Wal-Mart, Amex take on banks with Bluebird debit card
Dec 13, 2012, 9:30 pm
#4111
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, mid-tier with pretty much everyone else
Posts: 873
Manager was called at CVS. No problem, he said I had to use cash and I told him it was a reload card and not a debit card and that placated him, but there was a line who saw it, I left, and then it got freaky.
Some guy saw I was buying $1k worth of VR and before long there was a set of headlights that were very suspiciously following me, up until I drove to a nearby police station.
Be careful out there.
Some guy saw I was buying $1k worth of VR and before long there was a set of headlights that were very suspiciously following me, up until I drove to a nearby police station.
Be careful out there.
Dec 13, 2012, 9:49 pm
#4112
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SDF
Programs: UA, HH
Posts: 692
Crap, I can't keep up with CVS locations, now I need to learn police stations too?
Dec 13, 2012, 10:44 pm
#4113
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MN
Programs: Lots of programs, dirt on all of them!
Posts: 11,938
Dec 13, 2012, 10:59 pm
#4114
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Chicago
Posts: 231
I tried 4 CVS in Chicago. One near downtown and 3 in downtown. Only one out of the four sell them and for the one store that sell them the beans in that one are all gone. sigh. Such a hot cake.
Dec 13, 2012, 11:24 pm
#4115
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: AAdvantage, MileagePlus
Posts: 84
I know the profit margins are for naught/minor at best, but if these places just made people sign up for their rewards programs to buy VR/GCs, then introduced a measure to verify entered information (open for suggestions), they'd have the lot of us hook line and sinker. Avoid a good amount of fraud and get schlubs like us in there buying VR, soda, and candy bars. Not to mention the marketing sales they'd get by selling off our addresses and emails.
Please someone show me the obvious fault in that logic I just know I'm missing. Too many holiday parties...
Please someone show me the obvious fault in that logic I just know I'm missing. Too many holiday parties...
Last edited by frozyn; Dec 13, 2012 at 11:49 pm
Dec 13, 2012, 11:33 pm
#4116
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, SPG gold, PC Plat, CC gold
Posts: 196
Dec 13, 2012, 11:47 pm
#4117
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 294
I went to 4 different CVS stores in Sacramento today found no VR. I see plenty of the black MyVanilla Reloadable card. Is there some way to work with these my vanilla card?
Dec 13, 2012, 11:53 pm
#4118
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: AAdvantage, MileagePlus
Posts: 84
Dec 14, 2012, 1:53 am
#4119
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
Dec 14, 2012, 4:17 am
#4120
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, IHG Plat, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 5,015
Absolutely! You can stay at the Aloft New York Brooklyn for 7,000 Starpoints per night, which costs only $55.30 using VR. Try staying there on any night for $55.30. Even during the slowest period of the year, you'd have to pay at least $129.00 a night.
Dec 14, 2012, 4:30 am
#4121
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, IHG Plat, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 5,015
We're looking at $79 for 10k points, which while nothing to scoff at, isn't that valuable on the face. You'd end up paying somewhere in the neighborhood of $275 to get enough points for your usual domestic redemption.
Guess the key is to find bonus categories, passthroughs(buying "gift" debit cards at a bonus category store), etc. Not for the faint of heart, eh?
Guess the key is to find bonus categories, passthroughs(buying "gift" debit cards at a bonus category store), etc. Not for the faint of heart, eh?
Dec 14, 2012, 7:04 am
#4122
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 42
Not necessary to find bonus categories at all. SPG points are worth about 2.5 cents each - use the SPG Amex. Also, the US Airways Premier World MasterCard® allows redemptions at 20K for domestic air travel (you get a 5K discount). That's just $158 R/T. Where have you seen long-haul domestic flights recently for $158 R/T?
Dec 14, 2012, 9:06 am
#4123
Join Date: May 2007
Location: DEN
Programs: DL PM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,816
my VR hotspot See Vee Ess is no more in Dover, DE. Have been buying there with one Vanilla's directly from the manager in the past and today no more. Cash only directly from the manager that I have purchased from before. I tried the argument of its not a prepaid debit card so it doesnt fall into that memo and he wouldnt budge...said the registers wouldnt allow it and wouldnt even try a transaction to see.......now I gotta figure out how to dump these One Vanillas
Dec 14, 2012, 9:24 am
#4124
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,172
is the Vanilla load to Bluebird $1k per day or $1k per 24 hours?
I loaded 1k after midnight ET, it posted with a 12/13 date to bluebird. Now I get an error when trying to load another card. Do I need to wait 24 hours?
I loaded 1k after midnight ET, it posted with a 12/13 date to bluebird. Now I get an error when trying to load another card. Do I need to wait 24 hours?
Dec 14, 2012, 9:27 am
#4125
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: DFW
Posts: 1,145
Plus, you have bonus transfers...spg to avios right now is a key one (which is why i just banked 10K points this month alone on SPG spend with CVS) 20K spg turns into a little over 31K avios. That's short haul first class roundtrip on AA for $158. Shoot, most would pay $158 just for a coach roundtrip. NYC-Montreal rarely drops below $300 for coach, yet now you can buy first class for $158. Go with Amex GC's through BC, and now you are getting paid to cash in your points for first class.