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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 Oct 11, 2015, 9:14 am
  #4081  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by westlaker
Last month around $2k, a bit surprised to get it closed down. Most grocery chain have gone cash only for Reloadit anyway.
When you say BP to cc, I assume you mean T-M BP, and not WM BP?
RobertHanson is offline  
Old Oct 11, 2015, 7:20 pm
  #4082  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 393
Originally Posted by westlaker
Last month around $2k, a bit surprised to get it closed down. Most grocery chain have gone cash only for Reloadit anyway.
I've been doing 5k a month for a while now. Are you swiping more than $1k in a single transaction?
donuteric is offline  
Old Oct 11, 2015, 7:25 pm
  #4083  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: NJ
Programs: World of Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Premier Platinum
Posts: 462
Originally Posted by RobertHanson
When you say BP to cc, I assume you mean T-M BP, and not WM BP?
Yes, T-M BP. How do you WM BP? Load to Blue bird or serve at WM?
westlaker is offline  
Old Oct 12, 2015, 7:24 am
  #4084  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: 718
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, IHG Diamond
Posts: 967
Originally Posted by westlaker
Yes, T-M BP. How do you WM BP? Load to Blue bird or serve at WM?
Is WM BP the check-free option with that $1.88/fee?
zzrayzz is offline  
Old Oct 12, 2015, 8:25 am
  #4085  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by zzrayzz
Is WM BP the check-free option with that $1.88/fee?
Yes, and not all WM's can do that. Some can find Check-Free in their systems, and some cannot. You just have to check around to find one that still has CF BP capability. In my case, there are two WM's less than a mile apart, and one can do BP, and one cannot.
RobertHanson is offline  
Old Oct 13, 2015, 4:58 pm
  #4086  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
Today, I went to Winn dixie to buy reloadit with cc. The pinpad made some noise......tried several time but could not pass. Finally, I purchased the card with debit card.... Does this mean the winn dixie now has hardcode on its machine?....
angelion2014 is offline  
Old Oct 13, 2015, 10:57 pm
  #4087  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 827
Originally Posted by angelion2014
Today, I went to Winn dixie to buy reloadit with cc. The pinpad made some noise......tried several time but could not pass. Finally, I purchased the card with debit card.... Does this mean the winn dixie now has hardcode on its machine?....
Yes, WD has been hardcoded for nearly a month now.
CWAL is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2015, 2:35 pm
  #4088  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 21
hmmm should update wiki at the top...Safeway is cash only now. Well registers are not hard coded, but checkout person should notice (if they are doing their job)
hexdexorex is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2015, 3:40 pm
  #4089  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: PetCo Pals Rewards
Posts: 531
Originally Posted by hexdexorex
hmmm should update wiki at the top...Safeway is cash only now. Well registers are not hard coded, but checkout person should notice (if they are doing their job)
Safeway has always been hardcoded as cash only for T-Mobile loads. The ReloadIt issue is related, but also has a separate thread devoted to it.
aza72 is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2015, 4:06 pm
  #4090  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EP; WN CP;UA SILVER; MARRIOTT TITANIUM; HH DIAMOND; IHG PLAT; RADISSON PLAT; HYATT GLOBAL
Posts: 1,938
I apologize for the rookie question, I opened this card a long time ago and have not reload it for at least a year. I now see discussion about a "safe", what is that?
ORD-TGU is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2015, 5:18 pm
  #4091  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
Originally Posted by ORD-TGU
I apologize for the rookie question, I opened this card a long time ago and have not reload it for at least a year. I now see discussion about a "safe", what is that?
In order to load your Tmo card with Rlits now, you need to load them from a "Reloadit Safe". The safe is the intermediary of how Rlits can be loaded to the account. If you go to the Tmo website, you can no longer load Rlits there. The whole Rlit safe thing was a requirement for at least a year now.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Oct 20, 2015, 4:12 pm
  #4092  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
WM TM BP was an Epic Fail Today...

Went to BP this morning, and usual CSR reported that the WM BP system was "updated" last night. No more Check Free. Have to register as a payment client, with name, address, phone number, drivers license before you can pay. System kept shutting down before we could complete all that. Finally got a "system error, which has been reported" message. Went back a couple of hours later, and was told that Corporate had said "no changes have been made".
RobertHanson is offline  
Old Oct 21, 2015, 9:42 am
  #4093  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by RobertHanson
Went to BP this morning, and usual CSR reported that the WM BP system was "updated" last night. No more Check Free. Have to register as a payment client, with name, address, phone number, drivers license before you can pay. System kept shutting down before we could complete all that. Finally got a "system error, which has been reported" message. Went back a couple of hours later, and was told that Corporate had said "no changes have been made".
Since no one else is posting about this, I'm guessing it isn't a national or regional thing. This store probably just got the new system that many of the stores got as long as a year ago. All it means is that Check Free doesn't appear in their system anymore. So Corporate was correct, nothing has changed for WM, this particular store just finally got the update that many other stores got long ago.
RobertHanson is offline  
Old Oct 21, 2015, 1:58 pm
  #4094  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: NYC
Posts: 415
Originally Posted by RobertHanson
Since no one else is posting about this, I'm guessing it isn't a national or regional thing. This store probably just got the new system that many of the stores got as long as a year ago. All it means is that Check Free doesn't appear in their system anymore. So Corporate was correct, nothing has changed for WM, this particular store just finally got the update that many other stores got long ago.
Good call ^

I suspect the same.
mittenfingerz is offline  
Old Oct 22, 2015, 7:07 am
  #4095  
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: Hilton - Diamond, IHG - Spire Amb
Posts: 901
T mobile must be run by paypower?

Just tried to login and got this:

The PayPower website is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance. Please try back at 8 am PST.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you.
Carl Christensen is offline  


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