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AmEx for Target: $400/week credit card ATM withdrawals for 1.3%+ in certain cities

Old Feb 8, 2014, 2:22 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: weezl
please be aware the Target breach cards are currently on the black market, as always be aware of activity on all accounts

Purchase in store. Each store seems to have just one lane that has them on display (unlike the AMEX GC which are at most lanes). Package is larger than other gift cards, silver and red.

Not available in all states. Search here for possible locations

Note: Unlike AMEX's restriction on BB/Serve/Redbird where one person can only hold one of those, you can have an AFT (2, actually) while holding a BB, Serve, or Redbird

Need DL to purchase.
Max 1 purchase per ss# per day--this means one person can actually have 2 AFT cards, which is why there is a $5000 total limit for 2 cards (see below).
Max initial load $500 + $3 load fee.

May reload temp card as soon as verification of identity is complete, may take 48 hours. You can use an ATM with a temp card as soon as you're able to view your temp card PIN online. If you're unable to view your PIN online, you won't be able to use an ATM until you have the permanent card, which takes about two weeks.

Many stores now limit reloading to the service desk, and no longer at cashiers. The card must be swiped at a cash terminal to reload, not scanned! Ask cashiers to try if they don't seem to recognize the card. Ask if loading at service desk is a policy, it might just be a knee-jerk response from cashiers that don't know about the card. I have been told that a few times, "You need to go to the Service Desk," it has never been true. Say please and thank you.

Limits & Fees
Loading
Codes as purchase on all cards.
Load fee $3
Max $1000 per card in 24 hour period.
Max $5000 total for both cards per 28 day rolling period.
May load any card *until* balance is $2500 for 28 day period (not *up to*)

System will allow a $1000 load on a card with a $2000 balance so long as you are under $5000 for all cards over 28 day period. See below for optimal load sequence, $15/$5k a month after 1st month and $15k in 65 days for new cards.

Unload via ATM
Max $400/card/day (resets sometime in the wee hours of the morning)
First ATM w/d per month per card is free, based on 1st of the month (not rolling)+ any ATM owner fee.
Additional ATM w/d fee $3 + ATM fee.

When asked 'from account' choose 'checking.'

Possibly helpful link:
Free and Low-Cost ATMs

Unload by purchases
No fee. No cash back.

Additional information

Optimal load pattern for least number of $3 fees after first $500 load is $3k/$2k.
New accounts can load $15k in 65 days. 4 trips in a week for new cards, 3 in a week once a month after that.

Load always means load $1000. 28 day load total in parenthesis. 'Dropped' means that load is past the 28 day mark.


Day 1: Purchase card #1, load $500
Day 3: Purchase card #2, load $500; Load card #1 ($1500)
Day 5: load card #1 ($2500); load card #2 ($1500)
Day 7: load card #2 ($2500)
*********************************wait************
Day 29: ($2000)($2500) day 1 dropped
Day 31: ($1000)($2000) day 3 dropped
Day 32: load card #1 ($2000) ; load card #2 ($3000)
Day 33: ($1000)($2000) day 5 dropped
Day 34: load card #1 ($2000); load card #2 ($3000)
Day 35: ($2000) ($2000) day 7 dropped
Day 36: load card #1 ($3000), ($2000)
*********************************wait************
Day 61: load both cards, day 32 dropped
Day 63: load both cards
Day 65: load one card.

Repeat Loads waiting 29 days between loads, if you loaded both cards 29 days ago load both now, if you loaded one card, load one now. So next load date is 61+29= Day 90

FAQ

Q: Will this show up as a CA?
A: No, Target is not a financial institution.

Q: Even with xxxx cards?
A: Yes, no cards will be charged a CA.

Q: Can I load with Visa/MC/Amex Gift Cards?
A: Yes. Also the balance can be detected and drained if you ask to load more than the value on a prepaid it will just prompt you to give a second payment form. Great for draining random balances.

Q: How about Target gift cards?
A: The register prompts not to allow Target gift cards. They may not be hard coded, though.

Q: Will I get 5% off if I load with a Target Red card?
A: No. Sorry, I wish.

Q: Can I load multiple cards in one transaction?
A: Yes. Up to 3 cards can be loaded in one transaction, but each card will be charged $3.

Q: Why load multiple accounts in one transaction?
A: to avoid multiple $1003 transactions on same CC in minutes. This may trigger a fraud alert.

Q:Is there a max number of payment swipes?
A: Yes. Maximum swipes for split payments is 7, though other users have reported being able to swipe at least 10 gift cards for payment without problems.

Q: Any reason not to load multiple cards in one transaction?
A: Yes, when you have multiple small value gift cards to unload because of 7 swipe limit.

Q: The title says withdrawals are 1.3%, is that true?
A: No. Do the math. I'm not very good at math. Under 1.3% includes Costco ATM fees. It is not possible to edit a thread title, the fees are lower due to the ATM limit now being $400.

Q: What are the lowest possible fees with a fee-free ATM available?
A: For 2 cards, each loaded with $2.5K each over 2 months ($10K in total), you would pay $30 in loading fees (10 load fees of $3 each) and $63 in ATM fees (25 total withdrawals, with 1 free withdrawal per card each month, resulting in 21 ATM fees of $3 each).


Official fund loading from T&C

You may load funds to your Cards using your Funding Source until the Available Funds on any Card purchased by you equals $2,500 and on all card purchased by you equals $5,000... Not more than $1,000 may be loaded to any Card purchased by you in a 24 hour period using your Funding Source, not more than $5,000 may be loaded to all Cards purchased by you in any 28-day period using your Funding Source.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE IF YOU LOADED YOUR PREPAID CARD AT TARGET DURING THE CHRISTMAS SECURITY BREACH: It is important to have AMEX reissue your cards (just phone the number on the card and ask for a new card). Thieves have the numbers and pins and can drain your account at any time. AMEX does not appear to be using software to block suspicious activity, so they can drain it all. If you loaded your prepaid card at Target between November 27 and December 15, 2013, you are at significant risk of having your money stolen (several reported cases in April and May).
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AmEx for Target: $400/week credit card ATM withdrawals for 1.3%+ in certain cities

Old Apr 9, 2014, 2:54 pm
  #1516  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Originally Posted by mleyd
AFT is obviously not the best way to MS but it is A way to MS for miles and points. I use it to meet min spend and then I put $800 a month on 2 AFT cards. I shop at Target often and live directly across the street from a fee free ATM. It's not going to get me an Explorer Award with AA (but then again, nothing will anymore), but every little bit counts. It's slightly less than the current 100% trade bonus for US Air points at 1.5 cents a mile with my US card but I am starting to rack up my Club Carlson points and get 5/$1 with that card and I value those points very highly.
Hi, is the ATM machine a CU, etc?

I am trying to search for a no fee ATM in my area, but not sure what to look for other than visiting all the atm machines.
sosamo is offline  
Old Apr 9, 2014, 6:49 pm
  #1517  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 34
Originally Posted by sosamo
Hi, is the ATM machine a CU, etc?

I am trying to search for a no fee ATM in my area, but not sure what to look for other than visiting all the atm machines.
It's a Wawa gas station. I suggest doing a google maps search for banks in your area and searching their sites for info on ATM fees. I believe Navy Federal may be fee free, never tried using their ATM with another card.
mleyd is offline  
Old Apr 10, 2014, 12:41 pm
  #1518  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 437
Damnit. I should have tried finding a fee-free ATM before signing up for this card. Tried like 4 different CUs with no luck. Anyone in Sacramento, CA have a tip for me?
vinhboy is offline  
Old Apr 10, 2014, 12:55 pm
  #1519  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Originally Posted by vinhboy
Damnit. I should have tried finding a fee-free ATM before signing up for this card. Tried like 4 different CUs with no luck. Anyone in Sacramento, CA have a tip for me?
I am in SoCal, anybody with tips let me know also

p.s. my costco don't have an ATM machine.
sosamo is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2014, 12:57 am
  #1520  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 3
I have read and done research, but having a difficult time trying to purchase ATF....

Has anyone been able to buy this anywhere in Florida lately?

I have been to many (over 15) Target Stores in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando in the last month and they did not have any.

At 2 Super Targets (in Miramar) I found the original display for them, but no Amex for target cards where available anywhere. I asked management and they said that they had not received any in a long time.

Please help me, if you know where I might be able to find them.

Thanks in advance for any help.
al456456 is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2014, 2:38 pm
  #1521  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
I think the Store locator on AMEX.com is not accurate. Even though it says the store sells it, most of the time the store do not have the cards, just the card board display box.

I was lucky to find 2 out of 5 stores in SoCal that had them. The other 3 stores, the employees didn't even know what they are. Last night I went to one of those stores to load my card, the 2 cashiers just gave me a blank stare. I told them,"swipe it, and the there will be onscreen instructions".

side note. I have been complaining about my new Citi Hilton Reserve. I had to call the fraud dept twice. I was able to get 1 charge in for $500 at Target, but after that got denied a few more times. I am still able to use the card to buy lunch, but now I have to call citi for a 3rd time. I guess once I am done with the required spend, I am done with this card.
sosamo is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2014, 5:25 pm
  #1522  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Sweet Home Chicago
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 646
Originally Posted by sosamo
side note. I have been complaining about my new Citi Hilton Reserve. I had to call the fraud dept twice. I was able to get 1 charge in for $500 at Target, but after that got denied a few more times. I am still able to use the card to buy lunch, but now I have to call citi for a 3rd time. I guess once I am done with the required spend, I am done with this card.
Call Citi and give them hell. I had this same problem -- every single bloody time I loaded my AFT at Target since the breach I've been getting fraud alerts. So I called Citi and told them to knock it off or I was canceling the card. Done. Smooth sailing since then.
MDWCommuter is offline  
Old Apr 11, 2014, 5:36 pm
  #1523  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Originally Posted by MDWCommuter
Call Citi and give them hell. I had this same problem -- every single bloody time I loaded my AFT at Target since the breach I've been getting fraud alerts. So I called Citi and told them to knock it off or I was canceling the card. Done. Smooth sailing since then.
Thanks. I called them twice. Have to do it a 3rd time. Maybe tonight. I tried online chat, they said sorry, but I still have to call in.

Call #2 I told them I want to make a complaint, and they sorry, and that they already noted it.
sosamo is offline  
Old Apr 12, 2014, 3:21 pm
  #1524  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: PDX & PHX
Programs: AA,AS,HH,HY,IB,LH,IHG,MAR,WN
Posts: 199
Thumbs up

Originally Posted by mleyd
AFT is obviously not the best way to MS but it is A way to MS for miles and points. I use it to meet min spend and then I put $800 a month on 2 AFT cards. I shop at Target often and live directly across the street from a fee free ATM. It's not going to get me an Explorer Award with AA (but then again, nothing will anymore), but every little bit counts. It's slightly less than the current 100% trade bonus for US Air points at 1.5 cents a mile with my US card but I am starting to rack up my Club Carlson points and get 5/$1 with that card and I value those points very highly.
+1
HiYoSilver is offline  
Old Apr 18, 2014, 5:03 pm
  #1525  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 434
I purchased the card one week ago and still haven't received a hard copy and website still says "once your personal info is verified"
How long does it take?
xoxx is offline  
Old Apr 18, 2014, 9:03 pm
  #1526  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: SLC
Posts: 96
Originally Posted by xoxx
I purchased the card one week ago and still haven't received a hard copy and website still says "once your personal info is verified"
How long does it take?
I purchased my on 4/8/14. I only received my permanent card yesterday 4/17/14 so it took 9 days.

Did you use the temporary card to log in to the website?
I think it asked me questions when I logged in to "verify" my information.
I don't know if that was a required step.
MauiKauaiOahu is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2014, 7:30 am
  #1527  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 51
It took me about 9 days as well but it felt like much longer.
sethjvm is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2014, 3:11 pm
  #1528  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 401
Instead of worrying about the ATM withdrawal fees, couldn't we just load the AFT to the Amex card issued in collaboration with another giant retailer *cough*?

These AFTs have a PIN, so why would there by any reason why it wouldn't work?
MDJennings is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2014, 3:22 pm
  #1529  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: NYC
Posts: 5,021
Originally Posted by MDJennings
Instead of worrying about the ATM withdrawal fees, couldn't we just load the AFT to the Amex card issued in collaboration with another giant retailer *cough*?

These AFTs have a PIN, so why would there by any reason why it wouldn't work?
it is an ATM pin. Does not work as a debit. You need the latter for WM to BB.
Domat is online now  
Old Apr 19, 2014, 4:06 pm
  #1530  
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 647
Originally Posted by al456456
I have read and done research, but having a difficult time trying to purchase ATF....

Has anyone been able to buy this anywhere in Florida lately?

I have been to many (over 15) Target Stores in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando in the last month and they did not have any.

At 2 Super Targets (in Miramar) I found the original display for them, but no Amex for target cards where available anywhere. I asked management and they said that they had not received any in a long time.

Please help me, if you know where I might be able to find them.

Thanks in advance for any help.
One store in Jacksonville does but they didnt know how to load it
kingrat is offline  

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