Update 9/17/19: Publix has now increased the fee to $0.99
Original post: Reader Eric M was purchasing a money order from Publix today in FL and was informed that the price of the money order would be increasing soon. Reddit user FaptainAmerica91 was purchasing a money order in MO and was told that the fee would be increasing to $1 in a few weeks time.
Can someone point me to how you all are doing this with MOs and debit cards ? I’m not up on this move… thanks!!
so quick question if i try to buy a MO for $500 and use 3×200 cards then i can give them $1 in cash. isn’t it just easier to subtract the amount from $500 instead of adding another form of payment. to me it would be more suspicious paying for 500 MO w 3 cards and then $1 cash. thanks
In the Middle TN area, the payday loan places, or at least one of them give them to you free. That’s all I use them for; I never took a payday loan and pray to God that I will never be forced to. (I don’t think many are actually “forced” to). There is no requirement to have a relationship w/them.
Food lion is the cheaper for me. 0.46 for $500 and 0.92 for $1000
Kroger and Walmart are both 0.88
0.46, wow that’s low.
Well done for actually writing Faptain America in your overview.
If this means I can can just hand 4 quarters VS having to get rolls of pennies, dimes and quarters… That will make my change runs easier. Only reason I keep change.
Good on you for not trying to structure the cost of the MO into your purchase price. But just out of curiosity, why do you worry about exact change?
My local Publix has put the fear of god in to the cashiers about selling MOs via gift cards. I tell you what I go over to the WM NM and literally say to them “I’d like to buy a MO with two $500 visa debit cards please. Sometimes twice a day after shift change lol, and they say “Great”
In my state, the local supermarket chains are $0.50, $0.79. One that was $0.59 just raised to $0.89. And the $0.50 location is cash only, no debit.
can i buy MO with gift card?
Nope, that would be structuring and money laundering.
What is the current fee?
0.89. watch those margins!
Edit when I started MSing in march Winn Dixie was 0.69. Now 0.89 matching Publix. Meh.
This is just a heads up you might have to do the math at the counter, in your head. It’s scary. “I want a MO for $998.17 1/2 cents.”
Meanwhile I sit here with two $500 One Vanillas I want to set fire to…
Why would you do that? I’ve never understood people who are trying to stay under the radar, but always go in and buy a MO for the same (seemingly) random amount. Do that a few times, and they start to wonder. When they notice that it makes the total come out to exactly 1K, they really start to wonder and ask questions. You obviously know, and are trying to work, the system.
Swipe twice, hand them a buck at the end, and be done with it.
However, bucks, quarters and cents could seriously be a pain-in-the-ass for people living in cashless lives (excluding MO).
Oh wow! I used to get mine from Winn Dixie when I lived in Ga for 0.69 as well. I now buy them from Krogers for $0.89.