Green Dot MoneyPak
Sep 7, 2013, 11:55 am
#61
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: a hotel room, somewhere...
Posts: 962
NOW... the key is to never buy more than 2 in one transaction to avoid the activation issues. Do multiple transactions and, from my experience, all will load properly.
Sep 7, 2013, 3:41 pm
#62
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 160
I am the author of the article for TPG that the OP referred to. Just so everyone knows, Money Paks are entirely separate from their prepaid card products, both offered by Green Dot corp.
As others have correctly pointed out, there is no way for anyone to be banned from purchasing a Money Pak, any more than you can be banned from buying VR or any other specific product at a retail store.
Of course, the prepaid cards can close your accounts, like Account Now recently did to so many. But the beauty of Green Dot Money Paks (not prepaid cards) is that there are about 200 different prepaid cards offered that are compatible, of which the Green Dot brand prepaid cards are just a handful.
I am glad the OP enjoyed the article, and I hope that this clarifies things.
As others have correctly pointed out, there is no way for anyone to be banned from purchasing a Money Pak, any more than you can be banned from buying VR or any other specific product at a retail store.
Of course, the prepaid cards can close your accounts, like Account Now recently did to so many. But the beauty of Green Dot Money Paks (not prepaid cards) is that there are about 200 different prepaid cards offered that are compatible, of which the Green Dot brand prepaid cards are just a handful.
I am glad the OP enjoyed the article, and I hope that this clarifies things.
Sep 8, 2013, 8:54 pm
#64
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 721
Anybody buy an MP with CC at CVS?
P.S. I went to HR Block, no dice on Emerald. She sat me down in her office and started clicking around hrblock.com at the same pages I already looked at. Didn't wanna tell her how to do her job, but that would be like the teller at the bank entering deposits by going to the info pages of the bank's website, yikes. Later she called me saying she checked with whoever she thought would know, and they can't do it. Does anybody know the name of the computer system or whatever it is that would yield success for the employee who's helping me? i.e. don't open Internet Explorer, click on this instead?
P.S. I went to HR Block, no dice on Emerald. She sat me down in her office and started clicking around hrblock.com at the same pages I already looked at. Didn't wanna tell her how to do her job, but that would be like the teller at the bank entering deposits by going to the info pages of the bank's website, yikes. Later she called me saying she checked with whoever she thought would know, and they can't do it. Does anybody know the name of the computer system or whatever it is that would yield success for the employee who's helping me? i.e. don't open Internet Explorer, click on this instead?
Sep 8, 2013, 11:24 pm
#65
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: CA
Programs: BA, AA, United
Posts: 429
I used to do MP a lot when it was free (good old days!). It happened to me once, they zero'ed out 6 cards that I had purchased in 3 separate transactions. After I called them, they put in a research request to their IT team (that's what the CS rep told me) and they fixed it within 24 hours.
I agree with the prev poster, this is caused by Greendot folks, nothing to do with RA.
I agree with the prev poster, this is caused by Greendot folks, nothing to do with RA.
I ran into this before when i was in RA territory and could actually buy them (now in TX where i have not found ANYWHERE to buy them with cc- all hard coded in registers- everywhere). if anyone has a TX location that can sell them with cc, please post or pm!
NOW... the key is to never buy more than 2 in one transaction to avoid the activation issues. Do multiple transactions and, from my experience, all will load properly.
NOW... the key is to never buy more than 2 in one transaction to avoid the activation issues. Do multiple transactions and, from my experience, all will load properly.
Sep 10, 2013, 9:39 am
#66
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott LT Titanium, Avis Chairman
Posts: 1,286
I ran into this before when i was in RA territory and could actually buy them (now in TX where i have not found ANYWHERE to buy them with cc- all hard coded in registers- everywhere). if anyone has a TX location that can sell them with cc, please post or pm!
NOW... the key is to never buy more than 2 in one transaction to avoid the activation issues. Do multiple transactions and, from my experience, all will load properly.
NOW... the key is to never buy more than 2 in one transaction to avoid the activation issues. Do multiple transactions and, from my experience, all will load properly.
Unfortunately, you're tip didn't hold true in my instance. The cashier that was ringing me up wanted to do only one card per transaction. He said that it was policy and that the register wouldn't take more than one MP at a time (which I knew was false, but didn't argue about).
I'm going to call today and see if they can look into it. I tried calling last Friday but the wait time was 20+ minutes to talk to someone (actually, the automated hold message kept telling me it would be 20 minutes to talk to someone, even as 5, 10 minutes passed -- I'm guessing the max hold time they have on their pre-recorded msg was 20 min).
Sep 13, 2013, 8:24 pm
#67
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 322
Anyone buy MP with CC at WM? I have just the card to try if so.
Noticed the load limits are higher there (1K) but seems to be cash only? Before I make the 'pilgrimage', wondered if people have found it to be hard coded or YMMV?
Edit: appears not, per other sources. WM steals all that is good from my idea pile
Noticed the load limits are higher there (1K) but seems to be cash only? Before I make the 'pilgrimage', wondered if people have found it to be hard coded or YMMV?
Edit: appears not, per other sources. WM steals all that is good from my idea pile
Last edited by AveApostle; Sep 13, 2013 at 8:40 pm Reason: life happens
Sep 15, 2013, 8:27 pm
#68
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Jackson, WY
Posts: 543
P.S. I went to HR Block, no dice on Emerald. She sat me down in her office and started clicking around hrblock.com at the same pages I already looked at. Didn't wanna tell her how to do her job, but that would be like the teller at the bank entering deposits by going to the info pages of the bank's website, yikes. Later she called me saying she checked with whoever she thought would know, and they can't do it. Does anybody know the name of the computer system or whatever it is that would yield success for the employee who's helping me? i.e. don't open Internet Explorer, click on this instead?
Oct 4, 2013, 5:40 pm
#72
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: AA PLT 2MM
Posts: 2,026
Did you test this theory before posting?
GD is smarter than that. If they see a certain value of MP's activated within a certain time frame from one location, all those MP's will go into the 'blocked' state.
Yes, this kind of sucks for two (or more) FTers that go into the same store a few minutes apart and only spend an amount below the 'block threshold' (which seems to be $1000).
Oct 4, 2013, 5:47 pm
#73
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 809
Not true!
Did you test this theory before posting?
GD is smarter than that. If they see a certain value of MP's activated within a certain time frame from one location, all those MP's will go into the 'blocked' state.
Yes, this kind of sucks for two (or more) FTers that go into the same store a few minutes apart and only spend an amount below the 'block threshold' (which seems to be $1000).
Did you test this theory before posting?
GD is smarter than that. If they see a certain value of MP's activated within a certain time frame from one location, all those MP's will go into the 'blocked' state.
Yes, this kind of sucks for two (or more) FTers that go into the same store a few minutes apart and only spend an amount below the 'block threshold' (which seems to be $1000).