Just to close this question out - I called BB. Now, I realize what one rep says can be totally different than another, but with that said ...I was told it's not a problem if the payee just deposits the check. The phone call is more for the payee to be confident that the funds exist and when they expire (if they care)....as described below.
IOW, the payee calling to verify the check is not required, according to the single BB rep I just spoke to. Good enough for me!
Originally Posted by
groobie
From the Bluebird Help FAQ:
Recipient Confirmation
Anyone accepting a Bluebird Check can call 1-866-289-9588 and follow the prompts to learn whether the check has been pre-authorized. The recipient will also hear the expiration date, which is 180 days from the date the check was pre-authorized. An expired check will not be honored by us; any check that has expired will be declined, even if your account balance is sufficient.
So I agree with the interpretation that this is Can, not Must. If your landlord thinks you're sketchy and wants to make sure the check won't bounce, they can call the number and make sure it's good. But otherwise, if someone just deposits the check, it will process like any other check would.
BTW, I just pre-authorized 4 checks for my fed and state taxes and estimated taxes. Combined they are well over $2000, but none of the individual checks are over $2000. They all went through fine. I'm planning on avoiding checks over $2000 by splitting them up because the extra steps for large checks seem complicated. But if anyone wants to go through it and report back, I'd be interested in hearing if large checks cause any real problems or annoyances.