MoneyGram is one of Walmart’s most popular services for transferring money between friends and family domestically and internationally.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of inaccurate information out there about Walmart’s MoneyGram service. That’s why we’ve decided to put together this definitive guide to help you understand exactly what to expect when using MoneyGram at Walmart.
MoneyGram is an American money transfer company based in Dallas, Texas. In 2019, MoneyGram first introduced their money transfer app, enabling users to make instant international transfers. You can download the MoneyGram app here.
Walmart partners with MoneyGram to enable customers to transfer money to friends and family in the US and beyond (and you don’t need the app to do this). MoneyGram offers money transfer services to over 200 countries and territories, making it simple to send money all over the globe.
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Using MoneyGram at the Walmart Money Center
The following is a list of MoneyGram services available through the Walmart Money Center:
- Transfer money online to anywhere in MoneyGram’s international network
- Send money from a MoneyGram transfer location to any Walmart store in MoneyGram’s international network
- Pickup a MoneyGram transfer at any Walmart location in MoneyGram’s international network
- Receive a MoneyGram transfer as cash, direct deposit, or mobile wallet deposit
- Receive your MoneyGram transfer as a home delivery
As of 2023, MoneyGram offers transfer services to and from the following countries–Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia (Czech Republic), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.
When using MoneyGram’s online services, you can initiate a transfer at any time of the day or night here. If you would like to initiate or pick up a MoneyGram transfer in person at a Walmart location, check the store hours of the Walmart store you plan to visit. Most Walmart Money Centers are open from 8 AM to 8 PM, though some locations might have limited hours.
Transfer Limits
According to MoneyGram’s website, most MoneyGram transfers initiated online are limited to $10,000 per transfer or 30-day period. If you live in the United States, you can transfer up to $15,000 to 42 of MoneyGram’s 200 partner countries.
If you need to send more than $15,000 in one month, MoneyGram notes that you can visit a Walmart transfer agent in person to initiate additional transfers. Based on this information, you should be able to send however much money you wish by combining online and in-person transfers.
There is no minimum transfer amount when sending through MoneyGram. However, even if you only send $1, you will still have to pay a transfer fee that will likely exceed the amount of your transfer.
Transfer Fees
According to MoneyGram’s FAQs, “fees vary depending on where you are sending, how much, and how you are paying.” They also state that if you use your credit card to initiate a transfer, the fee will be higher, while sending via debit card can save you a little money.
MoneyGram does not advertise any fixed fees, as their transfer fees vary by circumstance. Despite many sources online claiming that Walmart offers flat rate fees for MoneyGram transfers, this information is currently unsubstantiated by any legitimate source.
To find out a bit more about what customers can expect to pay for a Walmart MoneyGram transfer, I decided to do a little research of my own.
Using MoneyGram’s fee estimator tool, I looked into what it would cost to send $1,000 to a Walmart location in Washington State.
Here’s what I found out…
- Credit card fee: $32.99
- Debit card fee: $3.99
- Cash transfer fee (in person): $16
These fees assume that the money I’m transferring is being deposited directly into the recipient’s bank account.
To send a cash transfer that my recipient can receive as cash, the fees jumped up quite a bit…
Here’s what MoneyGram would charge for a $1,000 transfer picked up as cash…
- Credit card fee: $140.99
- Debit card fee: $113.99
- Cash transfer fee (in person): $25
As you can see, these fees are extremely variable and depend entirely on your individual circumstances.
A couple things are clear…
- Credit card transfers are the most expensive MoneyGram transfer option
- Transfering money directly into a recipient’s bank account saves you money on transfer fees
- Paying for your transfer with a debit card is cheaper than paying with a credit card
- If you want to send someone cash, it’s cheapest to initiate the transfer in cash at a Walmart Money Center location
To calculate your own transfer fees, use MoneyGram’s fee estimator tool here.
Comparing Transfer Limits
In addition to MoneyGram, Walmart also offers money transfer services from Western Union and Ria.
Western Union can be used to transfer money anywhere in the US, Puerto Rico, and over 200 international locations including Jamaica, Haiti, India, Turkey, Mexico, the Philippines, Colombia, and Pakistan.
With Ria, you can send and receive money between Walmart locations in the US and over 2,500 Walmart and Bodega Aurrera locations in Mexico. Transfer fees start at just $2.50. Walmart’s Ria-powered transfer program is known as Walmart2Walmart and differs from Walmart’s other international transfer services.
The following are the transfer limits associated with each of Walmart’s transfer partners:
- Ria – $2,999.99 per day
- Western Union – $3,000 per transaction (or $50,000 with identity verification)
- MoneyGram – $10,000-$15,000 per transaction or per month depending on where you live (higher amounts may be permissible when transferring money in person)
As you can see, MoneyGram offers the lowest overall transfer limit per month, topping out at just $15,000 in a 30-day period. However, it’s important to note that MoneyGram does allow customers to exceed this transfer limit by combining online and in person transfers.
If you need to send a large sum of money through Walmart instantaneously, the best way to do this is by verifying your identity through Western Union.
Pros and Cons of Using MoneyGram
Clearly, there are some distinct benefits of using Walmart’s MoneyGram service, but there are also a few downsides. Here, we will go over the good and the bad.
Here are the pros…
- Availability in over 200 countries and regions (350,000 transfer locations worldwide)
- Lots of transfer options (cash transfer, direct deposit, etc.)
- Flexible transfer limits
- Increased transfer limits for those living in the US
- Transfers can be initiated any time of the day or night online
Cons:
- Steep transfer fees
- Lower transfer limits compared to other companies
- Transfers can take up to 3 business days
FAQs
Is MoneyGram cheaper at Walmart?
No. Despite advertising “lower pricing” and an exclusive “Walmart value,” MoneyGram’s online transfer fees are the same whether you go through the Walmart portal or not. However, you might be able to avail lower transfer fees if you visit a Walmart location in person. Some online sources claim that Walmart offers flat transfer fees through their Walmart2World transfer service for in-person transfers, but we were not able to reach a Walmart representative to confirm this.
How long does it take for MoneyGram to process at Walmart?
Transfers can take anywhere from a few minutes to three business days.
What do you need to send a MoneyGram transfer?
To send a MoneyGram transfer online, you will need to register for a MoneyGram account (this will involve identity verification). You will then need to provide the information for the person you want to send your money to, and then provide your payment method. When initiating a MoneyGram transfer at a Walmart location in person, you will need to provide your ID, your payment method, and the personal or bank account information of the person you want to send money to.
