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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 Jul 9, 2013, 6:10 pm
  #1396  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 122
Originally Posted by SuperKirby
I'm totally lost on this one. How is $3.74 cheaper than reloads at CVS? Are you talking about Reloads at CVSs or GCs at CVS?

I was thinking he meant buy GC for approx $5 somewhere, go to WM, load MVD at the kiosk for another $3.74. Total is approx $8.74 in fees, not worth it. with BB there is no $3.74 fee.
I mean buying the "reloads" for the MVD at CVS and putting them on MVD. It usually is $3.99 per reload (which I usually do $500).

If it is only $3.74 to load the MVD with $500 instead of $3.99, it would be way better for me. It would be a one stop shop because I could reload the MVD at Walmart and then directly load it to my BB.

I guess, simply, my question is, is the only option to reload MVD via the reload cards at drugstores/7-11 or can I do it at WM too?
jennbar is offline  
Old Jul 9, 2013, 6:58 pm
  #1397  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: DTW
Programs: AA Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 819
Bluebird American Express question

I used this account before to send a payment to Chase Home Mortgage. Today I sent another by clicking on the previous payee notation and it says the arrival of payment will be on 7/15.

I thought this was a direct transfer that took only a couple days. Will it really take 6 days?

Thanks,
gg
gardengirl is offline  
Old Jul 9, 2013, 7:10 pm
  #1398  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,818
Originally Posted by jennbar
I mean buying the "reloads" for the MVD at CVS and putting them on MVD. It usually is $3.99 per reload (which I usually do $500).

If it is only $3.74 to load the MVD with $500 instead of $3.99, it would be way better for me. It would be a one stop shop because I could reload the MVD at Walmart and then directly load it to my BB.

I guess, simply, my question is, is the only option to reload MVD via the reload cards at drugstores/7-11 or can I do it at WM too?
ahh gotcha. And yes good question...
SuperKirby is offline  
Old Jul 9, 2013, 7:40 pm
  #1399  
 
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
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MVD thread @ http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...lla-debit.html
lad2 is offline  
Old Jul 9, 2013, 8:03 pm
  #1400  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: co,skymiles hilton a.a usair
Posts: 290
it will yake 3-4 days max all my payments happen in no more that 4 days
chavjs is offline  
Old Jul 9, 2013, 8:05 pm
  #1401  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: The Phoenix Desert
Programs: Hilton Cubic Zirconia, Marriott Fools Gold
Posts: 1,692
Bluebird American Express question

If its 3-4 business days, the 15th would be on day 4 (since its past the cutoff time for today to count).
skitch23 is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 3:55 am
  #1402  
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Originally Posted by lad2
"Walmart MoneyCard" for BB
"Green Dot" for everything else (GoBank or MyVanilla Debit)
I have used Green Dot to load my BB, I tired once to see if it would work and it does.
FlightNurse is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 6:42 am
  #1403  
 
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 FlightNurse
I have used Green Dot to load my BB, I tired once to see if it would work and it does.
I think it depends on the kiosk software version. Some kiosk correctly recognizes, and loads, either BB or GB after I swipe them even when I selected the wrong button at first. Some just goes through an internal loop and get stuck at a 'transaction processing' screen.
lad2 is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 7:50 am
  #1404  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 510
Originally Posted by bribro
Calendar month.
Another question. Should the BB account not have more than 5000 at a time or is it even not possible to load more than 5000 in a calendar month?

In other words, is it possible that I keep loading and draining & I'll be good until the balance reaches more than 5000, no matter I roll 20,000 a month?
cowboyguy is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 7:57 am
  #1405  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: ORD
Posts: 269
I had a question. Long story, but basically I screwed up and might end up having to transfer money back from my US Bank account into Bluebird. Just wanted to know if that will count towards the $5000 load limit? I still have about $2000 in gift cards I wanted to load later this month.
sound48 is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 7:57 am
  #1406  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 510
Deleted
cowboyguy is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 8:35 am
  #1407  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MKE
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Hilton Gold, Club Carlson Gold,
Posts: 639
Just tried to pull out money and it was declined but my card was debited. Anyway I called and they said they are working on it. I bought water and transaction went through. Anybody have issues with checks or billpay today. Heads Up. I see that people are having problems with loading vrs today. May want to wait to load or buy until fixed
phdtomd is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 8:40 am
  #1408  
 
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 cowboyguy
Another question. Should the BB account not have more than 5000 at a time or is it even not possible to load more than 5000 in a calendar month?

In other words, is it possible that I keep loading and draining & I'll be good until the balance reaches more than 5000, no matter I roll 20,000 a month?
Check out BB FAQs here » https://www.bluebird.com/faqs#fees-and-limits
Scroll down a bit to the 'Add Funds' section under 'Limits'. The info is pretty straight forward.
lad2 is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 9:32 pm
  #1409  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: So Cal
Programs: UA Gold/0.744MM, WN AL, Hyatt Diamond, MR Scum, Hertz PC, National Exec, Avis PC
Posts: 5,561
Originally Posted by jasonvr
Due to the extreme slowness of the WM kiosk, and having a plethora $100 cards from the OM deal, I was able to push thru 2k in a row without getting shut down (1x200 + 18x100) across two Birds. Took about 30 minutes to do all of them.
Originally Posted by rdover1
Not quite correct. They will also max out too, usually at 10 cards - look at the OM GC thread for more on this where all the cards were mostly $100.
I beg to differ
jasonvr is offline  
Old Jul 11, 2013, 12:10 am
  #1410  
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Originally Posted by jasonvr
I beg to differ
It's not worth begging...
FlightNurse is offline  


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