UPDATE 6/20/14: Do not use OVGCs or VGCs at Walmart. Use other gift cards from other banks.
No Vanilla Reload Cards? No Problem! One Vanilla Gift Cards to the Rescue
I don’t know about you, but my local CVS store(s) are getting a bit low on Valentine’s Day chocolate Vanilla Reload Cards. Instead of walking out empty handed, take a look at the One Vanilla Gift Cards.
They have a slightly higher activation fee ($4.95 instead of $3.95), but they are a great Vanilla Reload Card alternative/replacement.
The great thing about this gift card is you can load it onto your Bluebird Card at Walmart (link) and you DO NOT need to register a PIN before using it. Yes, you read that correctly, all you do is swipe the gift card and enter any 4 digits you like (I like 1234 or 1127 (for my birthday)), but you may like another set of 4 digit numbers. It really is as simple as it sounds. Plus, I’ve seen literally 100 One Vanilla gift cards at every CVS store I have ever been to. You should be able to buy these cards at CVS or any grocery store, gas station, or other store.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.
When you load $2,500 at WM’s cashier checkout or customer services to BB, do you load it in one transaction or do you have to split it to different transactions as system allowed only 3 debit cards at a time? Thank you. As for MO at Walmart, can you buy them at cashier checkout? Never done that. I heard someone mentioned this here…
I always do separate transactions for each gift card. I think you have to go to the Money Center to buy MOs.
The clerks at the money center will explain and coach you. Checkout cashiers don’t have the training and knowledge as do money center clerks and you will be holding up the checkout line. Of course, I never waste my time with silly BB and Serve. MOs to deposit is faster and cleaner and the money is in the bank to pay off the minimum spending. I pay bills and credit cards with online bill pay banking.
last week when I was trying to unload 5 visa gift cards at Walmart ( $2500), I couldn’t do it. I was successful with only 1500. Does any body has this problem?.
This has been discussed a several times the last couple days. Some say to wait 10 mins after the $1500 and then it should be fine. Review the notes above
Thanks., I was not aware.
Jerry, for MOs, do you buy them all at once? For example, I have 10 OVGCs, $500 each. Do you tell them, I want to buy $5,000 MOs in one transaction or split them up $1,000 at a time?
So, do a second transaction.
Try to load your Serve or Bluebird Card at Walmart with a OVGC and see if that works.
Yes you can use them at Walmart to buy MOs and reload Bluebird/Serve.
I don’t know. I’ve never bought Simon GCs.
Buy one of each and see which one works.
Buy the $200 Visa gift cards from Staples issued by Metabank. Those work perfectly at Walmart.
In that case, you should not buy the $200 Visa gift cards from office supply stores. The activation fee is too high.
I purchase the US Bank Simon in $500 increments. They work fine at Wallyworld. Just emailed manager and ordered 10 to pick up on Sat.
Excellent. Good deal!
I don’t know if there is more than one Simon card. I doubt it. I only know they say Simon on them and I call to set a PIN and they work fine to buy money orders in Walmart and Kroger.
I used both of them and both works well at Wally at Kiosks, cashier and Money Center. My Mall only sells Visa GC issued by US Bank. I got the one issued by Metabank at Giant Food Grocery, it has gowallet.com on the card. This one is great since the initial pin number is the last 4 digit card numbers so I can go directly from Grocery to Wally in one trip. It is expensive though, the fees is $5.95, I got them when they had promotion for bonus points so I got enough free gas for July & August.
Definitely do not buy AMEX gift cards. Most/all Visa gift cards should work.
No, when I say I order them I call ahead to the mall and they have them ready for me to pick up at the kiosk.
Yes, they load fine to Serve at Walmart, and once in awhile I use Family Dollar.
Also, OVGC work at Family Dollar. I have unloaded there to Serve, but I have never done more than $500 at a time.
Again and again and again- Simon card is good for money orders in Walmart and Kroger.
Hay, Jerry, when you order simon gift card from the website, did you put SSN?
Simon VISA works fine for money orders.
Jerry is absolutely correct. It is the cheapest way to do MS since it cost only $2.95 per $500 VISA GC at the mall. By the way, they may ask you do you want the Simon AMEX just say no. At our mall, they have 3 or 4 designs for Simon GC: 2 for Birthday GC, 1 plain and may be another on I do not remember. Only minor thing is you have to call 1-866-300-9401 to get your pin, mine is option 7. Jerry, would you check to see is it the same. I tried to use my cell phone to get the pin number but my fingers not working well end up I went home and use Gmail to call in and enter the card number.
By the way, I have been doing MS just to collect points for Club Carlson credit card.
20 $500 GC = $10K= 10K x 5 points: good for 2 nights in Paris. Cost 20 x 2.95 = $59.
Great job racking up Club Carlson points.
Yes 5x on all purchases.
Omg this is starting to get ridiculous. Do your homework people! Read the other comments and check out the flyertalk forums. Geez.
I agree Jonathan. I might need to remove some questions that have been asked/answered several times already.
Agree 1000%. Look like someone just wanted to spoon feeding. There a tons of information from everyone in this blog and the same questions asked many times.
My Simon mall only offers one version. US Bank VISA and it says Simon on the front. $2 per $250 card (no more $500 card). The mall is managed but not owned by Simon. So, “management” decision not to offer $500 cards anymore. Just follow the prompts on the phone and, when it asks if you want to change the PIN, I select the same PIN for every card. That includes ALL cards, not just Simon cards. Anyway, for $1,000 MO, 4 X $2 = $8-still less than some other cards.
Thank you for the great summary. It is that easy.
If you are near a Simon mall or outlet center, why pay shipping costs by mail? Adding shipping charges costs more than buying cards at drug and grocery stores.
It doesn’t cost more though now. You say you’re paying $2/$250 while I’m paying $3.95/$500 without using gas.
Jerry — unfortunately, I don’t live near a Simon Mall, but with each order, I get a $2 off shipping code, which comes out to $503.95 for each card with shipping included, so not a bad option for those of us with limited brick and mortar store options.
You are lucky to pay only $3.95 per $500 card. [Where?] All I find in drug and grocery stores cost $4.95 and $5.95.
If you order a SM visa debit card online, the first time it is a $5.95 fee, which includes shipping, but they give you a $2 off shipping code for the next order, so every order after that comes out to $503.95 for a $500 card. Plus, as Brad said, no gas!
Simon
Please furnish the $2 off shipping code. Thank you.
It’s a one time code they give you after each order, so no can do.
Once you place an order you receive a confirmation email with the $2 promo code. It’s unique each order. like mine is BGPROMOxxxxxxx every time
It is very good though not only gas but time too. I buy it the Mall every time going shopping with my wife but if I do both, it should be better. It cost me $2.95 per $500 GC and as Jerry said the Simon Visa here issued by US Bank, The plain one has US Bank in front, The “Birthday” has US Bank in the back. I bought both types.
The only one my Simon mall has says Simon on the front.
Jerry and I said many times that the one we bought from Simon in the Mall are issued by US Bank. Jerry bought the plain one with US Bank in the front and I did buy this one too. In addition, I also bought the one with birthday cake and has US Bank in the back. However, both of us tried to tell you that all of them work fine for us at Wally. Jerry bought MO and I loaded them to BB from Kiosks, Money center and at cashier counter. Someone also said they ordered online from Simon and it worked too. What else you want to know? If you want to try the different buy it. Please move on or read all the posts before.
The cards from my Simon mall say Simon on the front but they are fine for money orders.
I have only bought cards at a Simon mall, not online. I call up to set a PIN, buy money orders at Walmart or grocery store, deposit in my bank branch. Quick same day minimum spending. Same for buying cards in CVS and grocery stores. PINs are obtained for Metabank Master Card gift cards (Safeway chains) online.
OK-not a joke but still silly. Imagine millions of people every day using gift cards and being arrested for fraud.
People sell everything and it is up to you. People sell one day club/lounge pass online, trade their miles, give away, donation ,,, nothing to do with our blog here
Grant and Jerry, is there any way I send you a private email.
Sure, you can email me at grant at travel with grant dot com. Thanks Hoang.
Just act confident and build a relationship with the cashiers.
I took about a 2 month break from manufactured spending. Just to confirm — we still have to hit the change payment button with both One Vanillas or Simon cards, correct?
Yes to Visa OVGCs and most MC GCs. I have never loaded a SMGC so I am not sure. If it is Visa, it should go straight to the PIN screen.
Thanks, Grant.
i assuming this is only applies to at the register? I assume with VIS OV is working in WM now, the MoneyCenter ATM is no issue loading the OV onto BB?
I believe the work around is required for the Kiosk and the Money Center.
Credit cards buy One Vanilla in any CVS which stocks One Vanilla.
Hi Jerry, I removed a bunch of comments from this post. If you see a comment you made not showing up, let me know and I will try to restore it. Just had to clean up this thread. Have a great weekend!
No luck for me today using OV at WM. Tried the work around, selected debit, went through the process, got an error. Tried three times. … no luck.
I had luck on my first OVGC this morning but then the second one didn’t go through, said alternate form of payment required. Try again tomorrow, I hear that works for most OCGCs.
Again-I don’t waste time with silly Bluebird, Serve, Evolve, Amazon. Money orders go straight to my bank branch and I pay bills online.
Everyone has their own system. Do whatever MS strategy works best for you.
When I use OneVanilla card (I usually buy these at CVS) at WM MoneyCenter Kiosk, I do not change payment mehod.
I don’t need to pre-set a PIN…..any four digits will do.
When I use the Staples $200 Visa Gift Card, I use the last 4 digits of the card as the PIN. If I bought these cards onLine, via Staples.com, then I have to register/actifate them prior to arriving at WalMart.
Perhaps you were changing the ‘payment method’ when you really didn’t need to?
Good Luck.
I’m pretty sure you have to do the change payment work around otherwise the system will try to run the OVGC as a credit card.
Nope, tried doing it with a regular swipe first and it tried to go through as credit. Next 2 tries were with the work around. No luck.
My issue was with loading at WM money center to BB.
Hmm, that’s not good. Try again in a few days, hopefully it works then. Otherwise you will need to liquidate in another way.
Grant,
May be WM does another update? I hope not. The reason I said that the Kiosks which I have been used starting acting strange couple times last week. It works fine yesterday though.
My friend had trouble with WM cashiers at Money center to buy MO, now he buys at another grocery no problem and cheaper. He is happy and does not want to bother with BB even he has one. I may do both.
Jerry — using BB and Serve is not a waste of time simply because it isn’t your preferred method. I use 3 BB accounts (not all my own) and 1 Go Bank account to load $7000-$9000 per trip via Kate using a combination of MB, USB, and OVGCs. My local Kate does not print MOs, and I know that no Moneycenter cashier in the US would print that many money orders! So, it works for me. To each his own, sir.
General: It is sad about how many people are having so many problems with kiosks and Bluebird, etc. My money order purchases go smoothly at WM money centers and minimum spending is completed quickly. Some people will never learn.
Honestly, the only problems I’ve ever had were with suspicious MC tellers who wouldn’t accept my MB, USB, or OVGC for BB/Serve loads OR money orders! BB/Serve works for my MS strategy — it’s okay that it doesn’t fit with yours. Please stop insinuating that people who use BB/Serve are uninformed or ignorant.
I never insinuated that people who use BB/Serve are uninformed or ignorant. However, some people choose not to learn from all these comments about so so many troubles people have had with BB/Serve.
Again-If you get a clerk who is not up to date, ask for a supervisor. I once got a WM supervisor who was not up to date. I got her to call up. She got ” educated” and informed the clerk it is OK.
Makes sense — even though I know that there is nothing wrong with what I’m doing, I prefer to avoid the awkward confrontation, even if it will eventually work out. Different strokes for different folks — none more right than the other.
Grant, I had the same issue with the MC when the staples deal was going on. Good thing I have other ways to take care of it if needed. Still a pain, though.
Yes I know. Sometimes it is easy, sometimes not so much.
I don’t consider it to be a “confrontation” to get something straightened out…….and it can help others, too. If I go to the trouble to travel to give business to Walmart, Target, drug store, grocery store, I expect to be treated right. Stupidity can’t be cured but ignorance can be cured. Laziness, too.
I’m glad you found a system that works for you, Jerry. My system works for me, so I’ll stick with it.
Jerry or anyone, has anyone had an issue using Mastercard Gift Cards to purchase money orders at USPS or Walmart? I used Visa Gift Card last week and it was fine but Mastercard did not work. Both are US bank gift cards from a grocery store.
I used MC GCs last week at WM to load Serve and had no problems. They were from USB as well.
Thanks Grant, worst come to worst then I will have to load it to BB next month.
Yea, can you wait that long?
I have used both VISA and MC for MOs in Walmart money center. Specifically, what was the problem with your MC card. Bad PIN? No PIN?
Jerry, it ran as a credit at WM. I can try different WM to see if it works. Have you tried mastercard gift card at USPS? I tried two USPS today and no luck. They even showed me their screen. It said “The Debit has been declined”….
I will have too since I max out my BB this month… lol…
Just 1 Bluebird? Ask your parents, siblings, children to get a Bluebird so they can help you MS :)