Help! Activating GoBank prepaid at Walmart
 

First timer here !


I bought a $500 gift card from Simon and activated it with a pin.

Background :went to Walmart and tried to purchase a Go Bank preloadable MC to use to u unload the gift cards. There is a 2.95 activation fee plus whatever I wanted to add to fund the account (was required to add between 20-500)


So I said To the Rep , let’s load up to the full $500 and to include the activation fee ( 497.25 +2.95)

Tried running the giftcard as debit, entered the pin... then the card got declined.


Tried again for less than 500. ( I think I did 400 to be loaded onto the account ..) denied again


QUESTION: how are you guys able to activate the Go Bank MasterCard the first time around? Should I just use my regular debit card and front up the 2.95 activation fee and load like 20 bucks, then go the next day try to unload the 500 gift card onto the prepaid account?

please advice , sorry for the long post :)

1st, check your VGC to make sure it has available 500 balance, then get a MC gobank package and go to money center and tell them you want load this kit for 495.00 something like that, after you confirm 495 amount on the pad in front you, wait for green light flashing, then swipe your VGC and input your PIN (last 4# is what I normally use) if you reset the pin already, then press enter, all should be good. You get a receipt and can use your gobank card instantly. Then wait for real go bank arrived after you go home and register the temp card. Best wishes. Btw, if all failed, get a fresh kit from the rack or try again after few minutes.

thanks for the reply! I’m pretty sure that’s why I was doing. The pad kept asking to confirm the amount ( it was under $500) I said yes and it asked if I wanted Cash Back , I pressed NO, entered the VGC’s pin ... transaction was authorizing..... then bam! The transaction was decline and a small piece of paper printed from the WM Rep’s printer.

i will try again tomorrow with your instructions at a different register and will see what happens :)

likely was the cashier who pressed a wrong button before u swiped & input the pin #; next time, mention to the cashier to give u time to swipe & input the pin first before the cashier pressed ; whatever needed; try that & report DP afterwards whether that works

So I went to the money center at Walmart and tried again . Picked up the go bank MasterCard kit from the rack, and try to load it for 495 . Got to the screen to confirm my purchase (495+2.95 activation fee). I tell them it’s debit, I slide the Simon gift card, enter my pin ( which I previously enabled by calling Simon 800 number and setting up a new pin )

wait and my screen says approved but customer rep’s says debit not approved , Spits our a small piece of paper saying “debit not available”

went and picked up another kit from the rack . Same issue .

i ended up getting the BlueBird prepaid , loaded it fine ( 495 plus 5 for the kit ) Now I’m nervous because I read that I cannot use BlueBird anymore to pay off the credit card . Is that true ?

You don’t have to activate Simon GCs or set a pin.

Several years ago, I had a BB that I would load to the max each month and then use to pay multiple credit card bills. I was purged and thrown into MS hell.

I've got another BB now. I pay regular bills with it, such as monthly utility bills. I do NOT load it to the max each month. I pay only one credit card bill from BB each month. I am surviving so far, and hope to continue so long as I am conservative with it. But really it's only a small supplement to my MS activity.

You still may want a GB card. Go back to WM and just pay for your starter kit with a credit card. Wait until you get your permanent GB card in the mail. Then you can start loading it with your GCs.

Good things come to those who are patient. MS is a hobby for the long haul.

FWIW, I could not load or GoBanks the first time with GC. Had to use cash, regular CC, or a real debit. After that it was fine.

Thanks for all the replies. Since the Go Bank affiliation didn’t work for me, I am currently waiting for the bluebird card to arrive, then I will try to use it to pay the credit card using their bill pay.

will update soon

You sure get WM's attention with all your MS activities....

Not really , went only twice to two different Walmart locations.