Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2019 onwards)
Jan 7, 21, 9:10 pm - Wikipost
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 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 88 cents 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 88 cents 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. 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 entry - Any MO purchases in one transaction over $3K requires you to input your SSN. Confirmed 8/2019. Debit codes PDF http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/attac...0&d=1461170080 
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Dec 12, 20, 8:29 am
#2971
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 112
Originally Posted by radonc1
I have not tested E cards.
However, I did do a test on Staples Visa meta $200 at WM and failed at $200 but succeeded at $99 x 2 with residual spent on groceries.
I think that unless one has a unicorn exception, $99 for Metas is the new norm for WM MOs
However, I did do a test on Staples Visa meta $200 at WM and failed at $200 but succeeded at $99 x 2 with residual spent on groceries.
I think that unless one has a unicorn exception, $99 for Metas is the new norm for WM MOs
Dec 12, 20, 10:34 am
#2972
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,449
Originally Posted by shadow520
Exactly, that's my situation also. Had 3 options, suddenly down to 1. I'm not comfortable with large amounts of VGCs on hand with only 1 recycle option. So my days of $25k orders from SM might be history. Thats a huge bummer because switching to Vanillas or USB $5.95 $500 cards is a huge cost increase vs. $3.95 1k cards from SM, not to mention the ease of 1k cards.
Dec 12, 20, 12:30 pm
#2973
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 4
I didn't see much in the searchbar about this, but today (12/11) I was having some issues liquidating my USB MCGCs at a WM that I normally have no issues with.
Each time I would swipe first and attempt to press the change payment button, it would immediately change to tender not allowed. I tried this several times and I consider myself to have a very quick swipe (been doing this with MCGCs almost daily for awhile now).
Anyone know how to fix this? Potentially try another WM?
Each time I would swipe first and attempt to press the change payment button, it would immediately change to tender not allowed. I tried this several times and I consider myself to have a very quick swipe (been doing this with MCGCs almost daily for awhile now).
Anyone know how to fix this? Potentially try another WM?
Dec 12, 20, 12:46 pm
#2974
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL, WoH
Posts: 1,080
Originally Posted by Notfrom63rd
I didn't see much in the searchbar about this, but today (12/11) I was having some issues liquidating my USB MCGCs at a WM that I normally have no issues with.
Each time I would swipe first and attempt to press the change payment button, it would immediately change to tender not allowed. I tried this several times and I consider myself to have a very quick swipe (been doing this with MCGCs almost daily for awhile now).
Anyone know how to fix this? Potentially try another WM?
Each time I would swipe first and attempt to press the change payment button, it would immediately change to tender not allowed. I tried this several times and I consider myself to have a very quick swipe (been doing this with MCGCs almost daily for awhile now).
Anyone know how to fix this? Potentially try another WM?
Dec 13, 20, 6:24 pm
#2976
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Seattle
Programs: United Gold, Delta Silver, SPG Gold
Posts: 81
Just a head's up. There apparently is a new internal memo at WM to not accept VGC for MO's starting 12/19. Went to liquidate some VGC's at my usual WM today and cashier told me that starting on 12/19 they won't accept VGC for MO's anymore.
Last edited by tksr80; Dec 13, 20 at 6:36 pm Reason: Add Photo
Dec 13, 20, 8:06 pm
#2980
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,272
Originally Posted by tksr80
Just a head's up. There apparently is a new internal memo at WM to not accept VGC for MO's starting 12/19. Went to liquidate some VGC's at my usual WM today and cashier told me that starting on 12/19 they won't accept VGC for MO's anymore.
That memo photo looks remarkably identical to every other memo that's been posted all over the MS forums/blogs
Dec 13, 20, 8:30 pm
#2981
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp (2020 is first and last year). Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 3,364
Originally Posted by redarmy
Is the limit same for BB load?
Dec 13, 20, 8:35 pm
#2982
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Portsmouth, NH
Programs: AA EXP, MRT Lifetime Titanium Elite, UAL, DL, SPG
Posts: 17
My Walmart couldn't care less what I do. As long as they don't mess with their systems and the VGC's keep going through less than $99, they aren't going to say anything. I always go in later in the evening when it's dead so it's not an issue.
Dec 13, 20, 8:37 pm
#2983
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp (2020 is first and last year). Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 3,364
Originally Posted by littlewinglet
That memo photo looks remarkably identical to every other memo that's been posted all over the MS forums/blogs
Additionally, a few years ago I had a conversation with someone in the legal or compliance department in Bentonville. They said this type of transaction was prohibited due to the T&C of Visa. So if they wanted to stop them, that would be a much more logical way. If the "lengthy" nature of the transactions was an issue, they could empower CSR's to limit customers to one or two transactions per visit.
I've always noticed that no matter how long a transaction takes, they will usually be patient with the customer - not just MS but almost anything . Money sending/receiving, refunds, whatever. They never seem to hurry customers along.
Anyway, speaking for myself, I always knew this had a limited life. My initial goal was to make enough to buy a Lincoln. I made it with room to spare. My new goal was to buy a Corvette so I could give the Lincoln to my girlfriend, but I guess she's going to have to keep driving her Kia.
Dec 13, 20, 8:55 pm
#2984
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: PDX
Programs: Delta Diamond (MM) | Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 61
I think in a year like 2020, we're more apt to take every new potential hurdle as the beginning of the end... At the end of the day, this is going to boil down to how well you know your CSR and how much volume you're trying to do...
If you don't know them (or know them well) and you walk up trying to do an 8-swiper or more, YMMV. We all freaked out when the $8K daily MO limit was set towards the end of 2018 and now we're just working the added limitation into our repertoire. This may heat up at the time the memo is being distributed and discussed but the enforcement will not be uniform and will probably taper off in intensity as we move into 2021.
There are also many excuses you can use for why you need to make multiple swipes. You want to split it across your debit cards, etc. No one should be so comfortable (even with CSRs they know well) to blatantly display the GCs when swiping or letting them know what you're doing in the big scheme of things.
This could mean some smaller BB and MO runs for awhile but I don't see it as a show stopper due to the subjective nature factor. Unless they absolutely know what you're doing, they can't make the judgement call that you are a MS'er...
If you don't know them (or know them well) and you walk up trying to do an 8-swiper or more, YMMV. We all freaked out when the $8K daily MO limit was set towards the end of 2018 and now we're just working the added limitation into our repertoire. This may heat up at the time the memo is being distributed and discussed but the enforcement will not be uniform and will probably taper off in intensity as we move into 2021.
There are also many excuses you can use for why you need to make multiple swipes. You want to split it across your debit cards, etc. No one should be so comfortable (even with CSRs they know well) to blatantly display the GCs when swiping or letting them know what you're doing in the big scheme of things.
This could mean some smaller BB and MO runs for awhile but I don't see it as a show stopper due to the subjective nature factor. Unless they absolutely know what you're doing, they can't make the judgement call that you are a MS'er...
Originally Posted by tksr80
Just a head's up. There apparently is a new internal memo at WM to not accept VGC for MO's starting 12/19. Went to liquidate some VGC's at my usual WM today and cashier told me that starting on 12/19 they won't accept VGC for MO's anymore.
Last edited by Carrisco; Dec 13, 20 at 9:00 pm
Dec 14, 20, 1:15 am
#2985
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,099
Interesting memo. It does not say that they will no longer accept VGC, only that they will no longer do "manufactured spending" transactions, but it doesn't define how to identify such transactions. It says "credit or debit card that earns rewards to buy cash like products", but the CSR has no way of knowing what was used to buy the VGC. I think this memo is vague enough that it will not have much of an impact except if management provides further clarification.
Also, "due to the lengthly nature of the transactions"? I can buy 2 money orders much faster than the people trying to pay their utility bill or send money to foreign relatives who seem to have no clue what documents are needed or how the process works.
Also, "due to the lengthly nature of the transactions"? I can buy 2 money orders much faster than the people trying to pay their utility bill or send money to foreign relatives who seem to have no clue what documents are needed or how the process works.
