Wal-Mart, Amex take on banks with Bluebird debit card
#1082
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: CHA/TYS
Programs: The Mac Daddy of Heimlich County (and low-ball status)
Posts: 2,868
#1083
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,378
So I was so excited to see "Vanilla" cards on the rack at my OD for the first time that I didn't realize I was buying a "Vanilla Visa Gift Card" and not a Vanilla reload card (I wish the bloggers had made more of a big deal about this obvious source of potential confusion). From what little I can find on the web, Vanilla Visa Gift Cards will apparently NOT load to Bluebird -- at least not without onerous fees. Is that indeed true?
And if it is true, can I simply return my unused Gift Card to OD and get my money back -- or is that a problem, too?
If it is, having a Vanilla Gift Card (purchased at the lucrative Ink earnings rate) isn't the end of the world, but it's certainly more hassle than I'd like.
And if it is true, can I simply return my unused Gift Card to OD and get my money back -- or is that a problem, too?
If it is, having a Vanilla Gift Card (purchased at the lucrative Ink earnings rate) isn't the end of the world, but it's certainly more hassle than I'd like.
#1084
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
So I was so excited to see "Vanilla" cards on the rack at my OD for the first time that I didn't realize I was buying a "Vanilla Visa Gift Card" and not a Vanilla reload card (I wish the bloggers had made more of a big deal about this obvious source of potential confusion). From what little I can find on the web, Vanilla Visa Gift Cards will apparently NOT load to Bluebird -- at least not without onerous fees. Is that indeed true?
And if it is true, can I simply return my unused Gift Card to OD and get my money back -- or is that a problem, too?
If it is, having a Vanilla Gift Card (purchased at the lucrative Ink earnings rate) isn't the end of the world, but it's certainly more hassle than I'd like.
#1085
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 301
only 2.5K VR+debit reload in 28-day now!
I thought the bird has 5K VR+debit+cash reload limit per month, but now I couldn't feed more beans into my bird, because I have already fed more than 2500 in the last several days. Found the followings at Amex website, looks like the limit is 2500 in 28-day. Also the max balance is reduced to 5K. Anyone else noticed that?
The amount of each load to the Card using your Funding Source must be at least $25 and the amount of each load to the Card using Cash Loading Methods must be at least $20. You may load funds to the Card using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $2,500, and you may load funds to your Card using Direct Deposit until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $5,000. Not more than $1,000 may be loaded to your Card on any day using Cash Loading methods, not more than $2,500 may be loaded to your Card in any [28-day period] using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods, and not more than $5,000 may be loaded to your Card in any month using Direct Deposit. The maximum aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) at any time may not exceed $5,000. We may change these limits at any time for legal, risk management, security or other purposes.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...agreement.html
The amount of each load to the Card using your Funding Source must be at least $25 and the amount of each load to the Card using Cash Loading Methods must be at least $20. You may load funds to the Card using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $2,500, and you may load funds to your Card using Direct Deposit until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $5,000. Not more than $1,000 may be loaded to your Card on any day using Cash Loading methods, not more than $2,500 may be loaded to your Card in any [28-day period] using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods, and not more than $5,000 may be loaded to your Card in any month using Direct Deposit. The maximum aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) at any time may not exceed $5,000. We may change these limits at any time for legal, risk management, security or other purposes.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...agreement.html
#1086
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Paris
Posts: 235
Just to give a heads up from what the manager of the local FD told me. The cash register does not take AMEX, so you can't load an AMEX card anyway. She told me that some guy came in with his MIO (what a ridiculous card) and loaded it up successfully.
#1087
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
I thought the bird has 5K VR+debit+cash reload limit per month, but now I couldn't feed more beans into my bird, because I have already fed more than 2500 in the last several days. Found the followings at Amex website, looks like the limit is 2500 in 28-day. Also the max balance is reduced to 5K. Anyone else noticed that?
The amount of each load to the Card using your Funding Source must be at least $25 and the amount of each load to the Card using Cash Loading Methods must be at least $20. You may load funds to the Card using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $2,500, and you may load funds to your Card using Direct Deposit until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $5,000. Not more than $1,000 may be loaded to your Card on any day using Cash Loading methods, not more than $2,500 may be loaded to your Card in any [28-day period] using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods, and not more than $5,000 may be loaded to your Card in any month using Direct Deposit. The maximum aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) at any time may not exceed $5,000. We may change these limits at any time for legal, risk management, security or other purposes.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...agreement.html
The amount of each load to the Card using your Funding Source must be at least $25 and the amount of each load to the Card using Cash Loading Methods must be at least $20. You may load funds to the Card using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $2,500, and you may load funds to your Card using Direct Deposit until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $5,000. Not more than $1,000 may be loaded to your Card on any day using Cash Loading methods, not more than $2,500 may be loaded to your Card in any [28-day period] using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods, and not more than $5,000 may be loaded to your Card in any month using Direct Deposit. The maximum aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) at any time may not exceed $5,000. We may change these limits at any time for legal, risk management, security or other purposes.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...agreement.html
Cash Funding Sources are services and products provided by third parties. Even though we allow the use of these Cash Funding Sources to add money to your Account, we do not provide these services or products and are not responsible for any service issues that arise with them. Use of a Cash Funding Source is subject to the terms and conditions established by the provider of the Cash Funding Source.
Although American Express does not charge any fees in connection with your Adding Money to your Account via Cash Funding Sources, the third parties providing such Cash Funding Sources may charge fees for their products and services.
Each transaction using Swipe Reload must be at least US$1. Each transaction using other Cash Funding Sources must be at least US$20.00. The maximum amount of funds you may add to your Account via Cash Funding Sources is $1,000 on any day and $5,000 in any calendar month.
Cash Funding Sources cannot be used to add funds directly to a Sub-Account.
The aggregate amount of funds that may be added to an Account and linked Sub-Accounts from all Payment Funding Sources, together with the amount of all Receive Money transactions credited to an Account and linked Sub-Accounts, may not exceed $10,000 per calendar month.
The Total Balance of your Account and linked Sub-Accounts may not exceed $10,000 at any time.
The aggregate amount of funds that may be added to an Account from a Bank Account may not exceed $10,000 per transaction and from a Debit Card may not exceed $100 per transaction, $100 per day, and $1,000 per month, subject, in each case, to additional limits in circumstances in which we have not verified all of the identity and other personal information you have provided us.
Funds may not be added directly to Sub-Accounts from Payment Funding Sources. A Sub-Account can be funded only by a transfer of funds from the Master Accountholder's Account to the linked Sub-Account.
You will not receive interest on funds in your Account or Sub-Account, and funds in your Account or Sub-Account are NOT insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
#1088
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA 1MM Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,524
I thought the bird has 5K VR+debit+cash reload limit per month, but now I couldn't feed more beans into my bird, because I have already fed more than 2500 in the last several days. Found the followings at Amex website, looks like the limit is 2500 in 28-day. Also the max balance is reduced to 5K. Anyone else noticed that?
The amount of each load to the Card using your Funding Source must be at least $25 and the amount of each load to the Card using Cash Loading Methods must be at least $20. You may load funds to the Card using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $2,500, and you may load funds to your Card using Direct Deposit until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $5,000. Not more than $1,000 may be loaded to your Card on any day using Cash Loading methods, not more than $2,500 may be loaded to your Card in any [28-day period] using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods, and not more than $5,000 may be loaded to your Card in any month using Direct Deposit. The maximum aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) at any time may not exceed $5,000. We may change these limits at any time for legal, risk management, security or other purposes.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...agreement.html
The amount of each load to the Card using your Funding Source must be at least $25 and the amount of each load to the Card using Cash Loading Methods must be at least $20. You may load funds to the Card using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $2,500, and you may load funds to your Card using Direct Deposit until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $5,000. Not more than $1,000 may be loaded to your Card on any day using Cash Loading methods, not more than $2,500 may be loaded to your Card in any [28-day period] using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods, and not more than $5,000 may be loaded to your Card in any month using Direct Deposit. The maximum aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) at any time may not exceed $5,000. We may change these limits at any time for legal, risk management, security or other purposes.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...agreement.html
https://bluebird.com/faqs/#deposit-money
Last edited by glocklt4; Oct 30, 2012 at 2:31 pm
#1090
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 301
FM did have a blog to talk about different varieties of vanilla.
Also your vanilla visa gift cards will be useful for the new Amex PP FM mentioned in his backup plan.
Also your vanilla visa gift cards will be useful for the new Amex PP FM mentioned in his backup plan.
So I was so excited to see "Vanilla" cards on the rack at my OD for the first time that I didn't realize I was buying a "Vanilla Visa Gift Card" and not a Vanilla reload card (I wish the bloggers had made more of a big deal about this obvious source of potential confusion). From what little I can find on the web, Vanilla Visa Gift Cards will apparently NOT load to Bluebird -- at least not without onerous fees. Is that indeed true?
And if it is true, can I simply return my unused Gift Card to OD and get my money back -- or is that a problem, too?
If it is, having a Vanilla Gift Card (purchased at the lucrative Ink earnings rate) isn't the end of the world, but it's certainly more hassle than I'd like.
And if it is true, can I simply return my unused Gift Card to OD and get my money back -- or is that a problem, too?
If it is, having a Vanilla Gift Card (purchased at the lucrative Ink earnings rate) isn't the end of the world, but it's certainly more hassle than I'd like.
#1091
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
#1092
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,378
And now I still have to find a Vanilla reload card at an OD!
#1093
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
Yup, on the back of the OD receipt, it says gift cards can't be returned. Sheesh. Other than using it for ordinary spend (which isn't the end of the world, just a hassle) is there anything that can be done with these cards? I'm assuming a cash withdrawal from an ATM is not possible?
#1094
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: LAS
Programs: UA Plat, AA Gold, PC Plat, HH Gold, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 53
I thought the bird has 5K VR+debit+cash reload limit per month, but now I couldn't feed more beans into my bird, because I have already fed more than 2500 in the last several days. Found the followings at Amex website, looks like the limit is 2500 in 28-day. Also the max balance is reduced to 5K. Anyone else noticed that?
The amount of each load to the Card using your Funding Source must be at least $25 and the amount of each load to the Card using Cash Loading Methods must be at least $20. You may load funds to the Card using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $2,500, and you may load funds to your Card using Direct Deposit until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $5,000. Not more than $1,000 may be loaded to your Card on any day using Cash Loading methods, not more than $2,500 may be loaded to your Card in any [28-day period] using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods, and not more than $5,000 may be loaded to your Card in any month using Direct Deposit. The maximum aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) at any time may not exceed $5,000. We may change these limits at any time for legal, risk management, security or other purposes.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...agreement.html
The amount of each load to the Card using your Funding Source must be at least $25 and the amount of each load to the Card using Cash Loading Methods must be at least $20. You may load funds to the Card using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $2,500, and you may load funds to your Card using Direct Deposit until the aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) equals $5,000. Not more than $1,000 may be loaded to your Card on any day using Cash Loading methods, not more than $2,500 may be loaded to your Card in any [28-day period] using your Funding Source or Cash Loading Methods, and not more than $5,000 may be loaded to your Card in any month using Direct Deposit. The maximum aggregate balance on your Card (and Cards you purchased for others) at any time may not exceed $5,000. We may change these limits at any time for legal, risk management, security or other purposes.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...agreement.html
#1095
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: DL DM Hub Captive, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, PC Plat, and other stuff.
Posts: 904
Yup, on the back of the OD receipt, it says gift cards can't be returned. Sheesh. Other than using it for ordinary spend (which isn't the end of the world, just a hassle) is there anything that can be done with these cards? I'm assuming a cash withdrawal from an ATM is not possible?
And now I still have to find a Vanilla reload card at an OD!
And now I still have to find a Vanilla reload card at an OD!
You can prepay any number of utilities. My cell phone provider and cable TV provider allow me to prepay in excess of my balance due for no fee, for example. My utility company charges a small fixed fee.
Last edited by thegasguru; Oct 30, 2012 at 3:13 pm