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Old Feb 26, 2023, 11:17 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: lowkeyflyer
Carried forward from 2019-2022 thread

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 in the 2019-2022 thread and add a data point with details. USB and GD gift cards do not seem to be affected.

Prior threads can be found here:
2019-2022: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manu...19-2022-a.html
Prior to 2019: 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.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 (2022-24)

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Old Dec 30, 2023, 10:55 am
  #1591  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
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My experience is as follows:
Had 3 VVGCs (one just bought, #3), two others bought few days ago (#1, #2)
Day 1 Kroger 1 $999 MO split: #3 worked, #1 failed. Cancelled transaction.
Day 1 Kroger 2 $999 MO split: all failed.
Reset pin on #1, #2
Bought one more VVGC (#4)
Day 2 Kroger 1 $999 MO split: #1 worked, #2-4 all failed, used bank debit to finish.
Reset pin on all of them
Day 3: WMT $999 MO split: all failed.
Reset all pins.
Day 3 Kroger 3: #3 failed.

Last edited by yugi; Dec 30, 2023 at 12:06 pm
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Old Dec 30, 2023, 11:16 am
  #1592  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 829
A lots of people calling and them having to replace the cards, mailing handling would probably wipe out their profit from selling fee of $5.95, will eventually get tired and release the security lock or the people who are involved in MS would get tired and quit it which mmeans their system wont block it so much to the point the wouldnt have to do anything on their end. One of the two apple have to cave in.
Gitangali is offline  
Old Dec 30, 2023, 11:24 am
  #1593  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 192
Another confusing DP:
Went to Giant to get 2 MOs in one shot so that I had to swipe two SS cards in one transaction. First swipe, good. Second swipe, failed. Third swipe, good 🤷‍♂️ All cards have been bought at the same time, expiration 12/31. I didn't think the 3rd swipe would work but I tried anyway so I was extremely surprised.
LukFilm is offline  
Old Dec 30, 2023, 3:14 pm
  #1594  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 684
Fresh DP: tried to load $500 into D card, first one ( Holiday theme VGC, exp 03/32) failed, and second ( SS VGC, exp 08/31) failed too.

Update: after a couple of hours later, went to a different WMT ( usually less MS activities going on on this store), two failed above cards has been turned a $999 MO.

Incomm throttles the VGC spending? What is the heck going on?

Last edited by liw5215; Dec 30, 2023 at 3:58 pm
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Old Dec 30, 2023, 4:20 pm
  #1595  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,447
Originally Posted by liw5215
Fresh DP: tried to load $500 into D card, first one ( Holiday theme VGC, exp 03/32) failed, and second ( SS VGC, exp 08/31) failed too.

Update: after a couple of hours later, went to a different WMT ( usually less MS activities going on on this store), two failed above cards has been turned a $999 MO.

Incomm throttles the VGC spending? What is the heck going on?
Could be a system updated at one store and not the other. If you have VGCs similar to those that worked at store 2, go back to store 1 and try again with them. If those cards fail at WM1, but again work at WM2, then the issue is with the individual store and not a system wide issue with Incomm, unless Incomm can throttle individual stores. I'm not an IT guy so this is something someone else will have to pipe in on.
radonc1 is offline  
Old Dec 30, 2023, 4:26 pm
  #1596  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 684
Originally Posted by radonc1
Could be a system updated at one store and not the other. If you have VGCs similar to those that worked at store 2, go back to store 1 and try again with them. If those cards fail at WM1, but again work at WM2, then the issue is with the individual store and not a system wide issue with Incomm, unless Incomm can throttle individual stores. I'm not an IT guy so this is something someone else will have to pipe in on.
Incomm does have the individual store info. when checking the VGC balance online, it shows individual store where the money is loaded, and individual stores where money is drained.
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Old Dec 31, 2023, 7:52 pm
  #1597  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 89
Anybody getting "invalid institution code" when paying bills online?
I first encountered the error message mid November at two different merchants.
I was able to pay bills at another merchant right after.
Sean54 is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2024, 8:46 pm
  #1598  
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,580
Please continue the discussion at Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2024 onwards)
cbn42 is offline  


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