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Reports in the comments at Doctor of Credit indicate that Mastercard gift cards can no longer be used as debit cards at Walmart stores. Only being able to run these gift cards as credit limits their scope of functionality.
Getting a Mastercard gift card to process as debit at Walmart has long required a bit of song and dance and quick mashing of buttons to my understanding, so I haven’t personally bothered with them at Walmart in a long time. However, I know that with office supply stores occasionally running fee-free deals on Mastercards, there are many people who may hope to be able to use them at Walmart as debit. Unfortunately, it looks like that will no longer work with the payment terminals reportedly saying “Tender not allowed” without the opportunity to run as debit. To be clear, this likely only affects transactions which ordinarily require a debit card like loading Bluebird/Serve and buying money orders. Unfortunately, it looks like this applies at all payment terminals.
This is an unfortunate change for those who were using Walmart to liquidate these cards.
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[…] Times are getting tougher in MS land: Mastercard gift cards not processing as debit at Walmart. […]
Does anyone know anyone know of any way to load gift cards onto Serve cards other than Walmart?
Has Walmart stopped allowing loading Bluebird card with Visa or MasterCard debit or credit gift cards?
So the short-term ability to load BB with credit was mentioned in a comment about this topic on DOC, and I think it’s now 100% dead, so I don’t think it needs to be hidden any longer. Back in November when the $99 limit on debits was imposed by WMT/Blackhawk, something else (not intended) happened as well. Loads to BB with credit started working – not only running GCs as credit but regular old credit cards were working for loads as well. Worked that way until May 1. It no longer works. I think people are getting confused because they’ve been loading BB with MCs (which as we know default to credit) and they were working because credit was being accepted for loads, now that it isn’t accepted, people aren’t doing the change payment dance right (or the CSRs are hitting their buttons too fast) and so they are running as credit and being declined as a result. Those declines are being incorrectly interpreted that debit with MCs isn’t working for loads at all. They still work as debit with the $99 swipe limit.
They still work as debit with the $99 limit if the change payment dance is done correctly, including the CSR’s part of the dance. I’ll echo Nick’s comments that the MCs are difficult to use for MO and loads. Now that things are back to debit only, if I use a MC at all, it’s only for the last swipe, where the CSR does not need to enter an amount. Still even then CSRs often like to hit their buttons too fast, which will keep it from working (they cannot hit their button to process the payment until after the swipe and change payment is completed).
Loads to bb with cc had been working for years
Didn’t know that, just assumed it started working when they made the other changes in November. Surprised people were able to keep it secret for “years”. I didn’t find the ability to load with credit all that useful, except to avoid the $1-$3 tiny balances left on GCs due to that ridiculous $99 swipe limit. But if cc loading has been around for years, it’s all the more reason to explain why people are misinterpreting recent declines as debit not working for loads. They and the CSRs aren’t doing the change payment dance right.
I am confused…. just liquidated 4x 99 to get $396 MO. MC’s bought at staples. Also been loading Gobank as well…. $99 at a time.
I have had this happen at certain websites; that gets in the way of low fee tuition payments on my end, as an example
I’ve noticed PPK (runs as MC) doesn’t work on wM app bill pay anymore. Nor will it load Bluebird.
The WM app BP with PPK stopped working for me around the beginning of March – it was a nice run while it lasted (about 4 months)!
Msing with Blackhawk/Meta cards is close to being Ded
I cant even register the MCs to use anywhere online. Had to burn @ the dentist office in-person
dead since about 5/1
recanted my earlier comment… tried again & still worked for loading <$100