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)
Sep 10, 2015, 12:08 am
#3991
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: CA
Programs: BA, AA, United
Posts: 429
I sent a BP on 8/31 from 2 different Tmobile accounts to 2 different amex cards. Both of them haven't posted yet. It has always posted with 2-3 days.
Do I need to FDIC for this? Is it a bad idea to call them?
Do I need to FDIC for this? Is it a bad idea to call them?
Sep 10, 2015, 1:26 am
#3992
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,112
Sep 10, 2015, 9:42 am
#3993
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
Sep 10, 2015, 3:05 pm
#3994
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,498
Did you suddenly just realize this or were you prompted by the last previous post? If they were an absolute must have then you could have added it a long time ago especially if you were so concerned about the newbies. Has anyone been screaming at newbies when it isn't in the wiki?
Sep 11, 2015, 8:30 am
#3995
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
Did you suddenly just realize this or were you prompted by the last previous post? If they were an absolute must have then you could have added it a long time ago especially if you were so concerned about the newbies. Has anyone been screaming at newbies when it isn't in the wiki?
Sep 13, 2015, 10:56 am
#3996
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: NJ PA NY
Posts: 6
wiki/my method
Just finished reading through all ~4000 posts, and wanted to summarize. I'll add these to the wiki in the FAQs.
- It seems that there is a new policy flagging transactions greater than $1K. Some suggestions that this is on a transaction level, not a day level.
- The general thinking is that WM BP is safer than using the T-Mobile BP. However there are reports of people getting shutdown for either method. There are also reports of people who use BP and don't get shutdown.
- Swipe transactions do not seem to help you go under the radar
- If reloadit fees don't refund wait 24h. There have been reports of $5 maintenence fees being wrongly charged, but no reports of RL fees not eventually being refunded.
- There are a handful ~4 reports of BP never showing up. It seems you have to go to FDIC to fix this. There was one of it showing up very late (>10 business days).
- There are often website issues with T-mobile and reload it. If you can't log in, chances are it's an issue with the site, not that you got shutdown.
By the way, here is my method, it's adjusted since the 1K limit went into effect. It works for me, it isn't maxed out but it's steady. I have several locations nearby both home and work, as well as along the route I take from one to the other, were I can pick up the Reloadits using CC. I have found, which is contrary to some other posts, that locations in the "sketchier" neighborhoods work better. Perhaps it helps that I don't look like the "sketchier neighborhood type" (take that however you want to take it) when I go to buy my reloadits. I also have approx 11 WM near work, near home or between the 2.
1. Go to random.org and generate 2 lists of random numbers. One list between 350 and 499 and a second list between 0 and 99. Combining these lists gets your reloadit purchase amounts. The list I am looking at right now gives me my first 5 reloadits purchase amounts of 476.50, 399.06, 436.87, 450.41 and 481.57.
2. I float about 500 in my TM acct. so when I hit 1500 in my acct I do a WM BP <1k. I also use the random generator to give me a made up number between 975.00 and 999.99 for the bill pay.
3. I keep 3-7 days between bill pays. Depends on my free time and how much I feel like watching the all around human tragedy show that is WM.
4. Never been shut down, threatened with shut down or whatnot. I used to do 24xx bill pays with 2 weeks between them but caught the 1k change in time.
5. I will do the occasional ATM withdrawal if my float gets up there.
Like I said, I know the method doesnt max out the possibilities but its steady and works for me. YMMV.
Sep 13, 2015, 12:57 pm
#3997
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
Funny you mention that, I just finished re-reading all 4000+ posts myself (slow day at work) and was thinking....."Someone should update the wiki."
By the way, here is my method, it's adjusted since the 1K limit went into effect. It works for me, it isn't maxed out but it's steady. I have several locations nearby both home and work, as well as along the route I take from one to the other, were I can pick up the Reloadits using CC. I have found, which is contrary to some other posts, that locations in the "sketchier" neighborhoods work better. Perhaps it helps that I don't look like the "sketchier neighborhood type" (take that however you want to take it) when I go to buy my reloadits. I also have approx 11 WM near work, near home or between the 2.
1. Go to random.org and generate 2 lists of random numbers. One list between 350 and 499 and a second list between 0 and 99. Combining these lists gets your reloadit purchase amounts. The list I am looking at right now gives me my first 5 reloadits purchase amounts of 476.50, 399.06, 436.87, 450.41 and 481.57.
2. I float about 500 in my TM acct. so when I hit 1500 in my acct I do a WM BP <1k. I also use the random generator to give me a made up number between 975.00 and 999.99 for the bill pay.
3. I keep 3-7 days between bill pays. Depends on my free time and how much I feel like watching the all around human tragedy show that is WM.
4. Never been shut down, threatened with shut down or whatnot. I used to do 24xx bill pays with 2 weeks between them but caught the 1k change in time.
5. I will do the occasional ATM withdrawal if my float gets up there.
Like I said, I know the method doesnt max out the possibilities but its steady and works for me. YMMV.
By the way, here is my method, it's adjusted since the 1K limit went into effect. It works for me, it isn't maxed out but it's steady. I have several locations nearby both home and work, as well as along the route I take from one to the other, were I can pick up the Reloadits using CC. I have found, which is contrary to some other posts, that locations in the "sketchier" neighborhoods work better. Perhaps it helps that I don't look like the "sketchier neighborhood type" (take that however you want to take it) when I go to buy my reloadits. I also have approx 11 WM near work, near home or between the 2.
1. Go to random.org and generate 2 lists of random numbers. One list between 350 and 499 and a second list between 0 and 99. Combining these lists gets your reloadit purchase amounts. The list I am looking at right now gives me my first 5 reloadits purchase amounts of 476.50, 399.06, 436.87, 450.41 and 481.57.
2. I float about 500 in my TM acct. so when I hit 1500 in my acct I do a WM BP <1k. I also use the random generator to give me a made up number between 975.00 and 999.99 for the bill pay.
3. I keep 3-7 days between bill pays. Depends on my free time and how much I feel like watching the all around human tragedy show that is WM.
4. Never been shut down, threatened with shut down or whatnot. I used to do 24xx bill pays with 2 weeks between them but caught the 1k change in time.
5. I will do the occasional ATM withdrawal if my float gets up there.
Like I said, I know the method doesnt max out the possibilities but its steady and works for me. YMMV.
Sep 14, 2015, 9:49 am
#3998
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: CA
Programs: BA, AA, United
Posts: 429
Update:
BP to Amex worked after all. It took a total of 14 days but I finally see that it was posted yday.
BP to Amex worked after all. It took a total of 14 days but I finally see that it was posted yday.
Sep 14, 2015, 12:57 pm
#3999
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: NJ PA NY
Posts: 6
NNJ Reloadits
I can tell you one place in NNJ that doesn't carry them anymore, they show up on the reloadit site but they don't have them, so don't take the PATH train from NYC over looking for them!
Pathmark - Old Colony
420 Grand St JCNJ
PM me if you seriously MS in NNJ
Pathmark - Old Colony
420 Grand St JCNJ
PM me if you seriously MS in NNJ
Sep 15, 2015, 5:09 am
#4000
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: America!
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Explorist Caesars Wyndham Diamond, MGM Gold
Posts: 249
Sep 16, 2015, 8:02 am
#4004
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: SGN
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Delta Plat
Posts: 84
Sep 16, 2015, 8:19 am
#4005
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Most of the stores that A&P will be closing dont have Western Union any longer either. Stores that have been sold are hit or miss what they have in stock, especially since the changeover is suppose to occur before yrs end
