Jan 22, 2014, 3:27 pm
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)
Dec 15, 2015, 7:58 am
#4156
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 287
Well you can't use any kind of debit/gc with redcard anymore. And AFAIK there is no way to directly load from a T-M card to Bluebird either.
If your local WM can still find Checkfree in their systems, using that to directly pay your ccs bills is the best way to go. None of my local WMs can access Checkfree in their systems anymore. But that occurred on a store by store basis, so maybe your local WMs can. You just have to go in and ask "Can I do a BP directly to a bank with Checkfree"?. If the answer is yes, use your T-M card as a debit card to pay directly to the bank. All you need is the # on your cc and your phone number.
Checkfree by the way is NOT MoneyGram, which costs much more and takes a lot of paper work. Some uninformed WM cashiers will think you want to use Money Gram, and will start asking things like how to find your personal account in their system. If they ask that, they are trying to do Money Gram instead of Checkfree.
If Checkfree isn't an option, the only other one I know is to use the WM MC to get MOs, using your T-M card as a debit card. Then just take the MO to the branch of the bank that issued your cc, along with your cc, and have the teller use the MO to pay your bill. Much better than running the MOs thru your checking account for a bunch of reasons.
If you've been reading this thread you know most folks say to keep your individual payments under $1K. I've doing $999 MOs ( plus the $0.70 fee), equally spread out 5 times a month on each of our T-M cards for the last 6 months without a problem. Knock on wood....
If your local WM can still find Checkfree in their systems, using that to directly pay your ccs bills is the best way to go. None of my local WMs can access Checkfree in their systems anymore. But that occurred on a store by store basis, so maybe your local WMs can. You just have to go in and ask "Can I do a BP directly to a bank with Checkfree"?. If the answer is yes, use your T-M card as a debit card to pay directly to the bank. All you need is the # on your cc and your phone number.
Checkfree by the way is NOT MoneyGram, which costs much more and takes a lot of paper work. Some uninformed WM cashiers will think you want to use Money Gram, and will start asking things like how to find your personal account in their system. If they ask that, they are trying to do Money Gram instead of Checkfree.
If Checkfree isn't an option, the only other one I know is to use the WM MC to get MOs, using your T-M card as a debit card. Then just take the MO to the branch of the bank that issued your cc, along with your cc, and have the teller use the MO to pay your bill. Much better than running the MOs thru your checking account for a bunch of reasons.
If you've been reading this thread you know most folks say to keep your individual payments under $1K. I've doing $999 MOs ( plus the $0.70 fee), equally spread out 5 times a month on each of our T-M cards for the last 6 months without a problem. Knock on wood....
even if i still have to go to wm to load serve, its free ms because of tmo refunding the fee's. i'd also think tmo would get a debit swipe fee for the serve loads? that may keep them off my back also.
Dec 15, 2015, 2:46 pm
#4157
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
well i used rc as an example, but i'm gonna try reloadit -> tmo -> serve since the tmo card has my name on it, wm will load 5k with no issues at register or csr. however that is good info on the checkfree so i'll try that first
even if i still have to go to wm to load serve, its free ms because of tmo refunding the fee's. i'd also think tmo would get a debit swipe fee for the serve loads? that may keep them off my back also.
even if i still have to go to wm to load serve, its free ms because of tmo refunding the fee's. i'd also think tmo would get a debit swipe fee for the serve loads? that may keep them off my back also.
Will both Serve and WM really let you load $5K in one transaction? Or did you mean over several visits? In any case, doing more than $1K in one day with T-M is likely to get your account frozen. I do $999, plus the $0.70 MO fee, per day, per card. Since I'm staying below $5K per month per card, that does mean 5 visits per month, but there are multiple reports of people getting their accounts frozen by trying to do more than $1k per day, $5K per month.
Between BB and T-M, DW and I are MSing around $240K a year. If you feel a need to do more than that I'd recommend trying to find a relative or friend who will get their own T-M card and let you use it. Totally free MS is too good a deal to risk getting your account shut down.
Dec 16, 2015, 6:54 am
#4158
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 287
I haven't used Serve, I've gone from BB to RB, and now back to BB.
Will both Serve and WM really let you load $5K in one transaction? Or did you mean over several visits? In any case, doing more than $1K in one day with T-M is likely to get your account frozen. I do $999, plus the $0.70 MO fee, per day, per card. Since I'm staying below $5K per month per card, that does mean 5 visits per month, but there are multiple reports of people getting their accounts frozen by trying to do more than $1k per day, $5K per month.
Between BB and T-M, DW and I are MSing around $240K a year. If you feel a need to do more than that I'd recommend trying to find a relative or friend who will get their own T-M card and let you use it. Totally free MS is too good a deal to risk getting your account shut down.
Will both Serve and WM really let you load $5K in one transaction? Or did you mean over several visits? In any case, doing more than $1K in one day with T-M is likely to get your account frozen. I do $999, plus the $0.70 MO fee, per day, per card. Since I'm staying below $5K per month per card, that does mean 5 visits per month, but there are multiple reports of people getting their accounts frozen by trying to do more than $1k per day, $5K per month.
Between BB and T-M, DW and I are MSing around $240K a year. If you feel a need to do more than that I'd recommend trying to find a relative or friend who will get their own T-M card and let you use it. Totally free MS is too good a deal to risk getting your account shut down.
i'll buy reloadits at 495x2 -> push to tmo -> load to serve 997.90 each load up to max on serve. that would be free ms for all my cards, as long as i can keep tmo off my back. now i just need 15 more ssn's
Dec 16, 2015, 8:34 am
#4159
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 287
they unlocked my account and told me i was spending 98% on credit card payments. they were pretty rude and told me i had to use the card for normal every day spending not bill payments. thats ok, i got 25k done this month, i'll lower down to 5k from now on.
Dec 16, 2015, 9:57 am
#4160
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Yes, and (at least so far) that doesn't seem to be a problem, as long as you stay under $1K each time. And I also wait at least 4 or 5 days between transactions.
I forgot to mention I never completely empty out my T-M balance. I always leave a few hundred $s on it. I don't know if that's necessary or not, but I figure that can't hurt, and I can easily float that amount.
I forgot to mention I never completely empty out my T-M balance. I always leave a few hundred $s on it. I don't know if that's necessary or not, but I figure that can't hurt, and I can easily float that amount.
Dec 17, 2015, 10:00 am
#4161
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
But the computer gave me her balance on the T-M card, so I guess it's just a long running glitch after all.
Besides, it now occurs to me, there is no problem logging into her T-M account at all. The problem is with the Safe, and I haven't ever heard of anyone having their Safe account frozen, so I guess I just have to be patient. I was planning on doing a "purchase" at WM tomorrow, but with any luck they will have this fixed by then.
Dec 17, 2015, 2:07 pm
#4162
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Well that's good to know. I manage both of our T-M accounts, and I've been trying to load my DW's card from her safe for 2 days now, and keep getting the "technical difficulties" message. Ironic since I posted this a few days ago:
It being a couple of days now, I began to worry.
But the computer gave me her balance on the T-M card, so I guess it's just a long running glitch after all.
Besides, it now occurs to me, there is no problem logging into her T-M account at all. The problem is with the Safe, and I haven't ever heard of anyone having their Safe account frozen, so I guess I just have to be patient. I was planning on doing a "purchase" at WM tomorrow, but with any luck they will have this fixed by then.
It being a couple of days now, I began to worry.
But the computer gave me her balance on the T-M card, so I guess it's just a long running glitch after all.
Besides, it now occurs to me, there is no problem logging into her T-M account at all. The problem is with the Safe, and I haven't ever heard of anyone having their Safe account frozen, so I guess I just have to be patient. I was planning on doing a "purchase" at WM tomorrow, but with any luck they will have this fixed by then.
I'd misplaced the T-M card, and the new one came a few days ago. I used it on Monday to do a "purchase" at WM, using funds loaded to the previous card. So I forgot I hadn't changed the T-M card # in the Safe.
Dec 22, 2015, 5:55 pm
#4164
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 169
Withdraw at ATM inside CVS today and charged $2.00 "Domestic ATM Withdrawal Fee".
double checked that this atm is list under "ATM Locator", and also this atm is "No Surcharge" in Allpoint's website.
Called t-mobilemoneyservice immediately, and they refuse to refund and insist this $2 was charged by atm owner.
Has anyone encounter same issues as me?
double checked that this atm is list under "ATM Locator", and also this atm is "No Surcharge" in Allpoint's website.
Called t-mobilemoneyservice immediately, and they refuse to refund and insist this $2 was charged by atm owner.
Has anyone encounter same issues as me?
Dec 23, 2015, 6:17 am
#4165
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: West Palm Beach, FL, USA
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Gold, Marriott Platinum, ALL Gold
Posts: 206
Withdraw at ATM inside CVS today and charged $2.00 "Domestic ATM Withdrawal Fee".
double checked that this atm is list under "ATM Locator", and also this atm is "No Surcharge" in Allpoint's website.
Called t-mobilemoneyservice immediately, and they refuse to refund and insist this $2 was charged by atm owner.
Has anyone encounter same issues as me?
double checked that this atm is list under "ATM Locator", and also this atm is "No Surcharge" in Allpoint's website.
Called t-mobilemoneyservice immediately, and they refuse to refund and insist this $2 was charged by atm owner.
Has anyone encounter same issues as me?
Bottom line is that you just use the machine to take out money as anything else such as balance inquiries, receipts, etc. will result in a charge by Allpoint.
Dec 23, 2015, 6:25 am
#4166
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA, Southwest
Posts: 175
I haven't used this card since September 13th and still have around 1K in the account. Haven't been hit with any fees for not loading. Just a data point. Are people still using this successfully? I haven't tried much since the RL went to saying cash only on it plus it was slow buying only $500 at a time.
Dec 27, 2015, 9:50 am
#4169
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
T-M site working fine for us. But a week ago was unable to log into DWs Safe for a number of days. Even as my Safe worked flawlessly. Finally, with great trepidation, added her T-M card to my Safe. Worry is that if one of us is frozen that might lead to the other one being frozen. So far no problems, but then it's only been a week.