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

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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

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Old Jun 14, 2014, 12:46 am
  #1891  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
I went to another target. No problem. I find that cashiers that have never load an aft, you get no hassle. You just give them step by step instructions.
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Old Jun 14, 2014, 1:37 am
  #1892  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by thumpkin
The cashier needs the last four of your CC or AGC, not the AFT. I just used an AGC to load yesterday. No changes in the system prompts that I could see. HTH!
Well, that would definitely be the problem then. I thought it was weird when he asked for the AFT digits, but this was my first loading attempt and I didn't want to make a big deal. Thank you!

Last edited by jrossman; Jun 14, 2014 at 1:46 am
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Old Jun 14, 2014, 9:59 am
  #1893  
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Anyone in south jersey , philly area care to share a location where I can find this elusive product? I have tried few targets in my neighborhood with no luck. PM is welcome and I really appreciate any help.
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Old Jun 14, 2014, 10:13 am
  #1894  
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Why did someone call it amex for target (AFT)?

Why not Target Amex prepaid (TAPP)?
Marathon Man is offline  
Old Jun 14, 2014, 10:31 am
  #1895  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: New York
Posts: 391
Originally Posted by Marathon Man
Why did someone call it amex for target (AFT)?

Why not Target Amex prepaid (TAPP)?
Maybe it sounds "classier," and, therefore, more appealing to the target consumer, the under-banked? [top hat and monocle emoticon]
smoothmunkey is offline  
Old Jun 14, 2014, 10:49 am
  #1896  
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Originally Posted by smoothmunkey
Maybe it sounds "classier," and, therefore, more appealing to the target consumer, the under-banked? [top hat and monocle emoticon]
Yes haha

Now was it them who named it or fters?
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Old Jun 14, 2014, 11:08 am
  #1897  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 829
Originally Posted by Marathon Man
Yes haha

Now was it them who named it or fters?
Amex for Flyer Talk, that's what it is
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Old Jun 14, 2014, 11:57 am
  #1898  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: New York
Posts: 391
Originally Posted by MaineCoon
Amex for Flyer Talk, that's what it is
^
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Old Jun 14, 2014, 11:57 am
  #1899  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: New York
Posts: 391
Originally Posted by Marathon Man
Yes haha

Now was it them who named it or fters?
^
smoothmunkey is offline  
Old Jun 14, 2014, 12:42 pm
  #1900  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 138
Originally Posted by jrossman
I was actually going to ask if something had changed with the amex for target and loading with gift cards. I recently got an AFT and was going to load it for the first time tonight with an amex gift card. The cashier tried a few times, but it wasn't working. After I swiped my AGC, the cashier said he needed the last four digits of my AFT. After entering the four digits each time, it would give an error message. The balance on my gift card was fine and as far as I know, everything was ready to go with my AFT card. I was wondering if there was a policy change or if I was doing something wrong at the register?
I loaded an AFT with an AGC today, (and yes, it still auto-sucked the remaining balance off of the AGC before prompting for another card for the remainder of the $1000 load.)
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Old Jun 14, 2014, 12:47 pm
  #1901  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 394
Question

deleted

Last edited by givingitatry; Jun 16, 2014 at 1:35 pm Reason: delete
givingitatry is offline  
Old Jun 14, 2014, 12:53 pm
  #1902  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 138
Originally Posted by givingitatry
has anyone tried using the AFT to purchase ACG online through a portal? I don't have the ability to use AP and was thinking this might be an option to get some cash back and spread the charges to my miles cards instead of just showing ACG all the time.


Sorry if this has been asked before, I tried looking back 10 pages.

Regards
I can tell you that the AFT works for Visa gift card purchases at many online places, which is a more direct path to liquidation (though you'd give up the 4% be frugal option which might be what you're after.)
skibum3d is offline  
Old Jun 14, 2014, 2:28 pm
  #1903  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 757
Originally Posted by Marathon Man
Why did someone call it amex for target (AFT)?

Why not Target Amex prepaid (TAPP)?
You gonna TAPP dat AFT?

Sorry, couldn't resist.
dcpilgrim is offline  
Old Jun 14, 2014, 5:15 pm
  #1904  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 394
aft

Thanks for the reply skibum. I have quite a few locations I can get VCG without going the online route. You are correct in assuming the cash back angle from a portal.

saw earlier post that AFT-AGC doesn't work, deleted this portion

One question, has anyone had issues draining the card in the first 2 days or did most people wait?

Last edited by givingitatry; Jun 16, 2014 at 1:36 pm
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Old Jun 14, 2014, 5:41 pm
  #1905  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Sweet Home Chicago
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 646
Originally Posted by givingitatry
Thanks for the reply skibum. I have quite a few locations I can get VCG without going the online route. You are correct in assuming the cash back angle from a portal.

I picked up an AFT card today. I will give it a try and report back if no one else has done previously.

One question, has anyone had issues draining the card in the first 2 days or did most people wait?
Go right to it. These cards will never give you a minutes worth of trouble so long as you can count.
MDWCommuter is offline  


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