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Bluebird prepaid debit, now with FDIC insurance and paper checks (2013-2014)

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Old Apr 3, 2013, 11:44 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: markr33
Read the wiki before posting a question.

Check your BB load limits BEFORE asking in this thread about "tender not allowed" or any other errors.

Bluebird website. There's no need to buy a Bluebird kit in-store; sign-up free on the website.

The original FlyerTalk discussion thread is here: Wal-Mart, Amex take on banks with Bluebird debit card

Bluebird Load Limits:
  • BB loading via VR or WM load: $2,500/day and $5,000 total per calendar month
  • Online Debit Card Load* - $200/day and $1,000/month
  • Checking/Savings Account - $2,000/month
  • Checks - $2,000/day and $10,000/month
  • ATM Withdrawals - $750/day and $2,000/month

*For online debit load, only use of bank-issued cards is allowed. The use of pre-paid debit cards (Netspend, Paypower, Univision, Paypal, etc.) and VGC/MGC/AGCs is not allowed. Your account will be flagged upon first/second attempt. If blocked, call Account Protection Services at 1-800-660-2454 to clear it (9am-8pm EST, Mon-Fri).

The day currently resets around midnight Eastern/11pm Central/10pm Mountain/9pm Pacific.

For online bill pay
  • You can pay the credit card that you used to buy reloads
  • Error 1302 means that you have 1 pending payment the same amount as the one you just submitted. For example, 1000 bill pay to sapphire preferred from Friday and then on Saturday you submit another bill pay for 1000 to sapphire preferred, you will get this error.
  • Tip: if using online bill pay to the same place multiple times, vary your amounts by $0.01 to make it easier to track since your confirmation number does not match the tracking number on your credit card statement


Loading with debit card at Walmart
Self checkout does not work for loading.

Many Walmart stores are enforcing a rule against the use of gift cards when loading, even though the register and the MCE do not enforce. Do not make your prepaid debit cards visible. Show them a bank debit card if asked. Otherwise, you may be asked by management to never visit the MC again to load with gift cards.

Loads at register over $500 will sometimes trigger ID requirement. There is a limit of four swipes per transaction; this means your card plus three payments.

If your card doesn't say "debit" on the front, it isn't a debit card.

Please see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...bit-cards.html for additional information on using prepaid debit cards.

Training a WM cashier:
  • If the WM cashier doesn't know how to load the card, advise them to enter "70" then press "action code".
  • If you are using a temp card that doesn't have your name on it, you can swipe the card from your side of the terminal. The WM rep never has to touch any of your cards. The screen will say "enter account." That is your prompt to slide the card.
  • The terminal will ask the WM employee if you are loading in multiples of $2000. Advise them to enter "no."
  • Avoid saying gift card. Always refer to your card as a debit card.

Error Messages:
DEBIT NOT AVAILABLE
Received when I used a card I thought I had activated but hadn't.

DEBIT NOT APPROVED
Received when the card's monthly load limit had been reached.

TENDER NOT ALLOWED
Card was incorrectly read, or wrong PIN entered .

HOST TIMEOUT
Connection problems. The GC may be drained but the transaction should reverse itself, and funds will become available again. Try again later.

UPdate Notice on Sept 15, 2014.
Some minor changes on the ATM limits and fees:
Out-of-Network ATM Fees:
Beginning October 30, 2014, the fee for withdrawing funds using out-of-network ATMs will increase from $2.00 to $2.50. ATM operator fees may also apply.
Free In-Network MoneyPass® ATMs:
Effective immediately, all Bluebird Customers can withdraw funds for free when using in-network MoneyPass ATMs. You can find one of the more than 24,000 MoneyPass ATMs below.
ATM Withdrawal Limits Increase:
We have increased your daily ATM limit, so you can withdraw up to $750 per day. Your monthly ATM withdrawal limit will remain at $2,000.

-----

•If you use Wal-Mart Savings Catcher, you can earn double rewards by redeeming to your BlueBird account <== Doubling of savings catcher amounts ended sometime in the summer of 2015.
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Bluebird prepaid debit, now with FDIC insurance and paper checks (2013-2014)

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Old Oct 23, 2013, 5:04 am
  #3016  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: JFK
Programs: *$ Gold :)
Posts: 1,061
Originally Posted by Nishant1
That is correct. The cashier informed me that it is processed as credit. Since I did not sign on screen pad, she took my signature on paper print out similar to I buy items at any shop counter.
Which card it was?
Regular register of Money Center?
Picture of reciept (with sensitive info blacked out) would be interesting to see... PM if prefer.
pier11 is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 8:58 am
  #3017  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 331
Originally Posted by FlightNurse
Interesting.... I'm not going to wonder anything until more people step up and say this happened to them....
Should start to see a flood of reports next Friday, I'd imagine...
zs58 is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 11:36 am
  #3018  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Will never by anything with airlines
Posts: 287
Anyone tried to load recently and the machine said that "more information is requested. Please see cashier"?

Loading BB with VGC.

BB account is open and functioning fine.
explorer84 is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 11:49 am
  #3019  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA, BA, CX, DL, EK, F9, GA, HA, IB, JL, KE, LH, MH, NH, OS, PG, QR, RJ, SA, TG, UA, VN, WN, ZH
Posts: 927
Originally Posted by explorer84
Anyone tried to load recently and the machine said that "more information is requested. Please see cashier"?

Loading BB with VGC.

BB account is open and functioning fine.
Saw this last night at my local WM express kiosk. Look like it the kiosk software just got updated. Went to load at cashiers no problem.
lad2 is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 12:02 pm
  #3020  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: US Airways Gold, Marriott Platinum, SW A List
Posts: 1,575
This could be bad if they stop loading from Kiosks with a software update.
heyeaglefn is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 12:18 pm
  #3021  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL, WoH
Posts: 1,253
Did you use the BB button? I never use that button I use the moneycard button.
ricohitman is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 1:29 pm
  #3022  
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE, AA EXP MM, UA Gold MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, HH Dia, IHG Plat
Posts: 4,775
Yearly Cap Could Be a Problem

Originally Posted by kawaii
According to BB FAQ, it is $10k per month, and total Spend Money Transactions cannot exceed $100k per year.

https://www.bluebird.com/faqs#fees-and-limits
The $100K/yr limit on adding funds and spending is a real constraint if you load and spend $10K monthly, as many do. Is that limit per calendar year, in which case we get a reprieve until November 2014?
Explore is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 1:32 pm
  #3023  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
Originally Posted by Explore
The $100K/yr limit on adding funds and spending is a real constraint if you load and spend $10K monthly, as many do. Is that limit per calendar year, in which case we get a reprieve until November 2014?
With the VR/WM loading limit at $5k/month - how many in this crowd are spending $10k/month?
CFFrost is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 2:13 pm
  #3024  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Will never by anything with airlines
Posts: 287
Originally Posted by ricohitman
Did you use the BB button? I never use that button I use the moneycard button.
I used the MoneyCard Button.

Im just going to wait until my fav cashier is working. She does exactly what I ask, no questions and all the while doing a pretty good impression of grumpy cat.
explorer84 is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 2:48 pm
  #3025  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 375
Just went to two local WMs, both Kiosks were down, looking to get a software updates, this can't be good.

Loaded a fixed VGC and variable VGC at register with no problem (didn't ask for the debit card). Still had to put in PIN however.
xiKiNGix is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 3:14 pm
  #3026  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: US Airways Gold, Marriott Platinum, SW A List
Posts: 1,575
I am assuming that if they roll out software to fix this, they will soon tell the Walmart Associates to check cards before loading or start blocking VR all together.

Not good but I am afraid.
heyeaglefn is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 4:49 pm
  #3027  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SNA
Programs: United, Hilton, National
Posts: 128
Originally Posted by heyeaglefn
I am assuming that if they roll out software to fix this, they will soon tell the Walmart Associates to check cards before loading or start blocking VR all together.

Not good but I am afraid.
Start blocking VR? Why would they do that?
jwhite.ft is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 4:53 pm
  #3028  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ORD, LAS
Programs: AA-EXP, BAEC Silver, Hyatt-Globalist, Hilton-gold, SPG-gold
Posts: 855
Not able to use kiosk today. Happened right after I swiped bluebird. I was directed to go to cashier or money center
smitty06 is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 5:16 pm
  #3029  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
Originally Posted by Explore
The $100K/yr limit on adding funds and spending is a real constraint if you load and spend $10K monthly, as many do. Is that limit per calendar year, in which case we get a reprieve until November 2014?
The load at WM is limited to $5K a month. The direct debit card load is $1K a month. That seems to be the only 2 channels that would be MS. I cannot see how a direct deposit belongs to MS.

If it does not generate MS benefit, I doubt anyone here would do it. So your statement of loading $10K and spending $10K, as many here do, is a guess as wild as it can get.

Originally Posted by CFFrost
With the VR/WM loading limit at $5k/month - how many in this crowd are spending $10k/month?
Exactly.

Seriously doubt someone would bring the balance to the maximum allowed amount before spending it.
Happy is offline  
Old Oct 23, 2013, 5:53 pm
  #3030  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
Originally Posted by llbad
ok thanks for the input, ill try out the VGC loading. Is there any reason I can't just buy the GC at walmart and walk over to the machine to load it? From my reading people have suggested purchasing GCs from office supply stores instead. I'm assuming this is just due to the 5% bonus?
Seems you dont have much of an idea on what GC to buy. Please read this thread before you make a mistake and buy a GC that cannot be easily used.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...bit-cards.html

WM is not the right place to buy such GCs by and large. Check your local grocery store chains.
Happy is offline  


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