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T-Mobile Visa Prepaid - Bluebird Competitor for MS! (May not load w/CC)

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Old Jan 22, 2014, 3:27 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: XP1
Warning: The T-M website contains an apparent Bill Pay function. Attempting to use it to pay credit card bills, or probably any significant $ amount bills of any sort, will get your account frozen. Ditto large scale ATM or MO withdrawals. The one method of unloading likely to keep you under the radar is small scale WM BP. Also likely to get you shut down, according to consensus reports, is running much more than $5K a month thru your account. You ignore this advice at your own risk.

SUMMARY

1. FAQ's
2. Free to use for TMo customers.
3. Issued by Bancorp
4. Load at T-mobile store (Registers are HARD CODED not to accept anything other than cash.)
5. or Reloadit, (find a grocery store that sold reloadit cards with a cc)

List Stores hard coded for cash or Credit Card accepted
T-Mobile (cash only)
Home Depot (cash only, hard coded)
Harris Teeter - Bought with CC on 2/16/14, hard coded denied CC on 5 APR 2014
Winn-Dixie - Hard coded for cash (debit may work, untested) as of Oct-2015
Meijer (Cash/Debit including VGC)
Giant Eagle/GetGo (Cash, Debit including VGC )
Safeways/Vons/Pavilions in California - most only Cash
Food Lion - Manager override now required. Many stores cash or bank debit only, but registers are not hard coded.
Save-A-Lot: Hard coded cash only
BigY: At least some stores have gone cash only as of 1/8
Acme in PA: Hard-coded cash only (Source)

Note on ReloadIt Cards
These come in two main flavors, up to $500, and up to $950 (there are ones that go up to $50, too). Both are $3.95 load fee. The older grey cards, have CASH ONLY on them. Even if the cash register is coded to accept it, many cashiers will be hesitant to even try, or get shut down by manager.
The maximum value reload will be $2,500.00. There is no maximum number of times you may value reload your Card Account per day; however, the maximum dollar amount of value reloads you may make to your Card Account in one day is $2,500.00. We will accept direct deposits larger than $2,500.00, but any direct deposit value reloaded to your Card Account will count against the $2,500.00 daily limit.
Value Reload Fee: Each time you value reload $300.00 or more to your Card Account in a single transaction, you will receive a credit for any fee you paid. If you are a T-Mobile Wireless Customer and value reload your Card Account at a participating T-Mobile Wireless location, you will receive a refund at the register (and will pay no fee for your value reload). If you value reload your Card Account for $300.00 or more via another method, we will issue a credit to your Card Account in the amount of the fee you paid.

In practice, a ReloadIt >= $300 loaded via the safe will receive credit for the fee. However, the terms formally state "Please note: Value reloads made from Reloadit Packs that have been placed in the Program Manager’s Reloadit `Safe' are not eligible for any fee credit." so this is not guaranteed.

The Limits:
Daily limit: $2500 during a rolling 24 hour period
Monthly limit: ?
Annual Limit: ?
Max Bill Pay (per transaction): = $5000 (tested March 6th, can do 'at least' a second for the same amount to the same payee momment later).
Daily ATM limit: $500 (rolling 24 hr rather than calendar day)

Total monthly bill pay limit: ?
The maximum value of your Card Account is restricted to $10,000.00

T-Mobile Prepaid Customer Service Email: [email protected]

If you need to escalate to the FDIC, Bancorp's registered FDIC# is 35444.
If you want to try to open an FDIC complaint or investigation you can send one in electronically at
http://www2.fdic.gov/IDASP/DIRSInfoRequest.asp

Alternative FDIC link to file complaint
https://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp

FAQ
  • My fee did not get refunded. Has there been a policy change? ReloadIt Fees are processed overnight and could take 24 hours after you reload the card. As of 9/2015, ReloadIt cards added to the safe prior to loading on T-Mobile will still get the $3.95 refunded.
  • What is a safe transaction amount? There is no definite safe or unsafe amount. However, starting the last week of Jul 2015, people have been reporting the account frozen after transactions larger than $1K.
  • Can I use the BP Feature? It works well for some people. Many have reported getting shutdown after using it. A few have reported having the payments lost. Like all MS activity, use at your own risk.
  • Should I mix in some regular spending to make it look like this is my primary card? If it makes you feel better, go for it. However people who do this still get shutdown.
  • I can't log in. Did I get shutdown? Possibly. But more likely the website is having technical issues. Call in, o try to make a swipe purchase and test it out.
  • If I pay my taxes with this card, will I get shutdown? Large purchase raise red flags. Taxes are no different and there are reports of people being shut down for doing this.
  • What is a T-Mobile wireless customer? A qualifying T-Mobile wireless customer can be either a postpaid or prepaid customer. Source: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24790705-post3703.html
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T-Mobile Visa Prepaid - Bluebird Competitor for MS! (May not load w/CC)

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Old Jul 17, 2014, 1:39 pm
  #2311  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by stupidzbu
I had the $5 fee charged in June. Called and opened a ticket to get it refunded

Got it refunded July 1, same day they blocked my card. I left on vacation and found out yesterday it was blocked while attempting to load a reloadit and got an error as someone else in this thread.

called in and was told my accoutn was blocked and that they needed to file a ticket and have fraud prevention call me blah blah. this was yesterday

in retrospect, I probably should have eaten that $5 fee than bring my activity under scrutiny.

I've been loading via RI and unloading via SERVE/GOBank loads @ WM FWIW

I've probably did $10-$15k last month
Apparently you didn't read this thread before you left LOL. I posted that the same thing happened to me in June.
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Jul 17, 2014, 1:45 pm
  #2312  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 342
Originally Posted by stupidzbu
I had the $5 fee charged in June. Called and opened a ticket to get it refunded

Got it refunded July 1, same day they blocked my card. I left on vacation and found out yesterday it was blocked while attempting to load a reloadit and got an error as someone else in this thread.

called in and was told my accoutn was blocked and that they needed to file a ticket and have fraud prevention call me blah blah. this was yesterday

in retrospect, I probably should have eaten that $5 fee than bring my activity under scrutiny.

I've been loading via RI and unloading via SERVE/GOBank loads @ WM FWIW

I've probably did $10-$15k last month
Your userid is fitting.
sybloc is offline  
Old Jul 17, 2014, 2:15 pm
  #2313  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: BOS .. but soon SFO
Programs: UA PLAT, TK GLD, Hilton Diamond, IC PLAT, SPG GLD, Marriott GLD
Posts: 1,528
Originally Posted by cdancer20
Apparently you didn't read this thread before you left LOL. I posted that the same thing happened to me in June.

TBH, I don't regularly come back to threads unless something goes wrong.

which is why I returned yesterday when I tried to load and it didn't work.

I've had the Tmobile for like 6 months now and I've regularly pumped 15-20k a month through it and all has gone via WM loads (2 serve, 2 Go bank)
stupidzbu is offline  
Old Jul 17, 2014, 3:09 pm
  #2314  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 721
Originally Posted by cdancer20
Apparently you didn't read this thread before you left LOL. I posted that the same thing happened to me in June.
Anybody wanna hire me as an MS Consultant LOL?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...l#post22813640

FWIW one of the posts before that one, I believe the poster was later made to jump through some hoops although I can't remember if the story was shared with FT.
zceuxbhjutf is offline  
Old Jul 17, 2014, 3:31 pm
  #2315  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: BOS .. but soon SFO
Programs: UA PLAT, TK GLD, Hilton Diamond, IC PLAT, SPG GLD, Marriott GLD
Posts: 1,528
Originally Posted by cdancer20
Apparently you didn't read this thread before you left LOL. I posted that the same thing happened to me in June.
well, I put a ticket in and I am waiting for a call from the fraud department...

how was your issue resolved?
stupidzbu is offline  
Old Jul 17, 2014, 3:38 pm
  #2316  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: US Airways Gold, Marriott Platinum, SW A List
Posts: 1,575
T-Mobile Visa Prepaid - Bluebird Competitor for MS! (May not load w/CC)

They will call you and tell you to stop loading and unloading like that. You should have never called.
heyeaglefn is offline  
Old Jul 17, 2014, 3:39 pm
  #2317  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by stupidzbu
well, I put a ticket in and I am waiting for a call from the fraud department...

how was your issue resolved?
I had to send in ID, Reloadit purchase receipt, and SSN card. They opened it but told me that "cashback" transaction at WM are frowned upon. This card should be used for regular spend only. They later defined cashback as money orders/bill pay too.
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Jul 17, 2014, 4:16 pm
  #2318  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: BOS .. but soon SFO
Programs: UA PLAT, TK GLD, Hilton Diamond, IC PLAT, SPG GLD, Marriott GLD
Posts: 1,528
Originally Posted by cdancer20
I had to send in ID, Reloadit purchase receipt, and SSN card. They opened it but told me that "cashback" transaction at WM are frowned upon. This card should be used for regular spend only. They later defined cashback as money orders/bill pay too.
yeah, they aren't getting that from me. I'll just get one under the wife's name ...

and if they do reinstate me, I'll keep doing it, just less frequently and probably make it not $500 loads at a time and see what happens.

worse case scenario, they cut me a check and shut me down
stupidzbu is offline  
Old Jul 17, 2014, 5:07 pm
  #2319  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
Originally Posted by stupidzbu
yeah, they aren't getting that from me. I'll just get one under the wife's name ...

and if they do reinstate me, I'll keep doing it, just less frequently and probably make it not $500 loads at a time and see what happens.

worse case scenario, they cut me a check and shut me down
Whether you like it or not, they still have to verify your ID before they cut you a check anyways so hopefully you don't have a ton tied up.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Jul 19, 2014, 4:05 pm
  #2320  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 1,947
Odd bug on the mobile app this AM: I loaded a RL and received the submit and then the confirmation messages on the screen like normal. I immediately tried the same for my second RL, got the submit message, but then saw something to the effect of "can't process the transaction now, please wait a few minutes." Curious, I waited 30 min and then determined, contrary to the first confirmation, the first RL did not deposit either. Waited another 15, tried both again, and then both instantly deposited at full value without issue.

Last edited by EkekoBWI; Jul 19, 2014 at 4:06 pm Reason: Added detail
EkekoBWI is offline  
Old Jul 19, 2014, 5:09 pm
  #2321  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: The Phoenix Desert
Programs: Hilton Cubic Zirconia, Marriott Fools Gold
Posts: 1,692
Originally Posted by EkekoBWI
Odd bug on the mobile app this AM: I loaded a RL and received the submit and then the confirmation messages on the screen like normal. I immediately tried the same for my second RL, got the submit message, but then saw something to the effect of "can't process the transaction now, please wait a few minutes." Curious, I waited 30 min and then determined, contrary to the first confirmation, the first RL did not deposit either. Waited another 15, tried both again, and then both instantly deposited at full value without issue.
I've had this happen to me several times. No big deal.
skitch23 is offline  
Old Jul 19, 2014, 5:35 pm
  #2322  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: BOS
Posts: 105
Originally Posted by EkekoBWI
Odd bug on the mobile app this AM: I loaded a RL and received the submit and then the confirmation messages on the screen like normal. I immediately tried the same for my second RL, got the submit message, but then saw something to the effect of "can't process the transaction now, please wait a few minutes." Curious, I waited 30 min and then determined, contrary to the first confirmation, the first RL did not deposit either. Waited another 15, tried both again, and then both instantly deposited at full value without issue.
I've run into this problem frequently when I use the app over the the cellular data network (T-mobile 4G, for me). The app works fine when I'm connected via WiFi.
nopoints is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2014, 9:31 am
  #2323  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: NYC
Posts: 415
All of you who call in to complain about the $5 deserve what you get. This has been a running issue in this thread for months now. I can't believe it gets any attention. Besides the fact that you nearly break even after 1 cards fees are refunded, it breaks the first rule! Do not call! If you can break the most sacred rule over $5, you deserve what you get. End rant...
mittenfingerz is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2014, 8:15 pm
  #2324  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LAX/BUR
Posts: 525
I got a Reloadit with $950 on it and it asks how much money is on the card, so I put $950. Will the $3.95 fee automatically be posted on my T-Mobile account or should I have put $953.95?

Last edited by maddie5218; Jul 20, 2014 at 9:40 pm
maddie5218 is offline  
Old Jul 20, 2014, 8:45 pm
  #2325  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL
Posts: 930
Have any of you gotten a second card?
commdiver is offline  


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