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Wal-Mart, Amex take on banks with Bluebird debit card

Wal-Mart, Amex take on banks with Bluebird debit card

Old Oct 30, 2012, 1:09 pm
  #1081  
 
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Originally Posted by glocklt4
They are not allowed to do that with any gift cards, period. Double taxation.
Sounds like a class action in development...
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:06 pm
  #1082  
 
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Originally Posted by tearex
I think one or two people tried this a few posts back...

I believe you have to load on spot and no it did not take CC.

The "fake" reloads are how FD sells the reloads.
i know it didn't work with MC and AMEX, but didn't know whether the Visa worked or not
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:10 pm
  #1083  
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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.
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:19 pm
  #1084  
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Originally Posted by iahphx
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?
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?
Highly unlikely you can return it. Probably says so on the receipt.

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.
At least you only bought 1. Consider it a lesson learned on the need to read well before jumping in.
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:20 pm
  #1085  
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
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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
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:22 pm
  #1086  
 
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Originally Posted by mrredskin
i know it didn't work with MC and AMEX, but didn't know whether the Visa worked or not
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.
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:26 pm
  #1087  
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Originally Posted by tonyflyer
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
Whatever you're looking at isn't correct. It's probably the old Bluebird product.

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.
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:26 pm
  #1088  
 
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Originally Posted by tonyflyer
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
Edit: Says original amounts here: $5k/mo in, $10k/mo out

https://bluebird.com/faqs/#deposit-money

Last edited by glocklt4; Oct 30, 2012 at 2:31 pm
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:30 pm
  #1089  
 
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Originally Posted by glocklt4
Does indeed look like it has been changed. "$10,000" or "10000" doesn't come up at all anymore. That is how much of a balance you used to be able to have, with $5k loaded per month.

Changes already... sheesh!
Not accurate. Still $10,000 to me.
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:30 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.

Originally Posted by iahphx
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.
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:30 pm
  #1091  
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Originally Posted by glocklt4
Does indeed look like it has been changed. "$10,000" or "10000" doesn't come up at all anymore. That is how much of a balance you used to be able to have, with $5k loaded per month.

Changes already... sheesh!
No changes.

https://bluebird.com/faqs/#fees-and-limits
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:31 pm
  #1092  
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Originally Posted by Stoughton
Highly unlikely you can return it. Probably says so on the receipt.

At least you only bought 1. Consider it a lesson learned on the need to read well before jumping in.
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!
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:32 pm
  #1093  
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Originally Posted by iahphx
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?
Not really. And no to the ATM.
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:37 pm
  #1094  
 
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Originally Posted by tonyflyer
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
You are looking at the T&Cs for the prepaid card, not BB.
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Old Oct 30, 2012, 2:40 pm
  #1095  
 
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Originally Posted by iahphx
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!
You can load it onto AP or Serve (if you have a Serve account in another name), and unload it from there.

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
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