May 27, 2015, 12:00 am
Last edit by: iflyjetz
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 discussion. The previous 2013- 2014 megathread.
For information on switching from BB to Serve, see the Serve thread wiki.
Bluebird Load Limits:
The cash load limit for a temp card is $1,500 total.
*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.
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 discussion. The previous 2013- 2014 megathread.
For information on switching from BB to Serve, see the Serve thread wiki.
Bluebird Load Limits:
- Cash loading via VR or WM load: $2,500/day and $5,000 total per calendar month
- Cash loading up to $1999.99/day at Walmart registers (tested by PedroNY in Post #525 and showed to not be enforced. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1501215-bluebird-prepaid-debit-now-fdic-insurance-paper-checks-2015-a-35.html#post25611848 )
- 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
The cash load limit for a temp card is $1,500 total.
*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.
Bluebird prepaid debit, now with FDIC insurance and paper checks (2015)
Jul 31, 2015, 9:58 am
#316
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21
Odd Kate load problem
On Wed 7-29 and Thu 7-30 I successfully loaded Simon mall GC's (issued by metabank) at a kiosk at my usual WM. Then when I tried a Staples GC (also issued by metabank) the load failed on both days. I was loading less than $2000 so I didn't trip the velocity limit. I wish I had remembered the exact wording but I believe it was "tender not allowed". Anyone else have problems with the $200 GC issued by metabank?
Jul 31, 2015, 10:01 am
#317
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21
On Wed 7-29 and Thu 7-30 I successfully loaded Simon mall GC's (issued by metabank) at a kiosk at my usual WM. Then when I tried a Staples GC (also issued by metabank) the load failed on both days. I was loading less than $2000 so I didn't trip the velocity limit. I wish I had remembered the exact wording but I believe it was "tender not allowed". Anyone else have problems with the $200 GC issued by metabank?
Jul 31, 2015, 11:05 am
#318
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
did you check your total loads for the month of July to make sure you're not going over $5K? I had a similar message days ago before I realized the reason for the error message was I was going over maximum amount with the load I was trying to make. Once I keyed in lesser amount to reach $5K, load went through via Kate.
Aug 1, 2015, 7:29 am
#319
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 115
Anyone else getting debit not approved host timeout today when trying to load BB? Metabank visa being used from SM
Aug 1, 2015, 11:00 am
#321
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
In-store loads via Kate using PayPower and BBY VGCs worked for me just now.
Aug 2, 2015, 10:03 am
#322
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Atlanta
Programs: Delta Diamond; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 655
My Walmart is cracking down and has shut me down. I have two BBs and have loaded them for a couple years at Kate. This morning, just as I was starting my third swipe at Kate, a manager came over and stopped me, saying the Money Center employees recognize me as a "regular" and that I had to go through the line and show an ID matching the name on the debit card to load from here on out. Obviously, I can't do that in the future because I'm loading visa gift cards.
Unfortunately, this is the closest store to me and the other two in the vicinity usually do not have a working Kate. Plus, even if one of the other store's has managed to get Kate back online in the last few months since I've visited, if this aggressive approach is a new trend in the Atlanta area, the gravy train may be over altogether.
Unfortunately, this is the closest store to me and the other two in the vicinity usually do not have a working Kate. Plus, even if one of the other store's has managed to get Kate back online in the last few months since I've visited, if this aggressive approach is a new trend in the Atlanta area, the gravy train may be over altogether.
Aug 2, 2015, 8:23 pm
#323
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,940
My Walmart is cracking down and has shut me down. I have two BBs and have loaded them for a couple years at Kate. This morning, just as I was starting my third swipe at Kate, a manager came over and stopped me, saying the Money Center employees recognize me as a "regular" and that I had to go through the line and show an ID matching the name on the debit card to load from here on out. Obviously, I can't do that in the future because I'm loading visa gift cards.
Unfortunately, this is the closest store to me and the other two in the vicinity usually do not have a working Kate. Plus, even if one of the other store's has managed to get Kate back online in the last few months since I've visited, if this aggressive approach is a new trend in the Atlanta area, the gravy train may be over altogether.
Unfortunately, this is the closest store to me and the other two in the vicinity usually do not have a working Kate. Plus, even if one of the other store's has managed to get Kate back online in the last few months since I've visited, if this aggressive approach is a new trend in the Atlanta area, the gravy train may be over altogether.
Aug 3, 2015, 6:18 am
#324
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
that is true and if you're insinuating switching of cards (show bank DC, swipe VGC), this is not always possible and may even bring more trouble to the person if they're caught.
even experts in switching of cards get caught once in a while by cashiers who keep an eye on them; worse case scenario, they swipe the cards you show them....but there's a way out of this, just press the wrong PIN so it won't go through and tell them you have to check your bank's balance and say thank you
even experts in switching of cards get caught once in a while by cashiers who keep an eye on them; worse case scenario, they swipe the cards you show them....but there's a way out of this, just press the wrong PIN so it won't go through and tell them you have to check your bank's balance and say thank you
Aug 3, 2015, 7:45 am
#325
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Central VA/LYH/ROA
Programs: BA, AA, SPG, HLTN, ETC
Posts: 365
I usually use RB but may open a BB for my wife here shortly.
Couple quick questions if you don't mind:
1) Are paper checks still available/used with BB? Would be a benefit for paying our rent directly from BB.
2) I used to have a Serve before RB. Is there any real advantage of Serve over BB beside possible online load? This time around paper checks would be more important to me than online load.
Couple quick questions if you don't mind:
1) Are paper checks still available/used with BB? Would be a benefit for paying our rent directly from BB.
2) I used to have a Serve before RB. Is there any real advantage of Serve over BB beside possible online load? This time around paper checks would be more important to me than online load.
Aug 3, 2015, 8:33 am
#326
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
I usually use RB but may open a BB for my wife here shortly.
Couple quick questions if you don't mind:
1) Are paper checks still available/used with BB? Would be a benefit for paying our rent directly from BB.
2) I used to have a Serve before RB. Is there any real advantage of Serve over BB beside possible online load? This time around paper checks would be more important to me than online load.
Couple quick questions if you don't mind:
1) Are paper checks still available/used with BB? Would be a benefit for paying our rent directly from BB.
2) I used to have a Serve before RB. Is there any real advantage of Serve over BB beside possible online load? This time around paper checks would be more important to me than online load.
I've had GoBank account for 2 yrs now and have not paid maintenance fees; I read there are maintenance fees now but there are also ways to dodge it with DD. check it out if interested.
Aug 3, 2015, 9:36 am
#327
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21
did you check your total loads for the month of July to make sure you're not going over $5K? I had a similar message days ago before I realized the reason for the error message was I was going over maximum amount with the load I was trying to make. Once I keyed in lesser amount to reach $5K, load went through via Kate.
Aug 3, 2015, 12:42 pm
#328
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
I was definitely under $5K for the month. On July 29 I loaded 2 Simon mall VGC at $500 each then a Staples $200 card failed. On July 30 I loaded 2 more $500 SMGC fine but a different Staples $200 VGC still failed. So it wasn't just that particular Staples VGC that was the problem. I have 4 Staples VGC on me now so I'll try all of them today as I've read in another thread KATE is acting wonky with these recently
Aug 3, 2015, 1:35 pm
#329
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Central VA/LYH/ROA
Programs: BA, AA, SPG, HLTN, ETC
Posts: 365
if paper checks are valuable to you, check GoBank prepaid. They now have paper checks that are so easy to use. You just preauthorize them and amount is taken off your available balance. Give check to payee and it'll go through! Compared to BB checks which gave me troubles in the past regarding pre authorization, GoBank checks are easy to use as long as you've pre-authorized it prior to being presented to bank.
I've had GoBank account for 2 yrs now and have not paid maintenance fees; I read there are maintenance fees now but there are also ways to dodge it with DD. check it out if interested.
I've had GoBank account for 2 yrs now and have not paid maintenance fees; I read there are maintenance fees now but there are also ways to dodge it with DD. check it out if interested.
Aug 3, 2015, 6:28 pm
#330
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 257
BB wouldn't load at WM register today. Looked like everything was working, display said approved after entering PIN.
I called the BB customer service to see what the problem was and they said they were currently having an issue with BB reloads at WM.
Anybody else ever come across this issue?
I called the BB customer service to see what the problem was and they said they were currently having an issue with BB reloads at WM.
Anybody else ever come across this issue?