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)
Jul 18, 2019, 11:51 am
#871
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 161
People who don't know what they are doing buying $4k (which is above the maximum anti-money laundering information gathering limit of $3k) will absolutely trigger suspicion at stores that aren't used to it. The bigger issue really is us clogging up the service desks and requiring more employee hours to deal with us.
Jul 18, 2019, 12:01 pm
#872
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 104
People who don't know what they are doing buying $4k (which is above the maximum anti-money laundering information gathering limit of $3k) will absolutely trigger suspicion at stores that aren't used to it. The bigger issue really is us clogging up the service desks and requiring more employee hours to deal with us.
Currently I’m only doing about $2k per week at WM by doing one $999.12 MO 2x per week. I have no intention to come close to the max limits. But I do plan to do more than my current volume, maybe work up to $7-8k per week by the end of the year.
Last edited by DBFL; Jul 18, 2019 at 1:32 pm
Jul 18, 2019, 12:34 pm
#873
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SJC
Programs: AAdvantage 2MM+ Lifetime PLT; BA, CO, UA, US; SPG; HHonors Gold
Posts: 757
To elaborate, the Bay Area has a number of Walmarts, but also a very high concentration of people who try to (ab)use these methods, so the cashiers tend to be on the lookout and check cards. It is possible, but be prepared for a lot of rejections, and don't make a fuss (politely leave if declined).
Jul 18, 2019, 4:45 pm
#874
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, NSA, CIA, MIB
Posts: 537
Please don't kill this for us who keep it as a recreational hobby and not a full time career. Greed doesn't solve anything unless you're looking to destroy something in the process.
The rest of us, small and meek like keeping this fun.
The rest of us, small and meek like keeping this fun.
Jul 18, 2019, 5:23 pm
#875
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The World!!!
Programs: Some of them not all ...
Posts: 1,532
Completely agree. It s a fun hobby for every now and then. I will never give Wally my SSN or DL #, that s for sure.
Jul 18, 2019, 5:44 pm
#876
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,787
I stopped MS about two years ago and pay very little attention any longer and even I know about the Simon mall $1k GCs. It seems to be making the rounds among people that I wouldn't ordinarily associate with MS thinking they can crank out free Hawaii trips or whatever.
When something hits my radar on MS, it's probably a bad sign. $1k gift cards seems like the beginning of the end. I remember one time when I was having trouble finding reloads at office supply stores near me that I went for a business trip and in like 45 minutes I had $25,000 of reloads in my rental car glove box. I remember thinking, "well, this can't last." I kind of am having that feeling now. It feels like it is hitting a critical mass.
I think a company like Walmart is probably so big that it's a very slow turning ship. But once it turns, it heads in the new direction with an awful lot of power and I just don't see how they can keep taking it on the chin on $999.10 MOs.
When something hits my radar on MS, it's probably a bad sign. $1k gift cards seems like the beginning of the end. I remember one time when I was having trouble finding reloads at office supply stores near me that I went for a business trip and in like 45 minutes I had $25,000 of reloads in my rental car glove box. I remember thinking, "well, this can't last." I kind of am having that feeling now. It feels like it is hitting a critical mass.
I think a company like Walmart is probably so big that it's a very slow turning ship. But once it turns, it heads in the new direction with an awful lot of power and I just don't see how they can keep taking it on the chin on $999.10 MOs.
Jul 19, 2019, 12:49 am
#879
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: IHG, Hilton diamond (IHG match) SPG gold
Posts: 105
Bau four corners
show id - n&a recorded - kept it under 3k with
thx for reminder fedechat/shipitthx
show id - n&a recorded - kept it under 3k with
thx for reminder fedechat/shipitthx
Last edited by 808pineapple; Jul 19, 2019 at 3:03 am
Jul 19, 2019, 7:54 am
#881
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 305
As someone who is ok with giving my DL but not ok with giving my SS to WM, I am also kind of curious about this potential situation: lets say you have 2 back to back transactions - 1 transaction of 4 x 500 (or 2 x 1000) with 4 (or 2) swipes and fee paid in cash and right after a second transaction of 1 swipe of $999.12 (or a $1000 with fee paid in cash). I know that the first transaction would trigger providing my DL. Would the second transaction trigger providing my SS?
Jul 19, 2019, 9:20 am
#882
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,295
As someone who is ok with giving my DL but not ok with giving my SS to WM, I am also kind of curious about this potential situation: lets say you have 2 back to back transactions - 1 transaction of 4 x 500 (or 2 x 1000) with 4 (or 2) swipes and fee paid in cash and right after a second transaction of 1 swipe of $999.12 (or a $1000 with fee paid in cash). I know that the first transaction would trigger providing my DL. Would the second transaction trigger providing my SS?
And before I get jumped on, I'm not accusing you of structuring (I know we're limited to four swipes per transaction), but just pointing out how employees are trained and what they may be looking for.
Jul 19, 2019, 9:20 am
#883
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 269
As someone who is ok with giving my DL but not ok with giving my SS to WM, I am also kind of curious about this potential situation: lets say you have 2 back to back transactions - 1 transaction of 4 x 500 (or 2 x 1000) with 4 (or 2) swipes and fee paid in cash and right after a second transaction of 1 swipe of $999.12 (or a $1000 with fee paid in cash). I know that the first transaction would trigger providing my DL. Would the second transaction trigger providing my SS?
Jul 19, 2019, 9:22 am
#884
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
As someone who is ok with giving my DL but not ok with giving my SS to WM, I am also kind of curious about this potential situation: lets say you have 2 back to back transactions - 1 transaction of 4 x 500 (or 2 x 1000) with 4 (or 2) swipes and fee paid in cash and right after a second transaction of 1 swipe of $999.12 (or a $1000 with fee paid in cash). I know that the first transaction would trigger providing my DL. Would the second transaction trigger providing my SS?
Jul 19, 2019, 9:27 am
#885
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,507
