Jan 10, 2015, 9:20 pm
Last edit by: NoonRadar
Nov 24, 2015
Dear XXXXXXXXX,
We want to let you know that we are making a change to your Target Prepaid REDcard® by American Express, and you will no longer be able to add money from your debit card at Target stores. As always, you can continue to add money to your Prepaid REDcard by using:
• Your debit card online through your Account
• Cash at a Target Store
• Direct Deposit (You can automatically add all or part of your paycheck, government benefits and federal tax refunds to your Prepaid REDcard)
DEAD FOR DEBIT CARD LOADS EFFECTIVE 10/12/2015 - MEMO: http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.co...uests-can-use/
DEAD FOR CREDIT CARD LOADS. (Amex GCs Included)
Effective May 6, 2015 registers are hard-coded to not allow credit card reload. PIN-based debit cards are working, however YMMV. PIN-based debit cards may be refused by cashiers.
WHAT IS TARGET PREPAID REDCARD?
Prepaid Redcard is a reloadable American Express card. It is only available to purchase at select Target stores.
WEBSITE:
This site may error when in Firefox, especially with adding payees / bill pay. Customer service says to use Chrome or Internet Explorer.
https://amex.serve.com/prepaidredcard
PREPAID REDCARD LOAD LIMITS
Cash (or debit card) loading at Target: ** - $1,000/transaction, $2,500/day and $5,000/month
Online Debit Card Load * - $200/day and $1,000/month
Checking/Savings Account - $2,000/month
Checks - $2,000/day and $10,000/month
ATM Withdrawals - $750/day and $2,000/month
All "Monthly" limits are per calendar month and reset on the 1st of each month.
Daily limits reset at midnight Eastern time, 9 PM Pacific time.
*For online debit load, only use of bank-issued cards is allowed. The use of pre-paid debit cards (Netspend, Paypower, Univision, Paypal, etc.) and VGC/MGC/AGCs is not allowed. Your account will be flagged upon first/second attempt.
ATM Withdrawals:
No-fee ATM usage at US Target stores* and U.S. Allpoint network ATMs. (ATM usage not available at any other ATMs.) Find an Allpoint ATM at: www.allpointnetwork.com Note that some ATMs only allow $400/transaction. There is a $750/day and $2,000/month limit to ATM withdrawals.
RedCard is only available in specific Target stores and is not available in all states. Go to this site to find a list of available locations:https://amex.serve.com/prepaidredcard
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Can I reload a RB at a Target that doesn't sell RB?
Yes. However, the cashier may not know how to do it. You may be able to coach them through it by saying "It's like reloading a Starbucks (or Gift) card". For step-by-step instructions on one method of 'coaching' new cashiers see Post#1904
Q: Can I buy or reload a RB in North Carolina?
See post here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...a-63.html#2520
There is currently a software issue preventing any reload of any kind in NC. It is a known issue but there is no ETA on a fix.
Q: Can I reload the RB at any register, or just at the Customer Service desk?
It can be done at any register, however some cashiers are not trained on how to do this and you may have to go to Customer Service.
Q: What is the most efficient way to drain a RedCard?
Use BillPay to pay bills. For example, pay the credit card you used to load RedCard with. You can also withdraw money at ATMs.
Q: I cant access the BillPay feature through the RB website!
Verify that your account information correctly reflects a 10-digit phone number (including area code). Numerous people have reported that their account only had a 7-digit phone number (no area code) and that, after updating to a 10-digit phone number, BillPay miraculously started working.
Q: Can we buy a temporary Redbird card while we still have a Bluebird or Serve account?
Yes.
Q: How many Redbird cards can you purchase at once?
You can only purchase one Redbird card a day per SSN. If you plan to purchase more than one, be sure to use a different SSN for each purchase to avoid activation issues.
Q: Can we register our temporary Redbird online while we still have a Bluebird or Serve account?
No. You will have to cancel your Bluebird or Serve account first before registering.
Q: How do I cancel my BlueBird or Serve Account online? Do I need to call them?
Frequent Miler posted a useful trick that will help you cancel online How to cancel Bluebird online This works for both BlueBird and Serve.
Q: Cancelled Bluebird, why does registering Redbird error out saying Bluebird is still active?
If you have open transactions that have not been settled, like BillPay checks that have not yet been cashed, the account cannot settle and will not be truly closed. Thus Target will reject it until it's permanently closed.
Q: Can we get Redbird online?
No. The only way to get Redbird is to find a participating Target store and buy a temporary card there. Some people have purchased RB on Ebay, Amazon, or through private deals. Be aware that doing so may violate the TOS of one or more of these services. Also be aware that buying an un-activated RB, you are potentially buying "stolen" merchandise; the seller *may* have simply taken the un-activated RB cards from a target store without permission. At best they got permission from a low-level employee; they certainly are not getting permission from someone authorized to allow sale of RB outside of the current Target-authorized roll out markets. It is highly recommended to only buy already activated Redbirds because many Targets which do not offer Redbirds also will not be able to activate them and you will spend a month with the Customer Service line trying to get a new one.
Q: Does the initial load you put in when purchasing the Redbird count against the monthly limit?
No. After registering the Redbird online, any loads done will count against your monthly limit, even on your temp card.
Q: Can we load Redbird with Target gift cards at Target?NO.
When loading, the register displays a large message saying that gift cards cannot be used to pay for this transaction.
Q: What are the card’s load limits per transaction at Target?
[B]As of 2/2/2015 there is a maximum $1,000 load per transaction. You can no longer load the same RB multiple times (multiple swipes) in 1 transaction. Likewise, you can no longer load multiple RBs (say your's and your spouse's) in 1 transaction. Maximum of 1 load, for $1,000 per debit card payment. End of story.
Q: What credit cards can I use to reload RedCard in Target stores?
NONE. As of May 6, 2015, credit cards cannot be used to reload.
Q: Can I reload with a debit card?
Yes, but only if the debit card can be authenticated with PIN-number. Signature-based debit that processes on the Visa/MasterCard/AmEx networks will NOT work.
Q: Can I reload with a prepaid debit card or Vanilla Visa?
Yes, but only if you have a PIN for that card.
Q: How can I load 2 debit cards in one transaction? Example 2x$500.
1. Swipe debit card on my terminal after total comes up $1000.
2. PIN pad comes up. Enter 4 digit PIN.
3. Do you want cash back? press NO
4. Do you want full amount on this card? press NO <<<Note: I pressed YES and did not have a step 5. - PHLisa
5. Cashier reads something on register, asks how much on this card. $500. They push something to continue.
6. Swipe card #2. Enter PIN
7. Repeat 3 to 5. Total: 0.00
8. Receipt prints. Thank cashier. The end.
(thanks to Mamibear)
Q: Can someone else buy a Redbird card for you?
Yes. When you buy a temp Redbird card at Target, you have to give them your drivers license info, your SSN (can be any set of numbers, does not need to be real), birthdate, and more. Then, you have to register the card online in order to get a permanent card. In the process of registering online, they ask for the birthday of the original buyer on the first screen, but you can put your own and it will still work. Either way, you can still change the details on the following screens. I did this for my wife. I bought the card at Target and used my own driver’s license, SSN, etc. But, when I got home, I registered the card to my wife. I can’t promise this will work for everyone, but it worked for me.
Q: Can you reload Serve/Bluebird at Target?
No.
Q: How do I contact Target's support team to resolve an issue with my RedCard?
Call Target's Prepaid Resolution Team, their direct telephone number is 800 438 6468 (open from 8AM to 430PM MST).
Q: Can you have both Redbird and AFT cards?
Yes.
You can have both Redbird and AFT since they are independent products.
Q: I got a "Pending" notice that the registration is being reviewed, what now?
Add [email protected] to your address book, and check your spam folder for an email about it. You can also call in. They will need images or faxes of:
• Social Security Documentation (must clearly show full 9 digit Social Security Number). Choose 1 of the following options:
◦ Social Security Card, OR
◦ A Medicare insurance card
Plus...
• Picture ID
◦ A valid driver's license card OR
◦ A valid state issued ID OR
◦ A valid United States Government ID Card (e.g. Green Card) OR
◦ A valid United States Passport (photo page only)
◦ Social Security Card, OR
◦ A Medicare insurance card
Plus...
• Picture ID
◦ A valid driver's license card OR
◦ A valid state issued ID OR
◦ A valid United States Government ID Card (e.g. Green Card) OR
◦ A valid United States Passport (photo page only)
Secure Document Upload
Here's the link to upload secure documents to REDcard: https://secure.prepaidredcard.com/User/SecureFileUpload
Prepaid REDcard (Target) 2015-2016
Oct 3, 2015, 3:28 pm
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: Southwest, SPG, IHG
Posts: 82
Did any of you guys face a problem in last 1-2 days using gift cards to reload? According to this, Target maybe disabling prepaid VGCs altogether... It would be nice to have more datapoint than that present in the blog, hence posting it here...
Oct 3, 2015, 4:06 pm
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 989
Oct 3, 2015, 4:48 pm
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Chicago Burbs
Programs: SPG Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 223
Did any of you guys face a problem in last 1-2 days using gift cards to reload? According to this, Target maybe disabling prepaid VGCs altogether... It would be nice to have more datapoint than that present in the blog, hence posting it here...
Oct 3, 2015, 4:58 pm
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 39
Did any of you guys face a problem in last 1-2 days using gift cards to reload? According to this, Target maybe disabling prepaid VGCs altogether... It would be nice to have more datapoint than that present in the blog, hence posting it here...
I loaded 1,2 and 3 October without any problems whatsoever.
Cheers
Oct 3, 2015, 5:25 pm
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
Oct 3, 2015, 7:56 pm
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 1,546
So I had a disconcerting experience loading an OVGC to Redbird today.
First Target, the guest services cashier said they were undergoing a "security scan" (forgot his exact wording, security something) with prepaid card reloads so they weren't doing any until management gave them the OK. He didn't know when it would be.
I went to another Target, the cashier at GS was more than willing to do the load and knew exactly what she was doing with the new POS. However, after swiping the OVGC, it didn't go through, like the card was declined. So that was that.
The GC was purchased at Walgreens a couple hours prior (btw, you guys doing the Discover 10% cash back with ApplePay have cleaned Walgreens out, I had to go to 4 Walgreens to find OVGCs) and shows a balance when I check online. And I've loaded at Target 10 minutes after purchasing at Walgreens, so I don't think that's an issue. I'll try it at another Target tomorrow and see what happens, but the article about VGC loads being disabled might be true.
Now I've got a $500 VGC to unload another $500 or so to meet min spend on my Chase Ink, I wonder if I could get away with swiping $1,000 on a Square without being shut down.
First Target, the guest services cashier said they were undergoing a "security scan" (forgot his exact wording, security something) with prepaid card reloads so they weren't doing any until management gave them the OK. He didn't know when it would be.
I went to another Target, the cashier at GS was more than willing to do the load and knew exactly what she was doing with the new POS. However, after swiping the OVGC, it didn't go through, like the card was declined. So that was that.
The GC was purchased at Walgreens a couple hours prior (btw, you guys doing the Discover 10% cash back with ApplePay have cleaned Walgreens out, I had to go to 4 Walgreens to find OVGCs) and shows a balance when I check online. And I've loaded at Target 10 minutes after purchasing at Walgreens, so I don't think that's an issue. I'll try it at another Target tomorrow and see what happens, but the article about VGC loads being disabled might be true.
Now I've got a $500 VGC to unload another $500 or so to meet min spend on my Chase Ink, I wonder if I could get away with swiping $1,000 on a Square without being shut down.
Oct 4, 2015, 9:42 am
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: DFW
Programs: AA, UA, SPG, BA, HH
Posts: 122
i met a weird problem not sure what's wrong.
i was able to load RB yesterday morning at one TGT with my TM card.
but afternoon, at another TGT, after i swiped the TM card, the system showed something similar( i did not remember exactly): can not make $0 with this payment type. so it was cancelled.
both my TM card and RD are good to use.
TGT told me that reload debit cards were not allowed to fund the RB. but i did not believe what she said. does anyone have such experience or know what's going on?
thanks
i was able to load RB yesterday morning at one TGT with my TM card.
but afternoon, at another TGT, after i swiped the TM card, the system showed something similar( i did not remember exactly): can not make $0 with this payment type. so it was cancelled.
both my TM card and RD are good to use.
TGT told me that reload debit cards were not allowed to fund the RB. but i did not believe what she said. does anyone have such experience or know what's going on?
thanks
Oct 4, 2015, 10:06 am
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
Did any of you guys face a problem in last 1-2 days using gift cards to reload? According to this, Target maybe disabling prepaid VGCs altogether... It would be nice to have more datapoint than that present in the blog, hence posting it here...
I had zero problems unloading my SMGCs at Targets, other than being asked to see the gebit a couple of times for my name on it. No big thing; plenty of other local Targets don't ask me for ID.
The author's article indicates she did zero troubleshooting to try fixes - known fixes used at WMs, like she wrote in this article just over a year ago: http://www.pointchaser.com/getting-a...ds-at-walmart/
I love this quote from the author's panic article: "The death of Redbird is inevitable..." Sure, I read the same thing about BB loading. It's still going strong in most parts of the country. Both BB and RB are dead in some parts of the country, but not everywhere.
As far as hard coding registers to reject GCs, the only way that's going to happen is if the registers are specifically coded to reject GCs based on the first 4 (or 6) digits of a particular gift card. Here's a link: http://bin-iin.com/visa-BIN-range.html
Every SMGC that I've had has started with 4551; Target probably isn't going to block cards with those numbers because that's shared with TD Bank/GM Canadian Visa credit cards.
If you guys want to make this data collection more useful, you need to post the first four/six digits of your GC and whether it was accepted or rejected. I'd expect to see a pattern emerge based on the first 4/6 digits.
Oct 4, 2015, 10:32 am
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: DFW
Programs: AA, UA, SPG, BA, HH
Posts: 122
this makes more senses now.
TM stars with 4000
TM stars with 4000
Both Vanilla and GCM have a history of problems loading onto BB. Now RB.
I had zero problems unloading my SMGCs at Targets, other than being asked to see the gebit a couple of times for my name on it. No big thing; plenty of other local Targets don't ask me for ID.
The author's article indicates she did zero troubleshooting to try fixes - known fixes used at WMs, like she wrote in this article just over a year ago: http://www.pointchaser.com/getting-a...ds-at-walmart/
I love this quote from the author's panic article: "The death of Redbird is inevitable..." Sure, I read the same thing about BB loading. It's still going strong in most parts of the country. Both BB and RB are dead in some parts of the country, but not everywhere.
As far as hard coding registers to reject GCs, the only way that's going to happen is if the registers are specifically coded to reject GCs based on the first 4 (or 6) digits of a particular gift card. Here's a link: http://bin-iin.com/visa-BIN-range.html
Every SMGC that I've had has started with 4551; Target probably isn't going to block cards with those numbers because that's shared with TD Bank/GM Canadian Visa credit cards.
If you guys want to make this data collection more useful, you need to post the first four/six digits of your GC and whether it was accepted or rejected. I'd expect to see a pattern emerge based on the first 4/6 digits.
I had zero problems unloading my SMGCs at Targets, other than being asked to see the gebit a couple of times for my name on it. No big thing; plenty of other local Targets don't ask me for ID.
The author's article indicates she did zero troubleshooting to try fixes - known fixes used at WMs, like she wrote in this article just over a year ago: http://www.pointchaser.com/getting-a...ds-at-walmart/
I love this quote from the author's panic article: "The death of Redbird is inevitable..." Sure, I read the same thing about BB loading. It's still going strong in most parts of the country. Both BB and RB are dead in some parts of the country, but not everywhere.
As far as hard coding registers to reject GCs, the only way that's going to happen is if the registers are specifically coded to reject GCs based on the first 4 (or 6) digits of a particular gift card. Here's a link: http://bin-iin.com/visa-BIN-range.html
Every SMGC that I've had has started with 4551; Target probably isn't going to block cards with those numbers because that's shared with TD Bank/GM Canadian Visa credit cards.
If you guys want to make this data collection more useful, you need to post the first four/six digits of your GC and whether it was accepted or rejected. I'd expect to see a pattern emerge based on the first 4/6 digits.
Oct 4, 2015, 10:54 am
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 35
For the first time in about a year I was asked to see my loading card. No big deal, quick on my feet...showed my debit card with my name.
Problem is that I had already told Target $500. So I just went with it.... I have real Discover charges I can pay from RB with the $500 so no big deal.
Any expert tips on changing the amount without looking dumb? Would have preferred to do $20 and never go back to that Target again.
Guess I could have fudged up the pin and just said I forgot, then leave. But wanted to keep it like everything was ok.
Went to a second Target and got rid of the $500 VGC (OV) no questions asked. Plus I got a free "plaid bag" for being a RC holder. ^
Guess that was worth it?
Thanks.
Problem is that I had already told Target $500. So I just went with it.... I have real Discover charges I can pay from RB with the $500 so no big deal.
Any expert tips on changing the amount without looking dumb? Would have preferred to do $20 and never go back to that Target again.
Guess I could have fudged up the pin and just said I forgot, then leave. But wanted to keep it like everything was ok.
Went to a second Target and got rid of the $500 VGC (OV) no questions asked. Plus I got a free "plaid bag" for being a RC holder. ^
Guess that was worth it? Thanks.
Last edited by elvistcb; Oct 4, 2015 at 11:01 am
Oct 4, 2015, 11:28 am
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: Marriott/SPG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 887
Couple of times in the last 3 years, I got caught doing a switcheroo. Show the bank debit and then palm out the GC from the same envelope. In both cases the cashiers hit CANCEL, no big consequences just avoided them in future. In future though if anyone wants to see the debit I'm going to do as described above.
Oct 4, 2015, 11:44 am
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,061
Couple of times in the last 3 years, I got caught doing a switcheroo. Show the bank debit and then palm out the GC from the same envelope. In both cases the cashiers hit CANCEL, no big consequences just avoided them in future. In future though if anyone wants to see the debit I'm going to do as described above.
Oct 4, 2015, 12:07 pm
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Michigan
Programs: AA, UA, DL, UR, IHG platnium, AirAsia
Posts: 323
Loaded $1.5k MB VGC's Oct 2 at my local Target with no issues. Seems that CS is happy to see me come in every week now, they know me by name and they know exactly what I want to do "Hey there, reload guy! How are you?"
Oct 4, 2015, 12:21 pm
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 1,546
So I had a disconcerting experience loading an OVGC to Redbird today.
First Target, the guest services cashier said they were undergoing a "security scan" (forgot his exact wording, security something) with prepaid card reloads so they weren't doing any until management gave them the OK. He didn't know when it would be.
I went to another Target, the cashier at GS was more than willing to do the load and knew exactly what she was doing with the new POS. However, after swiping the OVGC, it didn't go through, like the card was declined. So that was that.
The GC was purchased at Walgreens a couple hours prior (btw, you guys doing the Discover 10% cash back with ApplePay have cleaned Walgreens out, I had to go to 4 Walgreens to find OVGCs) and shows a balance when I check online. And I've loaded at Target 10 minutes after purchasing at Walgreens, so I don't think that's an issue. I'll try it at another Target tomorrow and see what happens, but the article about VGC loads being disabled might be true.
Now I've got a $500 VGC to unload another $500 or so to meet min spend on my Chase Ink, I wonder if I could get away with swiping $1,000 on a Square without being shut down.
First Target, the guest services cashier said they were undergoing a "security scan" (forgot his exact wording, security something) with prepaid card reloads so they weren't doing any until management gave them the OK. He didn't know when it would be.
I went to another Target, the cashier at GS was more than willing to do the load and knew exactly what she was doing with the new POS. However, after swiping the OVGC, it didn't go through, like the card was declined. So that was that.
The GC was purchased at Walgreens a couple hours prior (btw, you guys doing the Discover 10% cash back with ApplePay have cleaned Walgreens out, I had to go to 4 Walgreens to find OVGCs) and shows a balance when I check online. And I've loaded at Target 10 minutes after purchasing at Walgreens, so I don't think that's an issue. I'll try it at another Target tomorrow and see what happens, but the article about VGC loads being disabled might be true.
Now I've got a $500 VGC to unload another $500 or so to meet min spend on my Chase Ink, I wonder if I could get away with swiping $1,000 on a Square without being shut down.
I hope whatever issue I had last night was a temporary problem and not foreshadowing any changes.