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Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2019 - 2022)

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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)

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Old Nov 2, 2019, 7:14 pm
  #1426  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: DEN
Programs: Hilton Diamond Hyatt Globalist Marriott Gold AA EXP
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Tonight I went to to MS unfriendly WM and asked for a MO for $995. Lady I hadnt seen before asked if it was a Debit card, then asked if it was my Debit. I showed her my bank card, then I fumbled my PIN so the transaction failed. I was however able to load $1000 onto BB at a regular register. Will go back to the friendly WM again tomorrow for the other 1000 GC
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Old Nov 3, 2019, 7:06 am
  #1427  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
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how does rolling 24 hours work today? could be rolling 25 hours as Daylight saving time just ended.
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Old Nov 3, 2019, 9:33 am
  #1428  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
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Originally Posted by coolguy100
not yet. several guys have done 8k yesterday and 8k today in my neck of woods.
What are they MSing on that they actually need $8K for multiple days in a row?

I do it on SUBs, offers, min spend for free nights and sometimes for 5x at Office Supply during the no fee weeks, but I keep it under 10-12K per month with most of that flowing thru BB. And I spread it out. 1-2 swipes on BB and only 1 swipe on single MOs for either $495 or $995.

These guys who are doing 30-72K every month in repeated MOs with multi swipes are just going to draw more negative attention to the community.
Steve in Olympia likes this.
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Old Nov 3, 2019, 9:55 am
  #1429  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 267
Originally Posted by beast7276
The reading comprehension level in the thread is pretty amazing. The memo pretty clearly states to ask for ID at $100 and to refuse to process if the person refuses to show valid ID. It then says to scan the ID if prompted.

Some CSRs will ask for ID at $100, many won't. There's no indication the system is going to actually prompt ID scans at $100
I've done a TON of <1k MOs at different WMs and was never asked for an ID, so I'm skeptical about the "random system check" theory. The only exception when it actually did happen, I got one of those vigilant "ol'timer" ladies - you know the kind- who thought she was some kind of detective. She started typing out something on her screen BEFORE the transaction and then asked for my ID. I asked why she needed it and she said the system wants it. I declined stating I don't feel comfortable sharing my personal information with the system I know nothing about, and walked away. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a random system check. So I'm thinking the same might be happening to others as well.
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Old Nov 3, 2019, 11:21 am
  #1430  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
Originally Posted by bbriscoe34
What are they MSing on that they actually need $8K for multiple days in a row?

I do it on SUBs, offers, min spend for free nights and sometimes for 5x at Office Supply during the no fee weeks, but I keep it under 10-12K per month with most of that flowing thru BB. And I spread it out. 1-2 swipes on BB and only 1 swipe on single MOs for either $495 or $995.

These guys who are doing 30-72K every month in repeated MOs with multi swipes are just going to draw more negative attention to the community.
Some people MS for their full-time careers. Maybe laid off in the tech industry or looking to FIRE. Not everyone MS's for their "free" trip to the Maldives.
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Old Nov 3, 2019, 11:37 am
  #1431  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
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Originally Posted by horseymen
Some people MS for their full-time careers. Maybe laid off in the tech industry or looking to FIRE. Not everyone MS's for their "free" trip to the Maldives.
Spot on, there's no "free" trip to Maldives. Even if you get your flights and hotel on points, you'll still be raped in the wallet by sea-plane transfers, $40 burgers and outrageously overpriced just about everything else. It's a money pit designed to fleece rich vain people and not exactly a good use of vacation funds.

Also to the OP, there's no "community" anymore. Nobody shares anything secret, and if you think 35-70k a month of MO is serious abuse, you have no idea just how much worse it is behind the scenes, with some of the entitled pricks who abuse deals via private chatrooms and think it's everyone else who's ruining their game.
Happy, 84fiero, horseymen and 4 others like this.
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Old Nov 3, 2019, 12:48 pm
  #1432  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 319
Ditto to what horseymen and littlewinglet said. None of the hard hitters (over $500k/month by my definition) are MS’ing for trips and none of them are dependent on MOs to sustain their MS lifestyle.
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Old Nov 3, 2019, 12:50 pm
  #1433  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
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Originally Posted by DjRocket
I've done a TON of <1k MOs at different WMs and was never asked for an ID, so I'm skeptical about the "random system check" theory. The only exception when it actually did happen, I got one of those vigilant "ol'timer" ladies - you know the kind- who thought she was some kind of detective. She started typing out something on her screen BEFORE the transaction and then asked for my ID. I asked why she needed it and she said the system wants it. I declined stating I don't feel comfortable sharing my personal information with the system I know nothing about, and walked away. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a random system check. So I'm thinking the same might be happening to others as well.
FYI
There are random checks. I never buy more than an $800 MO and only one at a time. I have done this for a number of years without consequence but one day my CSR who knows me well asked for my ID. She had no idea why the computer asked for it. I supplied it, she entered the information requested and provided the MO. I have been there since and I have gotten no further ID requests.

I would never walk away from one and decline providing the DL for such a request. It makes what we do look illegal and the information they are requesting is not exactly a state secret.
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Old Nov 3, 2019, 1:03 pm
  #1434  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
Originally Posted by Clueless12
Ditto to what horseymen and littlewinglet said. None of the hard hitters (over $500k/month by my definition) are MS’ing for trips and none of them are dependent on MOs to sustain their MS lifestyle.
I'm not dependent on MOs, but if this change happens, it's going to not be good - but I'll survive. The best paying stuff is still the first used - so although volume will be impacted, it's the lowest paying volume. Gonna take a few more changes/shutdowns before pizza delivery looks like a better career.
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Old Nov 3, 2019, 1:08 pm
  #1435  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
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a guy I once talked to did daily 8k with DL and daily 8k with PP...one day walmart system realized it was the same person, so PP stopped working. so he had to do only 8k daily with DL plus multiple 1k if possible.
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Old Nov 3, 2019, 6:05 pm
  #1436  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LAX/SFO
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Originally Posted by coolguy100
a guy I once talked to did daily 8k with DL and daily 8k with PP...one day walmart system realized it was the same person, so PP stopped working. so he had to do only 8k daily with DL plus multiple 1k if possible.
this is known and will happen until you figure out how to keep them for matching the ID's. only way to fix it is get a new ID cuz his PP/DL is now merged and useless.
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Old Nov 4, 2019, 9:21 am
  #1437  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,674
I deleted a few posts because this thread was starting to get off track.
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Old Nov 4, 2019, 9:35 am
  #1438  
 
Join Date: May 2008
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Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
Originally Posted by Clueless12
Ditto to what horseymen and littlewinglet said. None of the hard hitters (over $500k/month by my definition) are MS’ing for trips and none of them are dependent on MOs to sustain their MS lifestyle.
Given the various limitations in the system and the propensity for shutdowns, I think it would be difficult to do as much as $500K/month. If I had never had a shutdown of any sort I'd be close to that level, but shutdowns happen. There are only so many desirable credit cards, and only so many places you can go for money orders. I DID do $16K in MOs in a day last week, but I was in a strange city with time to kill and drove from Kroger to Kroger to Kroger, and it's not clear that I'd have been able to do that if they saw me every day.
redtop43 is offline  
Old Nov 4, 2019, 10:42 am
  #1439  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: DEN
Programs: Hilton Diamond Hyatt Globalist Marriott Gold AA EXP
Posts: 1,012
Originally Posted by littlewinglet
Spot on, there's no "free" trip to Maldives. Even if you get your flights and hotel on points, you'll still be raped in the wallet by sea-plane transfers, $40 burgers and outrageously overpriced just about everything else. It's a money pit designed to fleece rich vain people and not exactly a good use of vacation funds.

Also to the OP, there's no "community" anymore. Nobody shares anything secret, and if you think 35-70k a month of MO is serious abuse, you have no idea just how much worse it is behind the scenes, with some of the entitled pricks who abuse deals via private chatrooms and think it's everyone else who's ruining their game.
Right - if you want free you are much better off booking the Hyatt Zilara All-inclusive in CUN. 25K Hyatt or UR points per night includes all food and drinks you need. FLights from US are very cheap in miles or points, and I suppose you can maybe even pay for the TSA and departure taxes in points if you book thru UR portal?

So basically a beach vacation for the price of an airport shuttle service, which is quite reasonable. I've done this and will certainly do it again.
bbriscoe34 is online now  
Old Nov 4, 2019, 9:39 pm
  #1440  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 94
Is the ID check, and then inputting your info, supposed to prevent a person from buying more than one MO per day even if you go to another store?
dr0832 is offline  


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