Old Jan 7, 2016, 8:18 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: RedSun
This is the 2016 and onwards Bluebird thread.

The original discussion. The previous 2013- 2014 megathread. The previous 2015 megathread.

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Read the wiki before posting a question.

The most recent huge wave of shutdowns occurred in May 2019.

Most accounts used for MS were shut down on Jan 8, 2016. Another wave of shutdowns occurred on March 4, 2016. Using Bluebird for MS is very likely to lead to account closure. There is no clear pattern as to how to avoid the account shut-downs. Some of the dormant accounts were not shut down.


Check your BB load limits BEFORE asking in this thread about "tender not allowed" or any other errors.

Bluebird website. There's no need to buy a Bluebird kit in-store; sign-up free on the website.

For information on switching from BB to Serve, see the Serve thread wiki.

Bluebird Load Limits:
  • Cash loading: $2,500 ($1,999.99 at Walmart) per card per day; $9,000 per day all BB cards combined; $5,000 total per calendar month each card; $10,000 calendar month and $100,000 per year all BB cards combined for each SSN.
  • Direct Deposit: $100,000 per year
  • Online Debit Card Load* - $200/day and $1,000/month
  • Checking/Savings Account - $2,000/month
  • Mobile Check Capture by Ingo Money - $5,000/day and $10,000/month
  • ATM Withdrawals - $750/day and $2,000/month

The cash load limit for a temp card is $1,500 total.

*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. If blocked, call Account Protection Services at 1-800-660-2454 to clear it (9am-8pm EST, Mon-Fri).

The day currently resets around midnight Eastern/11pm Central/10pm Mountain/9pm Pacific.

For online bill pay
  • You can pay the credit card that you used to buy reloads
  • Error 1302 means that you have 1 pending payment the same amount as the one you just submitted. For example, 1000 bill pay to sapphire preferred from Friday and then on Saturday you submit another bill pay for 1000 to sapphire preferred, you will get this error.
  • Tip: if using online bill pay to the same place multiple times, vary your amounts by $0.01 to make it easier to track since your confirmation number does not match the tracking number on your credit card statement


Loading with debit card at Walmart
Self checkout does not work for loading.

Many Walmart stores are enforcing a rule against the use of gift cards when loading, even though the register and the MCE do not enforce. Do not make your prepaid debit cards visible. Show them a bank debit card if asked. Otherwise, you may be asked by management to never visit the MC again to load with gift cards.

Loads at register over $500 will sometimes trigger ID requirement. There is a limit of four swipes per transaction; this means your card plus three payments.

If your card doesn't say "debit" on the front, it isn't a debit card.

Please see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...bit-cards.html for additional information on using prepaid debit cards.

Training a WM cashier:
  • If the WM cashier doesn't know how to load the card, advise them to enter "70" then press "action code".
  • If you are using a temp card that doesn't have your name on it, you can swipe the card from your side of the terminal. The WM rep never has to touch any of your cards. The screen will say "enter account." That is your prompt to slide the card.
  • The terminal will ask the WM employee if you are loading in multiples of $2000. Advise them to enter "no."
  • Avoid saying gift card. Always refer to your card as a debit card.

Error Messages:
DEBIT NOT AVAILABLE
Received when I used a card I thought I had activated but hadn't.

DEBIT NOT APPROVED
Received when the card's monthly load limit had been reached.

TENDER NOT ALLOWED
Card was incorrectly read, or wrong PIN entered .

HOST TIMEOUT
Connection problems. The GC may be drained but the transaction should reverse itself, and funds will become available again. Try again later.

Print Wikipost

Bluebird master thread (2016 onwards)

Old Jan 9, 2017, 12:11 pm
  #511  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by veradico
Wife and I want to open 2 Chase Sapphire Reserve Accounts before they nix the 100K point offer in a few days. We'll need to MS 8K and were planning to kill a BB acct that's never been used, ever, to do so.

Question; Will we be able to load 8K in SM GCs if we do it last day of month 1/first day of month 2, or do SM GCs no longer work for loading at Walmart MCE terminals?
Yes, if you receive your cards by 1/29, you can start loading 1000, 1000, 500 via registers. Max load per transaction is 1000 so if you got a friendly cashier, you can do 3 transactions for the day. Come back the next day to max out loads for January. Done.

You can also load less if you wish PROVIDED the cat has not caught up with the scheme. You can do these loads at the regular registers or at customer service in case all Kates are gone.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Jan 14, 2017, 7:42 pm
  #512  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 10
Thanks so much. The KATEs are gone in my area, but Simon GCs work to load at the service desk or register.

Now the question is if we shut the account down before getting busted, will we later be able to open another bluebird or serve to do it again? I've heard conflicting rumors...
veradico is offline  
Old Jan 15, 2017, 5:14 pm
  #513  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by veradico
Thanks so much. The KATEs are gone in my area, but Simon GCs work to load at the service desk or register.

Now the question is if we shut the account down before getting busted, will we later be able to open another bluebird or serve to do it again? I've heard conflicting rumors...
it's a game of chance, I've done 3 months before closing w/o the cat not noticing. object of the game is to open sometime mid month in time for cards to arrive and get loaded the last 2 days and the first 2 days of the next month. the third month load the first 2 days, close and then open again mid month. rinse and repeat. If the mice is caught, start anew with a virgin ssn.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Jan 17, 2017, 8:34 pm
  #514  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 19
Could I still load Bluebird at a Walmart MoneyCenter Express Kiosk?
fgroupgroup is offline  
Old Jan 18, 2017, 5:54 am
  #515  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by fgroupgroup
Could I still load Bluebird at a Walmart MoneyCenter Express Kiosk?
yes, if Kate still exists in your area; if you meant the MC booth, yes you can.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2017, 4:07 am
  #516  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,493
Originally Posted by veradico
Wife and I want to open 2 Chase Sapphire Reserve Accounts before they nix the 100K point offer in a few days. We'll need to MS 8K and were planning to kill a BB acct that's never been used, ever, to do so.

Question; Will we be able to load 8K in SM GCs if we do it last day of month 1/first day of month 2, or do SM GCs no longer work for loading at Walmart MCE terminals?

Thanks.
You can't load $5K in 1 day...unless something changed. I thought the max per day is $2.5K per card. So you would need 2 days at least in the month.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Feb 16, 2017, 2:23 pm
  #517  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 21
Angry

I didn't do anything on my BB account for the past year, and before I only did a couple of 500 GC loads in WM. Yesterday, I relinked my debit cards and withdraw fund sources. When I tried to add funds using my debit card just verified, it told me:

"Due to unusual usage patterns" I am not be able to add funds.

I called in through the usual telephone # on the "contact me" page, a person told me to try in one hour as their server has some problems (that was yesterday). But until now, no luck. Does that mean I was shut down? I never got shutdown emails. Is a new wave of shutdown coming, or my previous loading or maybe relinking funding sources triggered the problem?
i2000s is offline  
Old Feb 16, 2017, 3:30 pm
  #518  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 21
Originally Posted by i2000s
I didn't do anything on my BB account for the past year, and before I only did a couple of 500 GC loads in WM. Yesterday, I relinked my debit cards and withdraw fund sources. When I tried to add funds using my debit card just verified, it told me:

"Due to unusual usage patterns" I am not be able to add funds.

I called in through the usual telephone # on the "contact me" page, a person told me to try in one hour as their server has some problems (that was yesterday). But until now, no luck. Does that mean I was shut down? I never got shutdown emails. Is a new wave of shutdown coming, or my previous loading or maybe relinking funding sources triggered the problem?
I called in again with the # in the wiki summary. They couldn't figure out what is the cause, then they found this was a "fraud" alert. They asked me to wait for 15 days to see if this issue can be solved or I should call in again. Anyone has an idea, could this be solved eventually?
i2000s is offline  
Old Feb 16, 2017, 5:09 pm
  #519  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by i2000s
I called in again with the # in the wiki summary. They couldn't figure out what is the cause, then they found this was a "fraud" alert. They asked me to wait for 15 days to see if this issue can be solved or I should call in again. Anyone has an idea, could this be solved eventually?
IME, CSRs for am3x prepaids are just reading off a script, they don't know when cards are shutdown and will even tell customers their accounts are fine on their end when the customer sees the shutdown message on their accounts. Best way to find out is a test load online and see if you get the dreaded message. If you can still load, your account is fine; if not, you're shutdown.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Feb 16, 2017, 5:14 pm
  #520  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 21
Originally Posted by Mamibear
IME, CSRs for am3x prepaids are just reading off a script, they don't know when cards are shutdown and will even tell customers their accounts are fine on their end when the customer sees the shutdown message on their accounts. Best way to find out is a test load online and see if you get the dreaded message. If you can still load, your account is fine; if not, you're shutdown.
I think I was shut down using your method. But the CSR told me to wait for 15 days to see if it will work again. In reality, can they turn a dead account alive again after 15 days?
i2000s is offline  
Old Feb 16, 2017, 8:23 pm
  #521  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 89
Originally Posted by i2000s
I think I was shut down using your method. But the CSR told me to wait for 15 days to see if it will work again. In reality, can they turn a dead account alive again after 15 days?
There's a good chance this really is just a fraud hold. It happened to me on an old serve card once shortly after adding and using a new debit card. I had to send in a picture of my I'd to clear it. I think there's a link somewhere to send them docs, or used to be anyways back in 2015.
amazingjames is offline  
Old Feb 16, 2017, 11:53 pm
  #522  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 21
Originally Posted by amazingjames
There's a good chance this really is just a fraud hold. It happened to me on an old serve card once shortly after adding and using a new debit card. I had to send in a picture of my I'd to clear it. I think there's a link somewhere to send them docs, or used to be anyways back in 2015.
@amazingjames,
Unfortunately, when I try hard to look into my inbox, there was an account-freezing email one year ago. I totally forgot about it, which has basically said the same thing, "due to unusual usage patterns, loading funds was disabled..."
Sorry for my bad memory. In that case, could BB people still be able to reactive my account after one-year's inactivity?
i2000s is offline  
Old Feb 17, 2017, 6:59 am
  #523  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 89
Originally Posted by i2000s
@amazingjames,
Unfortunately, when I try hard to look into my inbox, there was an account-freezing email one year ago. I totally forgot about it, which has basically said the same thing, "due to unusual usage patterns, loading funds was disabled..."
Sorry for my bad memory. In that case, could BB people still be able to reactive my account after one-year's inactivity?
Ah, in that case I think you're probably out of luck. It doesn't hurt to keep it open to hope that'll it'll start working again. So far, it seems few who have had cards shut down and closed their accounts have been able to reopen, including myself.
amazingjames is offline  
Old Feb 17, 2017, 10:10 pm
  #524  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 21
Originally Posted by amazingjames
Ah, in that case I think you're probably out of luck. It doesn't hurt to keep it open to hope that'll it'll start working again. So far, it seems few who have had cards shut down and closed their accounts have been able to reopen, including myself.
Frankly speaking, I only want to use it for normal bill pay. I hope when I call in in 2 weeks, there is a different result. Thank you for following this question.
i2000s is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2017, 1:00 pm
  #525  
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 29
i just wondering does bluebird take out debit function to deposit?
hp9688 is offline  

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