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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 Mar 19, 2016, 7:53 pm
  #4261  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 166
They closed new card

A new card was activated by my friend and then 2 days later it was closed. They would not give a reason. But it would make sense if they are trying to discontinue the card.
hokiegl is offline  
Old Mar 20, 2016, 5:06 pm
  #4262  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 222
getting "invalid card number" when trying to load from reloadit.com.
goblue77 is offline  
Old Mar 26, 2016, 6:04 pm
  #4263  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 93
I noticed I got charged a $5 monthly maintenance fee on one of my 2 accounts even though I always load at least $500/mo. Not on the other card, similar usage.
taildragger is offline  
Old Mar 27, 2016, 3:15 pm
  #4264  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Central VA/LYH/ROA
Programs: BA, AA, SPG, HLTN, ETC
Posts: 365
anyone have any quick datapoints on Kroger? Do they carry reloadits? Are the registers hardcoded?

Last edited by air360; Mar 27, 2016 at 3:23 pm
air360 is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2016, 8:01 am
  #4265  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 166
I have not had any issues with existing TM cards btw. I have been having a hard time registering new cards though.
hokiegl is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2016, 8:53 am
  #4266  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 340
Originally Posted by air360
anyone have any quick datapoints on Kroger? Do they carry reloadits? Are the registers hardcoded?
Never saw it before.
ericliujian is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2016, 8:54 am
  #4267  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Central VA/LYH/ROA
Programs: BA, AA, SPG, HLTN, ETC
Posts: 365
Originally Posted by ericliujian
Never saw it before.
Yeah was just about to say I checked today and didn't see any...darn it...my local Kroger had the the best people
air360 is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2016, 10:32 am
  #4268  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: PHL
Programs: US; AA; UA; Hilton Gold; Club Carlson Gold; IHG Platinum;
Posts: 388
What stores allow loading TM card with VGCs? I tried adding $500 at WM and was charged $3.67 reloading fee. Are there any places that do not charge load fees? And would those fees be credited back, similarly to ReloadIt $3.95 value load fee?
Kpoxa is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2016, 10:43 am
  #4269  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 166
Originally Posted by Kpoxa
What stores allow loading TM card with VGCs? I tried adding $500 at WM and was charged $3.67 reloading fee. Are there any places that do not charge load fees? And would those fees be credited back, similarly to ReloadIt $3.95 value load fee?
Walmart's fee does not get credited back. I am not sure why. But there is no way to load without a fee. But in many cases it makes sense such as loading at other places that take Vanilla cards.
hokiegl is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2016, 11:13 am
  #4270  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 287
Originally Posted by air360
anyone have any quick datapoints on Kroger? Do they carry reloadits? Are the registers hardcoded?
yes kroger is hardcoded against reloadits so is office depot, however safeway wasn't hard coded last time i went, the sale just flat out canceled. the manager said they had issues with bhn and were pulling all of them from the shelves.
isriam is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2016, 6:28 pm
  #4271  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
Originally Posted by isriam
yes kroger is hardcoded against reloadits so is office depot, however safeway wasn't hard coded last time i went, the sale just flat out canceled. the manager said they had issues with bhn and were pulling all of them from the shelves.
I am so sure about the Safeway and not hard coding. The last time I went to a Vons which was around 3/6/16 and was not able to purchase Reloadits with CC. The cashier was puzzled since I have been able to purchase Reloadits from him for the past 2 years and the transaction would not go through.

So unless there truly was an issue with Reloadit being activated on the Vons/Safeway POS system around early March, I am doubtful that it isn't hard coded due to the sudden interest from Safeway to upgrade their POS systems to use the chip card reader.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2016, 9:50 am
  #4272  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 287
there are a lot of responses in the safeway thread that some are hardcoded and some are not, but many had issues with buying recently.
isriam is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2016, 1:39 pm
  #4273  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 71
Anyone in the NY or Long Island area know where you can get reloadits with a credit card? I was able to from stop and shop for a long time and they just cracked down. Dont think they are hard coded yet but they have been very strict about it since.
NCianflone is offline  
Old Mar 30, 2016, 2:33 pm
  #4274  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11
Does anyone know the purchasing limit of safeway without triggering the manager approval? Here's the thing, I just went to a safeway to buy a Reloadit and I told the cashier to load $450, then triggered the alert, need overwrite from the manager. I thought the limit was $500 before? Did they change?
Thanks.
zooplankton66 is offline  
Old Mar 30, 2016, 2:47 pm
  #4275  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
Originally Posted by zooplankton66
Does anyone know the purchasing limit of safeway without triggering the manager approval? Here's the thing, I just went to a safeway to buy a Reloadit and I told the cashier to load $450, then triggered the alert, need overwrite from the manager. I thought the limit was $500 before? Did they change?
Thanks.
Are you sure its not just an alert that happens for any amount you buy on a reloadit? Worse case you should load at least $300 to be able to get the reload fee back as a test. My guess is that any amount for a reloadit will trigger an alert which I believe began on Mar 1st. I was still able to buy Rlits around end of Feb. Yes things have changed since then since Safeway has a sudden interest in updating their POS system to use the chip reader to help prevent fraud. And because of that they have put some limitations at least for now on gift cards until the chip reader thing is resolved.

The way I see it, if I can't even load $300 then I won't be able to get my reload fee back from Tmobile which makes this all pointless. So I would say try buying $300 and see if that works. If that works from there you can test $350 or $400.
ericdabbs is offline  


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