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:
*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
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:
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.
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.
Bluebird prepaid debit, now with FDIC insurance and paper checks (2013-2014)
#421
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
Is the prevailing notion still that we shouldn't use bluebird to pay American Express bills?
#423
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
#424
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 81
Do you specifically mean AmEx credit cards? As opposed to debit cards or other AmEx type of bills
It seems that some are adverse to paying AmEx CC bills with Bluebird, especially if they use that CC to buy VRs
It seems that some are adverse to paying AmEx CC bills with Bluebird, especially if they use that CC to buy VRs
#425
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,818
No datapoint here, but yes, I don't want to buy VRs with my Amex Plat, then use my BB to pay my Plat bill. Theres no datapoint of them shutting down for that, yet, however seems like a FR (or the like) waiting to happen.
#426
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: In CT,left my heart in Leicester.
Programs: Work in progress.
Posts: 1,237
I don't use my Amex for a completely different reason.
FR.
#427
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 783
Walmart Decline - Code 96
I searched this thread, could not find anyone talking about Walmart declining a reload of a BlueBird card.
So I used have $500 VISA Gift Cards with pin, issued by Metabank, $500 per card. Yesterday I loaded 2 cards onto my Bluebird, no problem, $1,000/day limit. I came in today, and they could not reload for me. I again had two $500 VISA Gift Cards with PIN, it was getting declined, they were getting "CODE 96 DECLINED" message.
I called Bluebird, they did not see any problems on their end. Did anyone encounter this? Any suggestions? Is the Walmart clerk doing something wrong when they are trying to load it? I wish they had self-loading machines, but not here.
Thank you for your help.
PedroNY
So I used have $500 VISA Gift Cards with pin, issued by Metabank, $500 per card. Yesterday I loaded 2 cards onto my Bluebird, no problem, $1,000/day limit. I came in today, and they could not reload for me. I again had two $500 VISA Gift Cards with PIN, it was getting declined, they were getting "CODE 96 DECLINED" message.
I called Bluebird, they did not see any problems on their end. Did anyone encounter this? Any suggestions? Is the Walmart clerk doing something wrong when they are trying to load it? I wish they had self-loading machines, but not here.
Thank you for your help.
PedroNY
#428
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 801
Have you reached your $5K limit for swipe reloads for the month?
#429
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: MSP
Programs: DL, UA, HHonors, SPG
Posts: 41
There were issues reloading bluebirds with vanilla cards earlier today as well. maybe the debit visa cards were also affected.
#430
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 783
Did not hit the limit, only loaded 1000 this month, I hope it is just a glitch...
#432
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 51
Hmmm...Chase holds my mortgage. Should I avoid using the BB checks to pay my mortgage? Or is that just paranoid?
Last edited by GertieGo; Apr 26, 2013 at 12:05 am
#434
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,041
I pay my Chase and Amex bills online with BB. Never any issues!
Same with mortgage at First Place Bank.
I avoid sending money to my bank account. Once in a while I send a check to wife and vice versa.
And I use the BB card for small purchases...when there is no bonus of course
10k per month like clockwork.
Long live BB!
Same with mortgage at First Place Bank.
I avoid sending money to my bank account. Once in a while I send a check to wife and vice versa.
And I use the BB card for small purchases...when there is no bonus of course
10k per month like clockwork.
Long live BB!
#435
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
I think it's been shown enough times with the likes of MVD, Wells Fargo prepaid, NetSpend, Amazon Payments etc that putting small "real" transactions on the card or avoiding circular payments where you just use bill-pay to repay the funding card directly have had NO IMPACT WHATSOEVER in reducing the chance of you getting shutdown. Just load up and unload it all by bill pay straight back onto the card. I will bet anyone any amount I will survive just as long as someone routing the money through various accounts and buying a pack of gum on the card once in a blue moon.
Anyone who thinks otherwise should join this guy in talking in code about CVS:
Anyone who thinks otherwise should join this guy in talking in code about CVS: