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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 4, 2019, 9:46 pm
  #1441  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
Originally Posted by dr0832
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?
It will if the limit goes to 8k a month with > $100 ID checks. But, no one knows what will happen. Just Vegas has the odds that something will happen .. any day.
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horseymen is offline  
Old Nov 6, 2019, 6:25 am
  #1442  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 299
funny how nobody is reporting anything. I was last at WM on Mon am..BAU. for just 1 999.12 MO. No. id check. Will be back at WM on Thurs am. ill report back then.
barrytuneup is offline  
Old Nov 6, 2019, 6:56 am
  #1443  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,439
Originally Posted by barrytuneup
funny how nobody is reporting anything. I was last at WM on Mon am..BAU. for just 1 999.12 MO. No. id check. Will be back at WM on Thurs am. ill report back then.
Bought an $800 mo yesterday at my usual WM without any issues such as ID, etc.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Nov 6, 2019, 7:14 am
  #1444  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 662
Originally Posted by barrytuneup
funny how nobody is reporting anything. I was last at WM on Mon am..BAU. for just 1 999.12 MO. No. id check. Will be back at WM on Thurs am. ill report back then.

We've seen dps for 5 days. That's not enough confirmation that no changes have been made?
Clueless12 and gmt4 like this.
briang191 is offline  
Old Nov 6, 2019, 8:23 pm
  #1445  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
Originally Posted by briang191
We've seen dps for 5 days. That's not enough confirmation that no changes have been made?
No more death prediction rumors, but still the CBL's are in place. Just waiting for the update..

Not November 1st.

Not November 3rd.
horseymen is offline  
Old Nov 6, 2019, 8:48 pm
  #1446  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 662
Originally Posted by horseymen
No more death prediction rumors, but still the CBL's are in place. Just waiting for the update..

Not November 1st.

Not November 3rd.
Thank you.
briang191 is offline  
Old Nov 7, 2019, 10:18 am
  #1447  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Colorado
Programs: Alaska, Shell VC, Wyndham VC, Starwood, RCI, II--I bought it on eBay!
Posts: 159
Nothing different at our local WM's. I have 4-5 that work pretty well for us. Some stores have certain people that if they are there, I won't even try.

My husband has no problems with any of the middle-aged ladies, but I sometimes have issues. Could it be that he is pretty cute for being an old guy? I don't know. I do not know why the same CSR's will deny me but let him get one. That is not consistent.

I watched for a notice about policy changes at the CS desk and saw none. I am relieved. We do less than $100K a year. I never max out our maximum spend on either of our cards.
cheaptimesharetraveler is offline  
Old Nov 7, 2019, 11:43 am
  #1448  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 299
so this AM bought 2 999.00 MO at 2 WM. (4K) I will do the same Fri and Sun. If the 8k is in effect then I will know on Sun. and report my findings. Waiting for other shoe to drop. BTW what is CBL? computer update at WM ?
barrytuneup is offline  
Old Nov 7, 2019, 11:48 am
  #1449  
ogg
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 317
CBL=Computer Based Learning. It's the way CSRs are trained in various aspects of WM transaction handling. Until you pass the CBL for billpay, for example, you can't do any bill payments in the Money Center.

Implementation dates for any WM changes have always been unreliable--and usually they're rolled out gradually across the country. The CBL posted above talks about scanning customer info; my local WMs don't have that ability yet.
ogg is offline  
Old Nov 7, 2019, 3:05 pm
  #1450  
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
I asked my favorite CSR's if they knew of any changes coming - neither did. When I went in today, one said the terminals were updated this morning. Still BAU. Let me go on the record though as saying that I'm not saying nothing will ever change. I'm sure it will someday! I just hope they wait until I've MSed for enough money to put my nephew through college!
redtop43 is offline  
Old Nov 7, 2019, 4:43 pm
  #1451  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,439
BAU for me at my usual WM.

However, I am an $800 man (4 swipes) so things haven't changed yet in any fashion.

i was also able to load my BB with a $200 GC without issue so all is still good for the birdy.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Nov 7, 2019, 10:40 pm
  #1452  
 
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: SoCal
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by radonc1
BAU for me at my usual WM.

However, I am an $800 man (4 swipes) so things haven't changed yet in any fashion.

i was also able to load my BB with a $200 GC without issue so all is still good for the birdy.
went to WM this morning, $599 no problem on three swipes. Went to different WM later in afternoon cashier immediately asked to see debit cards and then (practically) told me to get lost. Went back to original WM and there was a terribly long line and feared the worse. Of course I walk up and keep it simply, $399 two swipes. Cashier asked for debit cards I showed her one and said I am going to swipe twice for banking purposes she turns touch pad towards her and tells me to swipe in front of her - I thumb out incorrect pins and tell her I guess I don’t have the money and walk out. Not BAU on last two trips.
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localnonprofit is offline  
Old Nov 8, 2019, 12:16 am
  #1453  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 30
Has anyone been able to buy MO using GCs in San Diego recently (for sure not allowed at two locations)? If so, which Walmart(s)? OK to PM me if preferred.

Last edited by viking123; Nov 8, 2019 at 12:22 am
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Old Nov 8, 2019, 6:02 am
  #1454  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 90
Originally Posted by viking123
Has anyone been able to buy MO using GCs in San Diego recently (for sure not allowed at two locations)? If so, which Walmart(s)? OK to PM me if preferred.
Can someone give me the combo for the lock on fort knox gold vault depository? pm if preferred
wrinkle7 is offline  
Old Nov 8, 2019, 8:17 am
  #1455  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 662
Originally Posted by wrinkle7
Can someone give me the combo for the lock on fort knox gold vault depository? pm if preferred
PM SENT
briang191 is offline  


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