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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 Apr 28, 2016, 10:15 am
  #4306  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 50
Originally Posted by ramamosn
Any suggestions on how much BP is safe with T-Mobile? I plan to do 2K every week for the next few months until T-Mobile is shutdown. Any recommendations please?
I've been doing $1500-2000 per week since I learned of their 6/27 drop-dead date. So far so good. But in reality, might as well 'go big' now....
tgienger is offline  
Old Apr 28, 2016, 1:58 pm
  #4307  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Central VA/LYH/ROA
Programs: BA, AA, SPG, HLTN, ETC
Posts: 365
I never could find a reliable place to purchase reloadits from. FL was only place i knew of locally...and they only let me buy like 10% of the time. Yall have been lucky with good supplies!
air360 is offline  
Old May 4, 2016, 3:45 pm
  #4308  
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 1
My card was cancelled more than 30 days ago. I still not receive my refund check. I just called the # on the back of the card and was informed that the card is inactive. How do I contact them and get my money back? Thanks.
shanyong is offline  
Old May 6, 2016, 7:23 am
  #4309  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Originally Posted by shanyong
My card was cancelled more than 30 days ago. I still not receive my refund check. I just called the # on the back of the card and was informed that the card is inactive. How do I contact them and get my money back? Thanks.

Besides calling The Ghostbusters Id simply go this route: https://www5.fdic.gov/IDASP/DIRSInfoRequest.asp and forget about dealing with TM directly
craz is offline  
Old May 6, 2016, 9:30 am
  #4310  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: East Coast
Programs: SPG-Hyatt-IHG-UA-AA-MR-UR
Posts: 123
Originally Posted by shanyong
My card was cancelled more than 30 days ago. I still not receive my refund check. I just called the # on the back of the card and was informed that the card is inactive. How do I contact them and get my money back? Thanks.
This will usually elicit an immediate response:

http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
chener is offline  
Old May 15, 2016, 3:27 pm
  #4311  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 93
After a very good run, my reloadit source went from credit to debit to mostly cash only. Of my 2 TMobile cards, one of the associated safes became very difficult to load on the website and TMobile started charging me a monthly $5 fee in March even though I've always loaded more than $500/mo so, in view of the card's imminent demise, I emptied the account with billpay down to zero. They're still charging the fee and the balance has since become negative. They don't respond to emails asking to close. Am I going to have a problem with this e.g. with my credit report? I count myself lucky that I got all my funds out before they got locked up.
The other TMobile card is still working ok except that they all of a sudden started charging an ATM fee at the same no-fee machine I have been using all along. I wonder if it's worth trying to wring the last few benefits (gas awards) out of this card or if I will have to deal with more of these glitches before the card is discontinued.
taildragger is offline  
Old May 17, 2016, 6:14 am
  #4312  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 427
Originally Posted by taildragger
After a very good run, my reloadit source went from credit to debit to mostly cash only. Of my 2 TMobile cards, one of the associated safes became very difficult to load on the website and TMobile started charging me a monthly $5 fee in March even though I've always loaded more than $500/mo so, in view of the card's imminent demise, I emptied the account with billpay down to zero. They're still charging the fee and the balance has since become negative. They don't respond to emails asking to close. Am I going to have a problem with this e.g. with my credit report? I count myself lucky that I got all my funds out before they got locked up.
The other TMobile card is still working ok except that they all of a sudden started charging an ATM fee at the same no-fee machine I have been using all along. I wonder if it's worth trying to wring the last few benefits (gas awards) out of this card or if I will have to deal with more of these glitches before the card is discontinued.
My understanding is that they wouldn't keep deducting the monthly fee to the point that the account is negative.

On my account, which has been at zero for about six months, I get the fee charged, then a "fee reversal" posts putting the balance back at zero.
bigugly is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2016, 4:06 pm
  #4313  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: PetCo Pals Rewards
Posts: 531
As of today, it's no longer possible to load the card. My load this morning failed, and I called, and they confirmed that they were no longer accepting loads. So they terminated the load functionality a day before they said they would.

Wanted to post it here in case anyone thought they could get one last day in.
aza72 is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2016, 5:09 pm
  #4314  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Northwest, United
Posts: 3,256
Originally Posted by aza72
As of today, it's no longer possible to load the card. My load this morning failed, and I called, and they confirmed that they were no longer accepting loads. So they terminated the load functionality a day before they said they would.

Wanted to post it here in case anyone thought they could get one last day in.
Damn - was planning to go out tonight with guns blazing.

Oh well, thanks for the heads-up, saved me a trip. I was actually just about to head out.

I'm really gonna miss this one. Here's to you, T-mobe. Thanks for a great run!
nwflyboy is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2016, 9:30 pm
  #4315  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 12
I was fortunate, I loaded mine early this afternoon around 12:30pm ET. You are right, nwflyboy, this card was a fantastic run.
makido is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2016, 10:10 pm
  #4316  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: PetCo Pals Rewards
Posts: 531
Originally Posted by makido
I was fortunate, I loaded mine early this afternoon around 12:30pm ET. You are right, nwflyboy, this card was a fantastic run.
You must have gotten in under the wire. An hour later, when I tried, it was no longer working. It was a great run.
aza72 is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2016, 5:42 am
  #4317  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 595
Originally Posted by aza72
As of today, it's no longer possible to load the card. My load this morning failed, and I called, and they confirmed that they were no longer accepting loads. So they terminated the load functionality a day before they said they would.

Wanted to post it here in case anyone thought they could get one last day in.

Darn it, I knew something was up when I couldn't load my last hurrah of $1K last night. Now what am I supposed to do with the $1K sitting in the safe?!
mrstraveler is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2016, 6:56 am
  #4318  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 4
Originally Posted by mrstraveler
Darn it, I knew something was up when I couldn't load my last hurrah of $1K last night. Now what am I supposed to do with the $1K sitting in the safe?!
You could open a Paypal Prepaid MasterCard, load the card with the 1K in your safe, and then do a ACH pull for 1K using your bank account.

It will cost you a fee of $4.95 unless you sign up using someones referral link (gives you a free $5). I was able to do this puling about 2k out of my Paypal Prepaid account. I have heard reports of people's accounts getting shut down doing this but if you only concern is getting your 1K out it wont matter.

Last edited by bigpete54; Jun 29, 2016 at 1:51 am Reason: remove link
bigpete54 is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2016, 2:24 pm
  #4319  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: BOS
Posts: 105
Originally Posted by mrstraveler
Darn it, I knew something was up when I couldn't load my last hurrah of $1K last night. Now what am I supposed to do with the $1K sitting in the safe?!
Maybe open an AccountNow card?

Yes, the T-Mobile card was the best -- it will be missed.
nopoints is offline  
Old Jul 2, 2016, 9:56 pm
  #4320  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: ANC
Programs: AS, UA, IHG, HH,
Posts: 171
Wrapping this thread up I'd say we do a greatest hits..

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23754126-post2754.html
BoeingOrNotGoing is offline  


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