on mobile.
jbandy10 is offline  
Old Aug 2, 2020, 11:17 am
  #2322  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,523
Originally Posted by MaxVO
WM CSRs are not allowed to service the printer, only report problems to a MG contractor.
I've definitely seen WM CSRs (sometimes, more than one at a time) attempt to fix the printer.
danpeake and cuthroat like this.
nall is offline  
Old Aug 2, 2020, 5:54 pm
  #2323  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,837
Originally Posted by jbandy10
I should be clear. The ink on this location is always weak. I've been going there for 4 years and it has never once been even almost bold enough to work on mobile.
MG MOs are always difficult to deposit via mobile

I've had success either darkening it with a pen or 'replacing'/covering it with a printout of the amount.
lumangoy is offline  
Old Aug 2, 2020, 8:44 pm
  #2324  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,500
Originally Posted by lumangoy
MG MOs are always difficult to deposit via mobile

I've had success either darkening it with a pen or 'replacing'/covering it with a printout of the amount.
Doesn't matter at this point since you can't deposit them via mobile with the new wording on the MOs.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Aug 2, 2020, 9:03 pm
  #2325  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
Originally Posted by lumangoy
MG MOs are always difficult to deposit via mobile

I've had success either darkening it with a pen or 'replacing'/covering it with a printout of the amount.
I would be extremely careful about doing anything that could be considered as altering the MO as printed. That said, for MOs with very light ink, I have hand-written the amount in blank space to the right of printed amount. At a minimum, I think this helps a teller when scanning, the machine maybe can't read the printed amount but can see the hand-written amount.
tuphat is offline  

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