Nice wrap from Clark on Walmart MoneyCenter May 2020
Here’s What You Need to Know About Walmart MoneyCenter
You can shop for just about everything at Walmart — from groceries to clothing to housewares — but have you ever considered doing your banking there too?
Table of Contents
- What Is Walmart MoneyCenter?
- Which Services Does Walmart MoneyCenter Offer?
- What Time Does Walmart MoneyCenter Open and Close?
1. What Is Walmart MoneyCenter?
Walmart MoneyCenter is an in-store financial center located in many of the chain’s nearly 4,800 stores throughout the United States. Among the services it offers are check cashing, money transfers and tax services.
“Walmart’s MoneyCenter offers customers convenient, safe and affordable access to a variety of financial services … at their local Walmart store,” LeMia Jenkins of Walmart Corporate Communications tells Clark.com. “We’re working hard to bring the same value we bring customers across our stores to help with their financial needs as well.”
2. Which Services Does Walmart MoneyCenter Offer?
Walmart MoneyCenter offers dozens of financial services. Let’s take a deeper dive into the offerings:
Check Cashing
Walmart says check cashing is one of the most popular features the MoneyCenters offer. All it takes to cash your check is valid identification.
Walmart will cash a variety of pre-printed checks including:
- Payroll checks
- Government checks
- Tax refund checks
- Cashiers’ checks
- Insurance settlement checks
The check-cashing limit is $5,000. During tax time, Walmart raises that limit to $7,500.
A check-cashing fee applies based on the amount of the check:
| Check Amount | Fee to Cash |
| Up to $1,000 | $4 |
| Between $1,001 and $5,000 | $8 |
Bill Pay
You can also pay a variety of bills at Walmart including your cable, credit card, utilities, mortgage, phone and rent. Walmart MoneyCenter also lets you send money to an inmate or pay child support in several states.
Real-time, same-day and next-day bill pay are available for more than 15,000 vendors. To get started, you need the following information:
- Company name
- Account number
- Amount you want to pay
- Cash or a debit card to make a payment
- Photo ID may be necessary for payments above $900
As for the cost, Walmart says “fees vary by biller and delivery speed.”
Money Transfers
Money transfers are available to help you send funds to family and friends almost anywhere in the world. There are two main options available:
- Walmart2Walmart
- Walmart2World
Walmart2Walmart lets you send money to any Walmart store in the 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico.
Walmart2World lets you transfer funds to any MoneyGram location in more than 200 countries around the world.
You’ll need your photo ID and U.S. currency or a PIN-based debit card to transfer money. In most cases, your recipient will get the funds in about 10 minutes.
Here’s a look at the fees for money transfer:
| Amount You’re Sending | Fee |
| Up to $50 | $4 |
| $51-$1,000 | $8 |
| $1,001-$2,500 | $16 |
Tax Services
Walmart also offers seasonal tax prep services through a partnership with Jackson Hewitt. You’ll find 3,000 Jackson Hewitt kiosks in Walmart stores typically from January through April every year.
You can either make an appointment or just drop by to get your taxes done. Just remember to bring the following info with you:
- W-2, earnings statement, paystub or other income verification
- Driver’s license(s)
- Social Security number(s)
- Prior year’s federal and state tax returns
- Social Security numbers and birth dates of dependent(s)
Finally, there are also several branded financial products offered through Walmart MoneyCenter. These include the Bluebird account and the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Card.
Bluebird
Bluebird is a fee-free alternative to banking that Walmart offers in partnership with American Express. Unlike a traditional bank account, you don’t have to go through a credit review to open a Bluebird account.
Bluebird accounts have all the features you’d expect from a bank including direct deposit, ATM access, mobile check deposit, and bill pay.
But they don’t have monthly, annual or overdraft fees, and there’s no minimum balance requirement.
For more info, visit Bluebird.com.
Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Card
This Mastercard rewards card offers three tiers of rewards — 5%, 2% and 1% — based on how you shop.
The highest tier of rewards goes to those who make Walmart.com purchases and/or use the Walmart app. You’ll also get the 5% cash back on grocery pickup orders and grocery delivery orders from Walmart.
Here’s a quick overview of some pros and cons about the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card:
| Pros | Cons |
| 5% rewards on Walmart.com | No intro APR |
| 2% rewards on gas and travel | Potentially high interest rates |
| No annual fee | Limited in-store perks |
For more info, see our in-depth review of the card here.
3. What Time Does Walmart MoneyCenter Open and Close?
Walmart MoneyCenter hours are generally 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The centers are closed on holidays.
Exact hours vary by location. So be sure to check with your local store before heading out.
You can find a location near you here. Search by ZIP code and then be sure to view ‘details’ for your desired store. If you see ‘Money services’ that means your store has a MoneyCenter.
Final Thought
Walmart MoneyCenter makes it easy to conduct common financial transactions at low prices at a place you may already frequent.
The Bluebird account, in particular, is a good fit for people who don’t want to pay the fees associated with traditional big banks, but who may not want the full branch-less experience of online banks.
However, if you’re just looking for a good place to park your money with decent interest rates, check out our article on the Best Online Banks.
