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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 Jan 2, 2019, 9:50 am
  #1  
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Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2019 - 2022)

At the request of other FT Members, this is a new thread for 2019 to capture data points and discussion related to the purchase of Money Orders at Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Markets.

2018 thread can be found here for reference:
Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2018)
jtav559 is offline  
Old Jan 2, 2019, 10:00 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 10
Money orders still not working at my local WM as of 10:30am Central (on 1/2). Anyone else having luck?
m0re is offline  
Old Jan 2, 2019, 10:02 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 779
Originally Posted by m0re
Money orders still not working at my local WM as of 10:30am Central (on 1/2). Anyone else having luck?
BAU in CT.

CSR said it came back online yesterday around 2pm.
gw14 is offline  
Old Jan 2, 2019, 10:20 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 158
Originally Posted by m0re
Money orders still not working at my local WM as of 10:30am Central (on 1/2). Anyone else having luck?
Mixed reports around me in TX, seems like everyone is coming back online but slowly.
shipitkthx is offline  
Old Jan 2, 2019, 11:33 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 42
I just visited a wmt in DC and VA. Both had signs up saying they were down for all things MoneyGram. Of course they were not going to try to find out otherwise, but I'll be back tomorrow .
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Old Jan 2, 2019, 1:34 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
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Originally Posted by shipitkthx
Mixed reports around me in TX, seems like everyone is coming back online but slowly.
Mine are all working, but I called ahead to each one to avoid needless driving.
littlewinglet is offline  
Old Jan 2, 2019, 2:28 pm
  #7  
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BAU East Bay Area
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Old Jan 2, 2019, 3:47 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 158
Originally Posted by littlewinglet
Mine are all working, but I called ahead to each one to avoid needless driving.
Did the same, 2 of 3 are fully operational now and BAU
shipitkthx is offline  
Old Jan 2, 2019, 4:40 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 34
My usual store in Michigan was up, although my first MO did fail (they gave me cash). Didn't do any BP today, but they said everything seemed to be fine across the range of services.
Melanion90 is offline  
Old Jan 2, 2019, 9:30 pm
  #10  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 31
Was up 7:30am EST 1/2/19 for me in the NE. BAU for 2 swipes. Haven't tried 4 swipes since the notice about DL/SSN at >1k. Thanks for the info all.
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Old Jan 2, 2019, 11:47 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: May 2008
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One local WM is BAU, the other said MO machine is down. On New Year's Day they were both down for all MG services.
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Old Jan 4, 2019, 12:11 am
  #12  
 
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Not directly related to purchasing, but is anyone having issues depositing Walmart MO via mobile bank apps? I decided to start experimenting with WM even though I despise entering their stores. Was able to purchase 2x$499.10 same as what I do at my local grocery outlets, but the stupid oddly shaped blue MG orders could not be processed by my main two banks' apps. No problem with Western Union MO's which I've been using for years.

I decided just to dump them at my local Chase branch and be done with them... any input here?
bigshooter is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2019, 4:44 am
  #13  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,291
Originally Posted by bigshooter
Not directly related to purchasing, but is anyone having issues depositing Walmart MO via mobile bank apps? I decided to start experimenting with WM even though I despise entering their stores. Was able to purchase 2x$499.10 same as what I do at my local grocery outlets, but the stupid oddly shaped blue MG orders could not be processed by my main two banks' apps. No problem with Western Union MO's which I've been using for years.

I decided just to dump them at my local Chase branch and be done with them... any input here?
See relevant threads: Banking issues when depositing MOs and https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manu...17-2018-a.html
Randomguy1278 likes this.
danpeake is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2019, 5:53 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: DFW
Posts: 682
Originally Posted by bigshooter
I decided just to dump them at my local Chase branch and be done with them... any input here?
I would not recommend depositing a lot of money orders in a Chase bank account. Chase shut down my checking account and all of mine and all of Mrs. Knopfler's credit cards for depositing too many money orders into our Chase checking account. They also blacklisted me for a little over a year.
knopfler is offline  
Old Jan 4, 2019, 8:48 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 16
As of Jan 4th, my local WM reqire ID if MO >= $900
How about yours?
cashbacker is offline  

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