Wal-Mart, Amex take on banks with Bluebird debit card
#3871
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: Amex MR, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 518
#3872
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 970
Interesting. I tried to load my Target Amex right after buying an Amex gc today. Load wouldn't complete and the cashier said "new policy cant use gc to load any more" I was bummed, but now see it might just be activation issue, so will try again tomorrow. Fingers -and toes - crossed...
#3873
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 116
Interesting. I tried to load my Target Amex right after buying an Amex gc today. Load wouldn't complete and the cashier said "new policy cant use gc to load any more" I was bummed, but now see it might just be activation issue, so will try again tomorrow. Fingers -and toes - crossed...
Last edited by michael160; Dec 9, 2012 at 5:07 am
#3874
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 494
Working now!!
IT IS WORKING NOW!!!^^^
I just loaded my VRs into BB successfully. Bought them yesterday at CVS using prepaid VISA. Less than 24 hrs though.
I just loaded my VRs into BB successfully. Bought them yesterday at CVS using prepaid VISA. Less than 24 hrs though.
#3875
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 242
Saturday afternoon I bought 2 at a CVS at the same time. Last night I loaded the first one with no problems at all. The second one came up with the Card is Deactivated (4002) error.
So I called Bluebird, and they told me there is a software glitch effecting 100% of all CVS cards purchased Saturday, and to wait 24 hours. I mentioned the first one I bought worked just fine, but Bluebird couldn't answer why (and I quickly let it go.) I tried again this morning, still deactivated, and plan to try again this afternoon (or later this morning.)
So I called Bluebird, and they told me there is a software glitch effecting 100% of all CVS cards purchased Saturday, and to wait 24 hours. I mentioned the first one I bought worked just fine, but Bluebird couldn't answer why (and I quickly let it go.) I tried again this morning, still deactivated, and plan to try again this afternoon (or later this morning.)
#3876
#3878
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 494
Mine was purchased at 2:00 PM EST and all day yesterday it failed to load into BB. This morning it did work. So, I would guess it is about how many hours do you have WAIT since you bought them is the KEY.
In any normal business, most of these updates happen as nightly batch load but since you still have issues with your VRs, I tend to manipulate X hours from the time it was purchased. Again who knows.
In any normal business, most of these updates happen as nightly batch load but since you still have issues with your VRs, I tend to manipulate X hours from the time it was purchased. Again who knows.
#3879
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Flyover Territory
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 687
Still no luck
My VR cards purchased at CVS Saturday afternoon at 1pm are still getting the "card is deactivated" error at 9am Sunday.
guess I need to wait the full 24 hours...
Anita
guess I need to wait the full 24 hours...
Anita
#3880
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: MSP
Programs: DL, UA, HHonors, SPG
Posts: 41
I bought mine at 3pm CDT yesterday, and got the deactivation message yesterday. Since I tried loading it multiple times, and getting the error message, thinking I was inputting the account number or pin number wrong, i was a little worried that the card really would become deactivated, but tried it again this morning and it worked. So glad, as its snowing here, and I wasn't going to brave the slippery roads to go back to the store to try to get it reactivated or replaced if it didn't work today.
#3881
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL PM, SPG Plat
Posts: 885
Interesting. I tried to load my Target Amex right after buying an Amex gc today. Load wouldn't complete and the cashier said "new policy cant use gc to load any more" I was bummed, but now see it might just be activation issue, so will try again tomorrow. Fingers -and toes - crossed...
#3882
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fairfield County, CT USA
Programs: AA PLT+2MM / DL DM+1MM / A3 *G / Fairmont LT Plat / Ritz Gold / SPG Gold
Posts: 4,077
My second batch from yesterday (which got the 24 hour notice) worked this morning in far less than 24 hours from purchase.
#3883
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fairfield County, CT USA
Programs: AA PLT+2MM / DL DM+1MM / A3 *G / Fairmont LT Plat / Ritz Gold / SPG Gold
Posts: 4,077
For just $100, your approach makes sense to me.
#3884
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Texas
Programs: AA Gold, Starwood Gold
Posts: 125
Checks slow
So, I live in a small town and there are a few bills I pay each month by check, one of them being my mortgage. Not sure if it is just because I live in a small town or if anyone else is having trouble with this, but the checks are consistently 3-5 business days later than when Bluebird says they should arrive. So, they are getting there and, since this is a new product, I was sending payments way ahead of time - leading to no trouble for me for mortgage, taxes, payment, etc. Anyone else having issues with checks arriving way after arrival date?
You can add as much as $10,000 per month to the account, with a limit of $1,000 in deposits in any one day.
Even if you don't go to a office supply store to reload with Vanilla cards, as long as you can find vanilla cards to purchase, this could be lucrative. Just a thought...right now, I do bill pay to pay my mortgage..it always has to come from a check, but being able to load this with a vanilla card, then cut a check for mortgage/rent with hardly any fees (just the vanilla card fee), this could be of awesome use.
Even if you don't go to a office supply store to reload with Vanilla cards, as long as you can find vanilla cards to purchase, this could be lucrative. Just a thought...right now, I do bill pay to pay my mortgage..it always has to come from a check, but being able to load this with a vanilla card, then cut a check for mortgage/rent with hardly any fees (just the vanilla card fee), this could be of awesome use.
#3885
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MKE
Programs: Fly: AA EXP UA Gold MM Stay: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat Drive: Avis PC, Hertz PC
Posts: 782
I don't think 24 hours of waiting has anything to do with it. "24 hours" was more of a promise that they would work within 24 hours, not that you need to wait 24.
My second batch from yesterday (which got the 24 hour notice) worked this morning in far less than 24 hours from purchase.
My second batch from yesterday (which got the 24 hour notice) worked this morning in far less than 24 hours from purchase.