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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 Jan 1, 2022, 3:03 pm
  #1  
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Join Date: Mar 2016
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Buying Money Orders at Walmart (2022-24)

Happy New Year folks! I'll be travelling in a few days to an area with Kroger stores. Are you still able to do USB VGCs at Walmart? Thanks !
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Old Jan 1, 2022, 4:48 pm
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Originally Posted by DjRocket
Happy New Year folks! I'll be travelling in a few days to an area with Kroger stores. Are you still able to do USB VGCs at Walmart? Thanks !
Yes, as of last week in Ohio.
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Old Jan 1, 2022, 4:54 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
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Originally Posted by 808pineapple
...also getting a lecture about "structuring" when they clearly don’t understand what that is.
Heh.

Used to get 'structuring', 'money laundering', 'violation of federal law', and more. Never realized so many ex-federal Treasury Department agents decided to work as WM cashiers.

Don't get any of that anymore. Lately, cashiers for MOs and BPs tell me I know more about the system than they do.
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Old Jan 2, 2022, 9:40 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
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I haven't loaded metabank VGC at wally in last 6 months. I used to with Gobank. WM stopped taking Metabank and then go bank provided new card which I didnt renew. Can someone tell if wally would take multiple 500VGC ( 2) to buy 1K Money order?
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Old Jan 3, 2022, 8:21 am
  #5  
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Originally Posted by Gitangali
I haven't loaded metabank VGC at wally in last 6 months. I used to with Gobank. WM stopped taking Metabank and then go bank provided new card which I didnt renew. Can someone tell if wally would take multiple 500VGC ( 2) to buy 1K Money order?
check the wiki
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Old Jan 3, 2022, 9:09 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
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I did. Wiki doesn't make it clear whether it is 99 without changing the payment method to debit or that is if you did not change the payment method. Meaning 99 you can do any time and 500 if you changed the payment method.
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Old Jan 3, 2022, 9:24 am
  #7  
soy
 
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Originally Posted by Gitangali
I did. Wiki doesn't make it clear whether it is 99 without changing the payment method to debit or that is if you did not change the payment method. Meaning 99 you can do any time and 500 if you changed the payment method.
99 max per swipe, combined with the 4 swipe limit. You can still load $500 to bluebird at the regular checkout, if you have agreeable staff at your WM as the $99 rule is only coded at the MC terminals
Changing payment is for Mastercards, nothing to do with meta visa
soy is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2022, 3:22 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 39
anybody taking meta/simon visa for mo? haven't tried to liquidate for a long time, only hav wm/kroger/walg/ in my area, wm obviously doesn't work-
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Old Jan 3, 2022, 7:53 pm
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Originally Posted by hook13
anybody taking meta/simon visa for mo? haven't tried to liquidate for a long time, only hav wm/kroger/walg/ in my area, wm obviously doesn't work-
From what you have listed as your available locations, it appears to be a strike out, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try at least some of the grocers.

I can attest that MB VGCs do not work >$99 at WM for MOs. Gave it a try last week for fun and failed.
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Old Jan 3, 2022, 8:30 pm
  #10  
 
Join Date: Dec 2021
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Are SecureSpend VGCs working at WM MC for buying MOs? Are they subject to the same 99 limit of other MB cards?

Last edited by FlatlandFlyer; Jan 3, 2022 at 8:44 pm
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Old Jan 3, 2022, 9:02 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
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Originally Posted by FlatlandFlyer
Are SecureSpend VGCs working at WM MC for buying MOs? Are they subject to the same 99 limit of other MB cards?
SS's work at MC/CS for everything. First 4 should be 4097 or 4118
ricohitman is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2022, 11:30 pm
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 238
Try Kroger since Walmart limit is $99. I have Fry’s, a Kroger brand, in my area that was my go to for all Visa GC brands…Meta, USB, Vanilla….until last September when they started asking to see card for MO and reject GC now. It’s dead now at all Fry’s in my state in SW now. Your Kroger may not have gotten the memo yet so may still be good to go.
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Old Jan 6, 2022, 2:20 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 40
Originally Posted by ricohitman
SS's work at MC/CS for everything. First 4 should be 4097 or 4118
Aren't the SS cards still issued by MB? Theoretically they shouldn't work over the $99 limit..
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Old Jan 6, 2022, 3:44 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
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Originally Posted by teetertotterboy
Aren't the SS cards still issued by MB? Theoretically they shouldn't work over the $99 limit..
Throw theory out the window with a lot of the newer cards.
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Old Jan 6, 2022, 5:12 pm
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by teetertotterboy
Aren't the SS cards still issued by MB? Theoretically they shouldn't work over the $99 limit..
Technically, that is not correct. The $99 swipe limit at WM MCs is targeted at Blackhawk cards, not Metabank cards. (Many data points here on FT showing that.) SS cards are issued by MB but they are distributed by InComm not BHN.

InComm and BHN have had a fierce rivalry in the gift card market going back many years.
jn in ca is offline  


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