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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 Mar 28, 2013, 6:15 pm
  #76  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHL, maybe EWR
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No tracking number in the email for me either.
The order status logged into BB shows Status=Shipped.
vodkashine is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2013, 6:41 pm
  #77  
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Washington, DC
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Posts: 5,015
Originally Posted by WhateverDude
he's joking folks
Didn't see any smilies in his post, dude.
DCBob is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2013, 6:47 pm
  #78  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 699
Originally Posted by GatorBlues
Thanks for the responses. This is great news. Now that there apparently is no longer a $5K limit on payments to "non-registered" payees, I will be able load up an account for me and my wife at the $5K per month pace (I already have $10K in mine) and then pay my two kids' grade school tuition ($10K each) this summer plus make 529 account contributions for each of the kids ($13,000 each), banking alot of points plus hitting a key annual spend threshhold that would otherwise be out of reach.

I don't mind that it takes a while to build up the balance for a large check. At current interest rates, I'm OK with BB getting a little float off my money. It's the least I can do for the gobs of points I'm going to pick up as a result of this.

i know nothing about 529s but fyi for 2013 the tax free gift has increased to $14K
brownie20 is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2013, 7:24 pm
  #79  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Long Beach
Programs: HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,171
Originally Posted by DCBob
Originally Posted by WhateverDude
he's joking folks
Didn't see any smilies in his post, dude.
particlemn is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2013, 7:25 pm
  #80  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Long Beach
Programs: HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,171
Originally Posted by DCBob
Originally Posted by WhateverDude
he's joking folks
Didn't see any smilies in his post, dude.
particlemn is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2013, 7:41 pm
  #81  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
Originally Posted by rumpus
Same here, no tracking #.
I got a second e-mail a few hours later. Exactly the same, except it included a tracking #.
CFFrost is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2013, 10:05 pm
  #82  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: AA, SPG, UA, CSP
Posts: 338
My question to the guys who use the Belmont CVS is this - Why the Fudgeee are you guys still trying to hide VRs? I found a stack in the gift card section and a stack behind the money order card stack.

Now whoever did that - dont bother trying to find it because i put it back where it belongs. Jeeezzzzz!!!
arsenalman is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2013, 11:44 pm
  #83  
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: In CT,left my heart in Leicester.
Programs: Work in progress.
Posts: 1,237
Originally Posted by vodkashine
No tracking number in the email for me either.
The order status logged into BB shows Status=Shipped.
That's strange. I see a tracking number from UPS (It's UPS SurePost) underneath the status, in the email.
jatink129 is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2013, 6:46 am
  #84  
c2d
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
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Originally Posted by CFFrost
I got a second e-mail a few hours later. Exactly the same, except it included a tracking #.
Same for me. 2nd email had tracking#.
c2d is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2013, 10:54 am
  #85  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,895
My landlord is no longer taking AMEX for rent payments (this was my primary way of generating "excess" CC spend above my normal purchases). Now, I am interested in Bluebird.

My rent is over $2,500 here in NYC. Is it possible for me to buy $3,000 in Vanilla Reload cards on my AMEX a month, load up a bluebird account and pay rent with a bluebird check? Would that type of activity trigger a Financial Review?

There are a few CVS/Walgreens in NYC, but most are Duane Reades. How successful are people in buying Vanilla Reloads with CCs in Manhattan and Brooklyn?
Adelphos is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2013, 11:20 am
  #86  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Originally Posted by Adelphos
My landlord is no longer taking AMEX for rent payments (this was my primary way of generating "excess" CC spend above my normal purchases). Now, I am interested in Bluebird.

My rent is over $2,500 here in NYC. Is it possible for me to buy $3,000 in Vanilla Reload cards on my AMEX a month, load up a bluebird account and pay rent with a bluebird check? Would that type of activity trigger a Financial Review?

There are a few CVS/Walgreens in NYC, but most are Duane Reades. How successful are people in buying Vanilla Reloads with CCs in Manhattan and Brooklyn?
Your cost is .08 cents per point, does it justify to go through all that....I do only for new card minimum spend requirement.
prasha11 is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2013, 11:27 am
  #87  
Suspended
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
Originally Posted by prasha11
Your cost is .08 cents per point, does it justify to go through all that....I do only for new card minimum spend requirement.
.8 cents
Stoughton is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2013, 12:34 pm
  #88  
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Posts: 11,453
Originally Posted by prasha11
Your cost is .08 cents per point, does it justify to go through all that....I do only for new card minimum spend requirement.
Isn't better than no points at all?
FlightNurse is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2013, 2:13 pm
  #89  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BOS
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Posts: 338
Originally Posted by FlightNurse
Isn't better than no points at all?
I agree with Prasha - i think VRs are great to meet min spending. After that the 0.8 cent per mile cost is something each and everyone needs to decide if they are comfi with. For some cards i am but for some, i am not. That is just my 0.8 cent
arsenalman is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2013, 4:29 pm
  #90  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Sweet Home Chicago
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 646
Here's an interesting conversation I had this afternoon as I tried to purchase 2 VRs with 5 $200 Amex GC. I had swiped my first gift card against a total of $1007.90 and got the dread "Alernate Payment Required" message.

I said to the cashier, "would you mind swiping, sometimes these terminals don't like the card but it will go thru if you swipe it", and handed the card to her.

She looks at the card and says "oh, did you say you wanted $500 on each?"

"Yes", I replied.

She said, "because the card is only good for $200".

To which I replied, "yes, it's a partial payment". She immediately said "oh!", then hits a button on the register and reswipes the card. Magically the signature form came up, I signed, and swiped thru the remaining four cards and thanked her and walked out.

So I'm now wondering whether I should be upfront with partial payments. Has anyone else experienced a similar conversation?
MDWCommuter is offline  


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