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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 Apr 14, 2013, 1:33 pm
  #316  
 
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
Although the new BB checks may make this a moot point, I paid my Washington, DC property taxes last month using the "pay bills' feature - normally a payment coupon is required, but I added the lot and square numbers to my two BB payments.

I requested the payments on March 19, 2013. Bluebird said the payments would be delivered on March 22, 2013, and the payments actually posted to my property tax accounts on March 26, 2013. Total time from request to posting of payment = 7 days. So it can be done successfully without a payment coupon and the cost of postage.
DCBob is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 3:32 pm
  #317  
 
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
Originally Posted by iahphx
You must be lucky. The spinning wheel finally stopped and I got this message:

"Bluebird.com is currently offline for maintenance.

We apologize for this inconvenience. We expect to be back in a couple of hours. Thanks for your patience."

Everything else on the site seems to be functional for me. Like it took my VR deposit just fine. My wife's account is having the same issue.
BB lied. It's been way more than "a couple of hours" and still not back up. This cannot be routine maintenance.
DCBob is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 4:21 pm
  #318  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: UA MPE, BA Blue, AA, IHG Plat Amb, Marriot Silver, HHonors Silver, National Exec, Avis First
Posts: 553
Originally Posted by DCBob
BB lied. It's been way more than "a couple of hours" and still not back up. This cannot be routine maintenance.
I also get the "spinning wheel of death", then
Bluebird.com is currently offline for maintenance.

We apologize for this inconvenience. We expect to be back in a couple of hours. Thanks for your patience.

I'd check back tomorrow!
Bender464 is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 4:30 pm
  #319  
akp
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Flyover Territory
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 687
It is working fine for me at 5:30 pm CST.
akp is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 4:30 pm
  #320  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 731
Pay Bills is also currently not working for me. Too bad because I actually wanted to pay a bill to Toyota Financial Services
yOyOYoo is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 5:41 pm
  #321  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: AA EXP/LT PLT
Posts: 1,467
Originally Posted by yOyOYoo
Pay Bills is also currently not working for me.
+1
Bluebird.com is currently offline for maintenance.
We apologize for this inconvenience. We expect to be back in a couple of hours. Thanks for your patience.
supergrandslam is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 6:49 pm
  #322  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: DCA/RIC
Programs: HH LTD, AA LTG
Posts: 1,015
Originally Posted by supergrandslam
+1
Me either, and have been trying to pay bills for last several hours... Perhaps they lured away the HHonors webmasters to run this site?
isle-hawg is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 8:07 pm
  #323  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: RIC
Programs: US CP, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Plat, *wood Gold, Amex Plat
Posts: 1,600
If you have an iPhone or an iPad, the app is working for Bill Pay. The website has been down for the past 8 hours or so for me.
MikeLaw is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 8:43 pm
  #324  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 12
Bill Pay is working fine in macbook, iphone/ipad etc. It is not working on windows machine for me - tried both IE and firefox.
yellowfish is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 9:07 pm
  #325  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
Originally Posted by yellowfish
Bill Pay is working fine in macbook, iphone/ipad etc. It is not working on windows machine for me - tried both IE and firefox.
Working here on my Macbook. I think it is a bit slow though.

Also, I recently paid my local electric company though BB. I had to add them as a payee because they were not listed. I checked on the electric companies website to ensure it had arrived and it lists the payment as "check free." All of my prior payments (from a combination of my usual checking account and charge smart) are listed as "home banking." Makes me think that even though I had to manually add the payee, they sent an electronic payment. Interesting.
CFFrost is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 9:09 pm
  #326  
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: In CT,left my heart in Leicester.
Programs: Work in progress.
Posts: 1,237
Originally Posted by MikeLaw
If you have an iPhone or an iPad, the app is working for Bill Pay. The website has been down for the past 8 hours or so for me.
Originally Posted by yellowfish
Bill Pay is working fine in macbook, iphone/ipad etc. It is not working on windows machine for me - tried both IE and firefox.
Strange.

I just paid 3 bills from 3 BB accounts, and each went through no problem.
This is as of 11:00pm. Eastern time.
jatink129 is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 9:27 pm
  #327  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,424
Originally Posted by jatink129
Strange.

I just paid 3 bills from 3 BB accounts, and each went through no problem.
This is as of 11:00pm. Eastern time.
I still have the spinning wheel of death. That's at least 12 hours of downtime. Pretty crummy.

I actually have some bills to pay. I guess I'll call tomorrow if it's not repaired by then.
iahphx is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 10:16 pm
  #328  
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: In CT,left my heart in Leicester.
Programs: Work in progress.
Posts: 1,237
Originally Posted by iahphx
I still have the spinning wheel of death. That's at least 12 hours of downtime. Pretty crummy.

I actually have some bills to pay. I guess I'll call tomorrow if it's not repaired by then.
What browser are you using?
I'm using Chrome.

Try and see if that works?
jatink129 is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2013, 11:21 pm
  #329  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MKE
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Hilton Gold, Club Carlson Gold,
Posts: 639
No problem here. I just preauthorized a check 20 min ago. I am using mozilla
phdtomd is offline  
Old Apr 15, 2013, 4:27 am
  #330  
 
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
Originally Posted by Bender464
I also get the "spinning wheel of death", then
Bluebird.com is currently offline for maintenance.

We apologize for this inconvenience. We expect to be back in a couple of hours. Thanks for your patience.

I'd check back tomorrow!
It IS tomorrow now and still the same issue - NO MATTER WHICH BROWSER I use (Firefox, Chrome, or IE). I ended up using the Android mobile app for BB and that worked just fine. This is obviously a server issue, which is why it affects only part of the country.
DCBob is offline  


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