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
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
T-Mobile Visa Prepaid - Bluebird Competitor for MS! (May not load w/CC)
#4051
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 369
It certainly was. Having done BP from another tmo account I sent out 3 BPs on this new account before I realized that the first payment hadn't even posted. So will payments to Citi always be via check? In the past I've had citi BP post as quickly as 2 days...
#4053
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: PetCo Pals Rewards
Posts: 531
#4054
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 415
Yes, I get the technical difficulties error. I've tried oldest to newest, selecting individual packs, even logging in from incognito. I suppose the next step is to purge the packs and prepaid card from my safe and create a brand new safe and add them there... The most maddening thing is this card already accepted packs from this safe before.
#4055
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 782
Yes, I get the technical difficulties error. I've tried oldest to newest, selecting individual packs, even logging in from incognito. I suppose the next step is to purge the packs and prepaid card from my safe and create a brand new safe and add them there... The most maddening thing is this card already accepted packs from this safe before.
How do you "purge the packs"?
#4057
Rejoice! ;-)
I live in an area in which there have been *no* reloadit packs. A grocery store just remodeled and now has stacks of reloadits (and VGC which they previously didn't allow purchase with cc). They have two flavors of the reloadits, one says cash only, and the others just say the fee. I will get a tmobile card and test the waters finally. I will probably use my hilton amex surpass to generate 6x hilton points for cheap.
I live in an area in which there have been *no* reloadit packs. A grocery store just remodeled and now has stacks of reloadits (and VGC which they previously didn't allow purchase with cc). They have two flavors of the reloadits, one says cash only, and the others just say the fee. I will get a tmobile card and test the waters finally. I will probably use my hilton amex surpass to generate 6x hilton points for cheap.
#4058
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: ANC
Programs: AS, UA, IHG, HH,
Posts: 171
Rejoice! ;-)
I live in an area in which there have been *no* reloadit packs. A grocery store just remodeled and now has stacks of reloadits (and VGC which they previously didn't allow purchase with cc). They have two flavors of the reloadits, one says cash only, and the others just say the fee. I will get a tmobile card and test the waters finally. I will probably use my hilton amex surpass to generate 6x hilton points for cheap.
I live in an area in which there have been *no* reloadit packs. A grocery store just remodeled and now has stacks of reloadits (and VGC which they previously didn't allow purchase with cc). They have two flavors of the reloadits, one says cash only, and the others just say the fee. I will get a tmobile card and test the waters finally. I will probably use my hilton amex surpass to generate 6x hilton points for cheap.
Start slow and smart so not to kill it.
#4059
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 16
New cardholder here. How are you guys getting around the "Cash Only" written clearly on the front of the card? Seems like that would raise a red flag right away with any cashier. Are there still versions of cards out there without "Cash Only" written on them?
#4060
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
this is where YMMV comes in. There are stores that disregard those terms and take CCs as payment for them. Win-win for the merchant and MSers.
#4061
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Melbourne, Florida, USA
Posts: 2,983
I have been able to purchase "cash only" cards with cc. Go when the store is busy and profile your cashier (look for the teenager part-time type of cashier).
#4062
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,756
There are more "Cash only" cards out there than those without. To extend the activity longer, you should mix those when purchasing, i.e. two without the wording + two with and have those without "Cash Only" on the top when you hand them over :-)
#4063
Agreed with both of you. That is exactly my thought. I will do do two the first time. One without the words cash only handed first followed by the second with that phrase. And a bottle of pop and a doughnut too ;-)