Apr 3, 2013, 11:44 am
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)
May 26, 2013, 11:33 pm
#766
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,463
We are, I have found 4 more stores that sell the Visa gift cards that will take CC's. So this has really opened up a lot of flexibility for us. I was worried that we would shut down between the grocery stores and CVS, Wallgreens. However, these 4 stores have opened up a lot more for us...
May 26, 2013, 11:36 pm
#767
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,463
8 x 5 = 40k threshold for the couple. Honestly, sounds pretty risky to me unless there is a very substantial income to support that level of spend. Even if you divide that spend equally among several issuers the spend per issuer would be pretty high. Not to mention that the fees for all those cards, even at $3.95 per would run to $316! At some point, the logic of buying miles, even cheaply, starts to erode.
May 27, 2013, 12:50 am
#768
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: San Jose, CA
Programs: UA Silver, Marriot Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 28
Not sure about Safeway, but I know the Lucky's by me has had a sign that said "Cash Only for Financial Gift Cards".
May 27, 2013, 9:23 am
#770
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,041
May 27, 2013, 9:47 am
#771
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 28
Searched this thread and couldn't find the answer:
Is there any issue with using BB Billpay to pay an account that's not in your name? I'd like to open a BB account in my mom's name, fund it with GCs that were in turn bought with CCs in my name, and then have her BB pay my CC bills. Then my monthly BB limit is effectively doubled...
Is there any issue with using BB Billpay to pay an account that's not in your name? I'd like to open a BB account in my mom's name, fund it with GCs that were in turn bought with CCs in my name, and then have her BB pay my CC bills. Then my monthly BB limit is effectively doubled...
May 27, 2013, 9:53 am
#772
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL, WoH
Posts: 1,253
Searched this thread and couldn't find the answer:
Is there any issue with using BB Billpay to pay an account that's not in your name? I'd like to open a BB account in my mom's name, fund it with GCs that were in turn bought with CCs in my name, and then have her BB pay my CC bills. Then my monthly BB limit is effectively doubled...
Is there any issue with using BB Billpay to pay an account that's not in your name? I'd like to open a BB account in my mom's name, fund it with GCs that were in turn bought with CCs in my name, and then have her BB pay my CC bills. Then my monthly BB limit is effectively doubled...
May 27, 2013, 11:28 am
#773
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: IAD/DCA
Programs: Bunch of mid-tiers
Posts: 1,034
Searched this thread and couldn't find the answer:
Is there any issue with using BB Billpay to pay an account that's not in your name? I'd like to open a BB account in my mom's name, fund it with GCs that were in turn bought with CCs in my name, and then have her BB pay my CC bills. Then my monthly BB limit is effectively doubled...
Is there any issue with using BB Billpay to pay an account that's not in your name? I'd like to open a BB account in my mom's name, fund it with GCs that were in turn bought with CCs in my name, and then have her BB pay my CC bills. Then my monthly BB limit is effectively doubled...
May 27, 2013, 1:50 pm
#774
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: DL DM Hub Captive, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, PC Plat, and other stuff.
Posts: 904
At some point or another, I've paid all my credit card accounts, including Amex, and all my wife's credit card accounts using my BB.
May 27, 2013, 2:54 pm
#775
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,818
Searched this thread and couldn't find the answer:
Is there any issue with using BB Billpay to pay an account that's not in your name? I'd like to open a BB account in my mom's name, fund it with GCs that were in turn bought with CCs in my name, and then have her BB pay my CC bills. Then my monthly BB limit is effectively doubled...
Is there any issue with using BB Billpay to pay an account that's not in your name? I'd like to open a BB account in my mom's name, fund it with GCs that were in turn bought with CCs in my name, and then have her BB pay my CC bills. Then my monthly BB limit is effectively doubled...
Personally, I don't do it because even though the CC bank see that someone else is paying your CC bill, if they want to, they can obviously tell you're buying GC's and VR's and is paying it off with a BB account, even though it's not YOUR BB account. Only takes a little common sense to know what you're doing. Essentially, all they see is: "E-payment record #BB3580202". From what they see, its just another BB account. Of course if you're doing this in moderation, i am sure they have bigger fish to fry. IMO.
May 27, 2013, 3:06 pm
#776
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
The CC companies also dont care from which institution you ACH in to pay your bills as long as the bills get paid.
May 27, 2013, 3:27 pm
#777
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL, WoH
Posts: 1,253
I didn't think it would, but I always err on the side of cautious with all this stuff. I love my chase credit cards and would hate to lose them.
May 27, 2013, 8:27 pm
#778
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE, AA EXP MM, UA Gold MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, HH Dia, IHG Plat
Posts: 4,777
In contrast, I struck out at both Lucky's I tried, and at both CVS stores. One CVS was willing to sell fixed load prepaids on credit, but not variable load. The other said no credit, period.
May 28, 2013, 11:18 am
#779
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 120
whoo hoo! i don't know why i was hesitant to get a BB account, maybe just because this whole game is a lot to keep up with. finally got up and running and i am very excited about the fact that i will have a better infusion of points placed back into my RR account this month. now that i have the CP and booked a flight for myself and SO with points i want to see the balance go back up to what it was. i also finally see what the hoopla is about with VRs. much easier than GCs! i know everyone else already knows that but reading about it is one thing, trying and testing things out for yourself is another. i went to 5 different ceeveeS stores yesterday, only found VRs in 2 of them and only 1 of them would allow CC purchase. was still fun, since at least now i know where to find some. i had previously been doing GCs at kroger because it works out to be free after using the fuel points. but there is something to be said for the convenience of VRs and variety, and i only need so much gas. thanks to everyone who shares here.
May 28, 2013, 11:35 am
#780
Join Date: May 2013
Location: AZ
Programs: AA, UA, US
Posts: 525
whoo hoo! i don't know why i was hesitant to get a BB account, maybe just because this whole game is a lot to keep up with. finally got up and running and i am very excited about the fact that i will have a better infusion of points placed back into my RR account this month. now that i have the CP and booked a flight for myself and SO with points i want to see the balance go back up to what it was. i also finally see what the hoopla is about with VRs. much easier than GCs! i know everyone else already knows that but reading about it is one thing, trying and testing things out for yourself is another. i went to 5 different ceeveeS stores yesterday, only found VRs in 2 of them and only 1 of them would allow CC purchase. was still fun, since at least now i know where to find some. i had previously been doing GCs at kroger because it works out to be free after using the fuel points. but there is something to be said for the convenience of VRs and variety, and i only need so much gas. thanks to everyone who shares here.
