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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 May 1, 2014, 6:54 pm
  #5371  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
Originally Posted by takhliq1
I just saw something new on my BB account. Previously whenever i loaded VGC or BUXX, it showed as "Cash Reload Walmart". Today i see that it says "Cash Reload Incomm Merchant" for my last 2 reloads. One is from VGC and the other from Buxx. Anyone else has seen this?
Don't worry, mines says the same thing. My funds are in my BB account though so I don't really care what it says.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old May 1, 2014, 7:25 pm
  #5372  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Fishers, IN
Posts: 105
When people load at the Kate, are they doing: swipe BB, key in $500, swipe VGC, and pin? Anyone know if you can do $1000 and swipe 2 VCG? I've always done $500 in a transaction and never tried a single $1000 transaction with 2 VCG swipes. I know the registers will let me do it with 1 transaction...
Hilbe is offline  
Old May 1, 2014, 7:28 pm
  #5373  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: US Airways Gold, Marriott Platinum, SW A List
Posts: 1,575
Bluebird prepaid debit, now with FDIC insurance and paper checks.

Kate doesn't do splits
heyeaglefn is offline  
Old May 1, 2014, 8:24 pm
  #5374  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Tucson - Seattle
Programs: UA 1K;
Posts: 2,474
Smile

Originally Posted by angrypenguin
In Northern Virginia (near DC) there's an area called "Tysons Corner". He's saying that in the Tysons Corner WM, this guy was doing this.
Ahhhh.....thank you for the clarification. I believe there is a local chain called Tyson's somewhere.
grayland is offline  
Old May 2, 2014, 7:21 am
  #5375  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 121
So the kate in my area is finally working again. I bought a bunch of one vanillas and started the process of feeding my birds.

Yesterday no problem. This morning I did two and then on the third I got "Debit not available" msg on screen and Kate telling me "Card not accepted" uh oh

So I reach into my pocket and pull out a different unused one vanilla. Same problem.

I leave and go shop for 5 min and try again with two more different cards and both not accepted. Four different one vanillas not accepted. Not sure what to make of this.

As a data point, these are exp 6/22. The silver $20-500 one vanillas at CVS.
Szamboti is offline  
Old May 2, 2014, 7:28 am
  #5376  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 4
Originally Posted by Szamboti
So the kate in my area is finally working again. I bought a bunch of one vanillas and started the process of feeding my birds.

Yesterday no problem. This morning I did two and then on the third I got "Debit not available" msg on screen and Kate telling me "Card not accepted" uh oh

So I reach into my pocket and pull out a different unused one vanilla. Same problem.

I leave and go shop for 5 min and try again with two more different cards and both not accepted. Four different one vanillas not accepted. Not sure what to make of this.

As a data point, these are exp 6/22. The silver $20-500 one vanillas at CVS.
Same thing happened to me this morning with the CVS OVs, except I wasn't able to load any. All "Debit not available". After Kate denied me, I tried at the register and was denied there too! The cashier said the OV showed up as credit on her screen.
McRingRing is offline  
Old May 2, 2014, 7:33 am
  #5377  
 
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 McRingRing
Same thing happened to me this morning with the CVS OVs, except I wasn't able to load any. All "Debit not available". After Kate denied me, I tried at the register and was denied there too! The cashier said the OV showed up as credit on her screen.
Another similar data point, about 45 minutes ago. First OV went through ok, second and third and fourth one denied (debit not available) at Kate and registers. The reload confirmation email from the successful load hasn't come through yet. Hopefully it's just a technical glitch. Will try again later today.
lad2 is offline  
Old May 2, 2014, 7:38 am
  #5378  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 121
I did confirm the first two I loaded were in my bluebird and I billpaid that amt out already. I was loading at about 8:50AM EDT. Maybe there has been a change made and all three of us were loading about the same time?
Szamboti is offline  
Old May 2, 2014, 8:10 am
  #5379  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LAF, VIE
Programs: A3 *G; AA EXP
Posts: 509
I was also not able to load OV cards to my Bluebird account at Walmart this morning ... It said "Credit converted to Debit" on the screen so I guess we can no longer use OV cards for Bluebird
LukasVIE is offline  
Old May 2, 2014, 8:32 am
  #5380  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: AA Plat, UA Gold, AS MVP Gold, HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Club Carlson Gold, US
Posts: 956
Can anyone else confirm this new development?
Only the OVs or other flavors as well?
iqbalt80 is offline  
Old May 2, 2014, 8:49 am
  #5381  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: US Airways Gold, Marriott Platinum, SW A List
Posts: 1,575
For my serve card, when I loaded with my VGC (Not OV), the lady at WM said something about Credit popping up on her screen, but I just swiped my card and it worked ok.
heyeaglefn is offline  
Old May 2, 2014, 8:55 am
  #5382  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 64
Originally Posted by iqbalt80
Can anyone else confirm this new development?
Only the OVs or other flavors as well?
OVs worked fine for me this morning at 9:30 EST. I reloaded 2 BB at $1000 each at the kiosk. Everything was as normal
mjcohen82182 is offline  
Old May 2, 2014, 9:01 am
  #5383  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 253
Originally Posted by iqbalt80
Can anyone else confirm this new development?
Only the OVs or other flavors as well?
Just did two Univision and one OV at Kate. Did a fourth card at register, an OV with no problems. $500 / ea. I read the above and got scared so I cruised over to WM quickly to start unloading in case of a hammer.
Lappie is offline  
Old May 2, 2014, 9:01 am
  #5384  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Syosset, NY, USA
Posts: 125
We're getting errors as well. A friend received error message at Kate with OV, but was able to load at MC. MC at another WM recently instituted "no prepaid" policy and extended to OV as well as Buxx (although Buxx loosely enforced).
tarcapone is offline  
Old May 2, 2014, 9:03 am
  #5385  
Hilton Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BTV
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 486
Damn, I just ordered some Visa GCs. Guess I'll liquidate with MOs? Are those still working?
AirD0c is offline  


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