Feb 8, 2014, 2:22 pm
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).
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).
AmEx for Target: $400/week credit card ATM withdrawals for 1.3%+ in certain cities
Apr 28, 2014, 8:07 pm
#1546
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 276
I once wasted $1.25 doing a balance inquiry (on a Buxx card) because I was trying to figure out which to pick and figured it would give me an error or a $0 balance if I picked the wrong one.
Apr 28, 2014, 9:30 pm
#1547
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: DL-Polished Aluminum, Air Mobility Command-Chartreuse
Posts: 394
And then I go by a box of Costco cookies and cookiemonster out until I'm covered in 20's and crumbs.
Apr 29, 2014, 9:13 pm
#1548
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 204
anyone have any trouble loading amex gc to their amex for target card?
Apr 30, 2014, 10:35 am
#1553
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 375
Anyone happen to know the register load instructions for existing cards [a la WM BB]? Haven't found a cashier yet who knows how to load, so I'm always going to the CSR.
Apr 30, 2014, 12:33 pm
#1554
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Most if not all the cashiers I go to in Target does not know what the card is. I just tell them to swipe it, and the instructions will pop up.
Apr 30, 2014, 12:34 pm
#1555
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 757
Just hand them the card and tell them to swipe it. The screen will walk them through it. I do this with every cashier I wind up with if there is a line at the CSR. The big bold no funding via a target GC will give them pause, but its no biggie.
Apr 30, 2014, 1:40 pm
#1556
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Has anyone tried to purchase a GC at CVS with the AFT?
Scenario:
Let say I have 250.00 in my AFT. I do not want to spend $3 + ATM fee to withdraw $240.
Can I buy a $500 GC, swipe the AFT, and the POS will drain the account, then ask for another card for the rest of the balance?
Scenario:
Let say I have 250.00 in my AFT. I do not want to spend $3 + ATM fee to withdraw $240.
Can I buy a $500 GC, swipe the AFT, and the POS will drain the account, then ask for another card for the rest of the balance?
Apr 30, 2014, 3:11 pm
#1557
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 276
Personalized ones have always worked for me.
Register a non personalized if that was what was causing issues and it may help.
Yes have them swipe the card, I tend to flash the card. Since the Target Gift Card is red it lets them see that I'm not trying to use one. I ask for split tender. They will ask an amount but I've guessed wrong and never had an issue with it. It just drains it and gives a remaining due balance. I tend to do two or three small balance cards to drain them and then finish off with a bigger one. One thing I live is that the receipt tells you which cards you used any any remaining balance. Makes it easy.
Register a non personalized if that was what was causing issues and it may help.
Yes have them swipe the card, I tend to flash the card. Since the Target Gift Card is red it lets them see that I'm not trying to use one. I ask for split tender. They will ask an amount but I've guessed wrong and never had an issue with it. It just drains it and gives a remaining due balance. I tend to do two or three small balance cards to drain them and then finish off with a bigger one. One thing I live is that the receipt tells you which cards you used any any remaining balance. Makes it easy.
Apr 30, 2014, 3:21 pm
#1558
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 276
Has anyone tried to purchase a GC at CVS with the AFT?
Scenario:
Let say I have 250.00 in my AFT. I do not want to spend $3 + ATM fee to withdraw $240.
Can I buy a $500 GC, swipe the AFT, and the POS will drain the account, then ask for another card for the rest of the balance?
Scenario:
Let say I have 250.00 in my AFT. I do not want to spend $3 + ATM fee to withdraw $240.
Can I buy a $500 GC, swipe the AFT, and the POS will drain the account, then ask for another card for the rest of the balance?
CVS has a no prepaid with prepaid rule. Draining a card is a dead giveaway that it is a prepaid. You might get away with it or you might ruin a relationship. My CVS gets very uncomfortable with split tenders. If you are going to try it ask upfront to pay with two cards, don't have it auto drain reamainig balance.
Why not load more funds or just wait until the 1st for the fee free ATM withdrawal?
I do use mine to buy Visa Gift cards, but mostly place I know are fine with me just telling them the last 4 digits.
Apr 30, 2014, 5:45 pm
#1559
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,721
Finally found one! Back of card says "load at participating Target stores and at americanexpress.com/target".
Can we actually load online using a CC? Website doesn't let me register yet ("Error 404: Invalid path {0} was requested "), and I looked through the last ~50 posts and didn't see it discussed.
Also, I'm guessing you can load another person's AFT as long as cashier lets you (a la BB).
Can we actually load online using a CC? Website doesn't let me register yet ("Error 404: Invalid path {0} was requested "), and I looked through the last ~50 posts and didn't see it discussed.
Also, I'm guessing you can load another person's AFT as long as cashier lets you (a la BB).
Apr 30, 2014, 5:51 pm
#1560
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
Finally found one! Back of card says "load at participating Target stores and at americanexpress.com/target".
Can we actually load online using a CC? Website doesn't let me register yet ("Error 404: Invalid path {0} was requested "), and I looked through the last ~50 posts and didn't see it discussed.
Also, I'm guessing you can load another person's AFT as long as cashier lets you (a la BB).
Can we actually load online using a CC? Website doesn't let me register yet ("Error 404: Invalid path {0} was requested "), and I looked through the last ~50 posts and didn't see it discussed.
Also, I'm guessing you can load another person's AFT as long as cashier lets you (a la BB).
Did you make the first $500 load at the register? ($3).
If you didn't then, you cannot register online.