Jan 22, 2014, 3:27 pm
Last edit by: XP1
Warning: The T-M website contains an apparent Bill Pay function. Attempting to use it to pay credit card bills, or probably any significant $ amount bills of any sort, will get your account frozen. Ditto large scale ATM or MO withdrawals. The one method of unloading likely to keep you under the radar is small scale WM BP. Also likely to get you shut down, according to consensus reports, is running much more than $5K a month thru your account. You ignore this advice at your own risk.
SUMMARY
1. FAQ's
2. Free to use for TMo customers.
3. Issued by Bancorp
4. Load at T-mobile store (Registers are HARD CODED not to accept anything other than cash.)
5. or Reloadit, (find a grocery store that sold reloadit cards with a cc)
List Stores hard coded for cash or Credit Card accepted
T-Mobile (cash only)
Home Depot (cash only, hard coded)
Harris Teeter - Bought with CC on 2/16/14, hard coded denied CC on 5 APR 2014
Winn-Dixie - Hard coded for cash (debit may work, untested) as of Oct-2015
Meijer (Cash/Debit including VGC)
Giant Eagle/GetGo (Cash, Debit including VGC )
Safeways/Vons/Pavilions in California - most only Cash
Food Lion - Manager override now required. Many stores cash or bank debit only, but registers are not hard coded.
Save-A-Lot: Hard coded cash only
BigY: At least some stores have gone cash only as of 1/8
Acme in PA: Hard-coded cash only (Source)
Note on ReloadIt Cards
These come in two main flavors, up to $500, and up to $950 (there are ones that go up to $50, too). Both are $3.95 load fee. The older grey cards, have CASH ONLY on them. Even if the cash register is coded to accept it, many cashiers will be hesitant to even try, or get shut down by manager.
The maximum value reload will be $2,500.00. There is no maximum number of times you may value reload your Card Account per day; however, the maximum dollar amount of value reloads you may make to your Card Account in one day is $2,500.00. We will accept direct deposits larger than $2,500.00, but any direct deposit value reloaded to your Card Account will count against the $2,500.00 daily limit.
Value Reload Fee: Each time you value reload $300.00 or more to your Card Account in a single transaction, you will receive a credit for any fee you paid. If you are a T-Mobile Wireless Customer and value reload your Card Account at a participating T-Mobile Wireless location, you will receive a refund at the register (and will pay no fee for your value reload). If you value reload your Card Account for $300.00 or more via another method, we will issue a credit to your Card Account in the amount of the fee you paid.
In practice, a ReloadIt >= $300 loaded via the safe will receive credit for the fee. However, the terms formally state "Please note: Value reloads made from Reloadit Packs that have been placed in the Program Manager’s Reloadit `Safe' are not eligible for any fee credit." so this is not guaranteed.
The Limits:
Daily limit: $2500 during a rolling 24 hour period
Monthly limit: ?
Annual Limit: ?
Max Bill Pay (per transaction): = $5000 (tested March 6th, can do 'at least' a second for the same amount to the same payee momment later).
Daily ATM limit: $500 (rolling 24 hr rather than calendar day)
Total monthly bill pay limit: ?
The maximum value of your Card Account is restricted to $10,000.00
T-Mobile Prepaid Customer Service Email: [email protected]
If you need to escalate to the FDIC, Bancorp's registered FDIC# is 35444.
If you want to try to open an FDIC complaint or investigation you can send one in electronically at
http://www2.fdic.gov/IDASP/DIRSInfoRequest.asp
Alternative FDIC link to file complaint
https://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp
FAQ
SUMMARY
1. FAQ's
2. Free to use for TMo customers.
3. Issued by Bancorp
4. Load at T-mobile store (Registers are HARD CODED not to accept anything other than cash.)
5. or Reloadit, (find a grocery store that sold reloadit cards with a cc)
List Stores hard coded for cash or Credit Card accepted
T-Mobile (cash only)
Home Depot (cash only, hard coded)
Harris Teeter - Bought with CC on 2/16/14, hard coded denied CC on 5 APR 2014
Winn-Dixie - Hard coded for cash (debit may work, untested) as of Oct-2015
Meijer (Cash/Debit including VGC)
Giant Eagle/GetGo (Cash, Debit including VGC )
Safeways/Vons/Pavilions in California - most only Cash
Food Lion - Manager override now required. Many stores cash or bank debit only, but registers are not hard coded.
Save-A-Lot: Hard coded cash only
BigY: At least some stores have gone cash only as of 1/8
Acme in PA: Hard-coded cash only (Source)
Note on ReloadIt Cards
These come in two main flavors, up to $500, and up to $950 (there are ones that go up to $50, too). Both are $3.95 load fee. The older grey cards, have CASH ONLY on them. Even if the cash register is coded to accept it, many cashiers will be hesitant to even try, or get shut down by manager.
The maximum value reload will be $2,500.00. There is no maximum number of times you may value reload your Card Account per day; however, the maximum dollar amount of value reloads you may make to your Card Account in one day is $2,500.00. We will accept direct deposits larger than $2,500.00, but any direct deposit value reloaded to your Card Account will count against the $2,500.00 daily limit.
Value Reload Fee: Each time you value reload $300.00 or more to your Card Account in a single transaction, you will receive a credit for any fee you paid. If you are a T-Mobile Wireless Customer and value reload your Card Account at a participating T-Mobile Wireless location, you will receive a refund at the register (and will pay no fee for your value reload). If you value reload your Card Account for $300.00 or more via another method, we will issue a credit to your Card Account in the amount of the fee you paid.
In practice, a ReloadIt >= $300 loaded via the safe will receive credit for the fee. However, the terms formally state "Please note: Value reloads made from Reloadit Packs that have been placed in the Program Manager’s Reloadit `Safe' are not eligible for any fee credit." so this is not guaranteed.
The Limits:
Daily limit: $2500 during a rolling 24 hour period
Monthly limit: ?
Annual Limit: ?
Max Bill Pay (per transaction): = $5000 (tested March 6th, can do 'at least' a second for the same amount to the same payee momment later).
Daily ATM limit: $500 (rolling 24 hr rather than calendar day)
Total monthly bill pay limit: ?
The maximum value of your Card Account is restricted to $10,000.00
T-Mobile Prepaid Customer Service Email: [email protected]
If you need to escalate to the FDIC, Bancorp's registered FDIC# is 35444.
If you want to try to open an FDIC complaint or investigation you can send one in electronically at
http://www2.fdic.gov/IDASP/DIRSInfoRequest.asp
Alternative FDIC link to file complaint
https://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp
FAQ
- My fee did not get refunded. Has there been a policy change? ReloadIt Fees are processed overnight and could take 24 hours after you reload the card. As of 9/2015, ReloadIt cards added to the safe prior to loading on T-Mobile will still get the $3.95 refunded.
- What is a safe transaction amount? There is no definite safe or unsafe amount. However, starting the last week of Jul 2015, people have been reporting the account frozen after transactions larger than $1K.
- Can I use the BP Feature? It works well for some people. Many have reported getting shutdown after using it. A few have reported having the payments lost. Like all MS activity, use at your own risk.
- Should I mix in some regular spending to make it look like this is my primary card? If it makes you feel better, go for it. However people who do this still get shutdown.
- I can't log in. Did I get shutdown? Possibly. But more likely the website is having technical issues. Call in, o try to make a swipe purchase and test it out.
- If I pay my taxes with this card, will I get shutdown? Large purchase raise red flags. Taxes are no different and there are reports of people being shut down for doing this.
- What is a T-Mobile wireless customer? A qualifying T-Mobile wireless customer can be either a postpaid or prepaid customer. Source: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24790705-post3703.html
T-Mobile Visa Prepaid - Bluebird Competitor for MS! (May not load w/CC)
Nov 9, 2015, 5:28 pm
#4141
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 821
Thank you! so which store will you suggest to get reload card now
No need to be a T-M customer at all. No fees if you deposit $500 a month. The $3.95 purchase fee for the RL is refunded the next day after you load it, as long as it's for a minimum of $300. Most if not all of SWs carry the new RL card which has "cash only" printed right on it, so finding a store that will sell it to you with a cc is very difficult. I have one store where most of the cashiers still do, but even there 2 of them won't. So it's not just a matter of which store, but also of which cashier. However, most SWs now have a cash only policy on a store wide basis, in which case it doesn't matter which cashier you use, everyone will refuse to sell it with a CC.
Dec 11, 2015, 9:48 am
#4145
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Dec 11, 2015, 6:03 pm
#4147
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
They are doing you a favor, since using T-M BP is one of the quickest ways to get shut down. 
If you don't know what I'm referring to, scroll back thru this thread.
Hopefully you can use WM BP, or K-Mart BP. Failing that, maybe you can find a place to get MOs with your card. Any of those are better than T-M BP.
If you don't know what I'm referring to, scroll back thru this thread. Hopefully you can use WM BP, or K-Mart BP. Failing that, maybe you can find a place to get MOs with your card. Any of those are better than T-M BP.
Dec 12, 2015, 12:57 pm
#4150
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Northwest, United
Posts: 3,256
Their systems is flakey, not secure at all, and is just poorly executed in every way. It's common for it to appear broken. Give it some time.
That said, if you can't access anything or your bill pay list is empty/non-functional, for a long time, that can be a sign that they have shut you down.
You remember Rule #1 of this game, right: don't play with money you need right away, because at some point one of the nastier players will hold your money for a while, and it might take months to get it back. Just sayin'.
That said, if you can't access anything or your bill pay list is empty/non-functional, for a long time, that can be a sign that they have shut you down.
You remember Rule #1 of this game, right: don't play with money you need right away, because at some point one of the nastier players will hold your money for a while, and it might take months to get it back. Just sayin'.
Dec 12, 2015, 11:58 pm
#4151
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: NYC
Posts: 5,025
Dec 13, 2015, 6:25 pm
#4152
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 287
They are doing you a favor, since using T-M BP is one of the quickest ways to get shut down. If you don't know what I'm referring to, scroll back thru this thread.
Hopefully you can use WM BP, or K-Mart BP. Failing that, maybe you can find a place to get MOs with your card. Any of those are better than T-M BP.
If you don't know what I'm referring to, scroll back thru this thread. Hopefully you can use WM BP, or K-Mart BP. Failing that, maybe you can find a place to get MOs with your card. Any of those are better than T-M BP.
Dec 14, 2015, 8:21 am
#4153
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
The chances of getting your money back are 100%. The only questions are how you go about it, and how long it takes. Assuming this is the first time this has happened, just call them, and they will probably unfreeze your account. When you call they will tell you what you did "wrong" and warn you not to do it again. Then you need to lay low for awhile, and eventually slowly ramp up again. If you do that you might have a bit of a run before you get fully shut down again. When that happens, they will send you a check for whatever funds are still in your account. It might take 30 days to get that, but you will get it.
Dec 14, 2015, 11:23 am
#4154
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 287
The chances of getting your money back are 100%. The only questions are how you go about it, and how long it takes. Assuming this is the first time this has happened, just call them, and they will probably unfreeze your account. When you call they will tell you what you did "wrong" and warn you not to do it again. Then you need to lay low for awhile, and eventually slowly ramp up again. If you do that you might have a bit of a run before you get fully shut down again. When that happens, they will send you a check for whatever funds are still in your account. It might take 30 days to get that, but you will get it.
Dec 14, 2015, 3:58 pm
#4155
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
thanks for the info. i've read this thread start to finish and monitored it for months. this is my first tmo but i have options for many more. is the consensus to use reloadit -> tmo -> serve/bb/redcard/etc? I was loading 450-500 to tmo, and bill paying random amounts from 125.24 to 986.10 with only one over 1k. i did at least 23k this way, this month
If your local WM can still find Checkfree in their systems, using that to directly pay your ccs bills is the best way to go. None of my local WMs can access Checkfree in their systems anymore. But that occurred on a store by store basis, so maybe your local WMs can. You just have to go in and ask "Can I do a BP directly to a bank with Checkfree"?. If the answer is yes, use your T-M card as a debit card to pay directly to the bank. All you need is the # on your cc and your phone number.
Checkfree by the way is NOT MoneyGram, which costs much more and takes a lot of paper work. Some uninformed WM cashiers will think you want to use Money Gram, and will start asking things like how to find your personal account in their system. If they ask that, they are trying to do Money Gram instead of Checkfree.
If Checkfree isn't an option, the only other one I know is to use the WM MC to get MOs, using your T-M card as a debit card. Then just take the MO to the branch of the bank that issued your cc, along with your cc, and have the teller use the MO to pay your bill. Much better than running the MOs thru your checking account for a bunch of reasons.
If you've been reading this thread you know most folks say to keep your individual payments under $1K. I've doing $999 MOs ( plus the $0.70 fee), equally spread out 5 times a month on each of our T-M cards for the last 6 months without a problem. Knock on wood....