Jan 10, 2015, 9:20 pm
Last edit by: NoonRadar
Nov 24, 2015
Dear XXXXXXXXX,
We want to let you know that we are making a change to your Target Prepaid REDcard® by American Express, and you will no longer be able to add money from your debit card at Target stores. As always, you can continue to add money to your Prepaid REDcard by using:
• Your debit card online through your Account
• Cash at a Target Store
• Direct Deposit (You can automatically add all or part of your paycheck, government benefits and federal tax refunds to your Prepaid REDcard)
DEAD FOR DEBIT CARD LOADS EFFECTIVE 10/12/2015 - MEMO: http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.co...uests-can-use/
DEAD FOR CREDIT CARD LOADS. (Amex GCs Included)
Effective May 6, 2015 registers are hard-coded to not allow credit card reload. PIN-based debit cards are working, however YMMV. PIN-based debit cards may be refused by cashiers.
WHAT IS TARGET PREPAID REDCARD?
Prepaid Redcard is a reloadable American Express card. It is only available to purchase at select Target stores.
WEBSITE:
This site may error when in Firefox, especially with adding payees / bill pay. Customer service says to use Chrome or Internet Explorer.
https://amex.serve.com/prepaidredcard
PREPAID REDCARD LOAD LIMITS
Cash (or debit card) loading at Target: ** - $1,000/transaction, $2,500/day and $5,000/month
Online Debit Card Load * - $200/day and $1,000/month
Checking/Savings Account - $2,000/month
Checks - $2,000/day and $10,000/month
ATM Withdrawals - $750/day and $2,000/month
All "Monthly" limits are per calendar month and reset on the 1st of each month.
Daily limits reset at midnight Eastern time, 9 PM Pacific time.
*For online debit load, only use of bank-issued cards is allowed. The use of pre-paid debit cards (Netspend, Paypower, Univision, Paypal, etc.) and VGC/MGC/AGCs is not allowed. Your account will be flagged upon first/second attempt.
ATM Withdrawals:
No-fee ATM usage at US Target stores* and U.S. Allpoint network ATMs. (ATM usage not available at any other ATMs.) Find an Allpoint ATM at: www.allpointnetwork.com Note that some ATMs only allow $400/transaction. There is a $750/day and $2,000/month limit to ATM withdrawals.
RedCard is only available in specific Target stores and is not available in all states. Go to this site to find a list of available locations:https://amex.serve.com/prepaidredcard
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Can I reload a RB at a Target that doesn't sell RB?
Yes. However, the cashier may not know how to do it. You may be able to coach them through it by saying "It's like reloading a Starbucks (or Gift) card". For step-by-step instructions on one method of 'coaching' new cashiers see Post#1904
Q: Can I buy or reload a RB in North Carolina?
See post here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...a-63.html#2520
There is currently a software issue preventing any reload of any kind in NC. It is a known issue but there is no ETA on a fix.
Q: Can I reload the RB at any register, or just at the Customer Service desk?
It can be done at any register, however some cashiers are not trained on how to do this and you may have to go to Customer Service.
Q: What is the most efficient way to drain a RedCard?
Use BillPay to pay bills. For example, pay the credit card you used to load RedCard with. You can also withdraw money at ATMs.
Q: I cant access the BillPay feature through the RB website!
Verify that your account information correctly reflects a 10-digit phone number (including area code). Numerous people have reported that their account only had a 7-digit phone number (no area code) and that, after updating to a 10-digit phone number, BillPay miraculously started working.
Q: Can we buy a temporary Redbird card while we still have a Bluebird or Serve account?
Yes.
Q: How many Redbird cards can you purchase at once?
You can only purchase one Redbird card a day per SSN. If you plan to purchase more than one, be sure to use a different SSN for each purchase to avoid activation issues.
Q: Can we register our temporary Redbird online while we still have a Bluebird or Serve account?
No. You will have to cancel your Bluebird or Serve account first before registering.
Q: How do I cancel my BlueBird or Serve Account online? Do I need to call them?
Frequent Miler posted a useful trick that will help you cancel online How to cancel Bluebird online This works for both BlueBird and Serve.
Q: Cancelled Bluebird, why does registering Redbird error out saying Bluebird is still active?
If you have open transactions that have not been settled, like BillPay checks that have not yet been cashed, the account cannot settle and will not be truly closed. Thus Target will reject it until it's permanently closed.
Q: Can we get Redbird online?
No. The only way to get Redbird is to find a participating Target store and buy a temporary card there. Some people have purchased RB on Ebay, Amazon, or through private deals. Be aware that doing so may violate the TOS of one or more of these services. Also be aware that buying an un-activated RB, you are potentially buying "stolen" merchandise; the seller *may* have simply taken the un-activated RB cards from a target store without permission. At best they got permission from a low-level employee; they certainly are not getting permission from someone authorized to allow sale of RB outside of the current Target-authorized roll out markets. It is highly recommended to only buy already activated Redbirds because many Targets which do not offer Redbirds also will not be able to activate them and you will spend a month with the Customer Service line trying to get a new one.
Q: Does the initial load you put in when purchasing the Redbird count against the monthly limit?
No. After registering the Redbird online, any loads done will count against your monthly limit, even on your temp card.
Q: Can we load Redbird with Target gift cards at Target?NO.
When loading, the register displays a large message saying that gift cards cannot be used to pay for this transaction.
Q: What are the card’s load limits per transaction at Target?
[B]As of 2/2/2015 there is a maximum $1,000 load per transaction. You can no longer load the same RB multiple times (multiple swipes) in 1 transaction. Likewise, you can no longer load multiple RBs (say your's and your spouse's) in 1 transaction. Maximum of 1 load, for $1,000 per debit card payment. End of story.
Q: What credit cards can I use to reload RedCard in Target stores?
NONE. As of May 6, 2015, credit cards cannot be used to reload.
Q: Can I reload with a debit card?
Yes, but only if the debit card can be authenticated with PIN-number. Signature-based debit that processes on the Visa/MasterCard/AmEx networks will NOT work.
Q: Can I reload with a prepaid debit card or Vanilla Visa?
Yes, but only if you have a PIN for that card.
Q: How can I load 2 debit cards in one transaction? Example 2x$500.
1. Swipe debit card on my terminal after total comes up $1000.
2. PIN pad comes up. Enter 4 digit PIN.
3. Do you want cash back? press NO
4. Do you want full amount on this card? press NO <<<Note: I pressed YES and did not have a step 5. - PHLisa
5. Cashier reads something on register, asks how much on this card. $500. They push something to continue.
6. Swipe card #2. Enter PIN
7. Repeat 3 to 5. Total: 0.00
8. Receipt prints. Thank cashier. The end.
(thanks to Mamibear)
Q: Can someone else buy a Redbird card for you?
Yes. When you buy a temp Redbird card at Target, you have to give them your drivers license info, your SSN (can be any set of numbers, does not need to be real), birthdate, and more. Then, you have to register the card online in order to get a permanent card. In the process of registering online, they ask for the birthday of the original buyer on the first screen, but you can put your own and it will still work. Either way, you can still change the details on the following screens. I did this for my wife. I bought the card at Target and used my own driver’s license, SSN, etc. But, when I got home, I registered the card to my wife. I can’t promise this will work for everyone, but it worked for me.
Q: Can you reload Serve/Bluebird at Target?
No.
Q: How do I contact Target's support team to resolve an issue with my RedCard?
Call Target's Prepaid Resolution Team, their direct telephone number is 800 438 6468 (open from 8AM to 430PM MST).
Q: Can you have both Redbird and AFT cards?
Yes.
You can have both Redbird and AFT since they are independent products.
Q: I got a "Pending" notice that the registration is being reviewed, what now?
Add [email protected] to your address book, and check your spam folder for an email about it. You can also call in. They will need images or faxes of:
• Social Security Documentation (must clearly show full 9 digit Social Security Number). Choose 1 of the following options:
◦ Social Security Card, OR
◦ A Medicare insurance card
Plus...
• Picture ID
◦ A valid driver's license card OR
◦ A valid state issued ID OR
◦ A valid United States Government ID Card (e.g. Green Card) OR
◦ A valid United States Passport (photo page only)
◦ Social Security Card, OR
◦ A Medicare insurance card
Plus...
• Picture ID
◦ A valid driver's license card OR
◦ A valid state issued ID OR
◦ A valid United States Government ID Card (e.g. Green Card) OR
◦ A valid United States Passport (photo page only)
Secure Document Upload
Here's the link to upload secure documents to REDcard: https://secure.prepaidredcard.com/User/SecureFileUpload
Prepaid REDcard (Target) 2015-2016
Apr 5, 2015, 11:00 pm
#4801
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
I do put more weight on it now because you and Happy say that you've had personal interactions (or similar history here) with the person, but I can still not say that I'm convinced (not saying people need to convince me, just expressing my assessment of it). Prior to these comments of yours, just looking at the comment you linked, I didn't put much weight, there were no details other than "me too" on the now suspicious Rip Redbird thread.
But with each individual RC, my guess is that most are doing most or all of $5k loading a month, and then doing some fairly limited things: withdrawing, bill paying other things, bill paying cc, so the population is much more homogenous. So if one person in category X got shutdown, we would expect many more reports quickly
Apr 5, 2015, 11:46 pm
#4802
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 910
But with each individual RC, my guess is that most are doing most or all of $5k loading a month, and then doing some fairly limited things: withdrawing, bill paying other things, bill paying cc, so the population is much more homogenous. So if one person in category X got shutdown, we would expect many more reports quickly
Some (and I'm part of this group) do things like let the money sit on Redbird for a few days before billpay, don't billpay right away after loading or the same amounts that you load, don't do large or frequent ATM withdrawals, do small 'regular' purchases with Redbird (as well as with credit cards used for MS), etc. As part of a sub-group, some go beyond and do non-even numbers (I've done this so far) and maybe other things. The thought here is to avoid easy computer flags that could be set, and in the event a human looks at the acct, it doesn't look like a 5 minute temporary miles/cashback station.
Some others however are in the pedal to the metal group, they don't want to go to Target more then a couple of times a month so will load $2.5 per card each time, will unload without much thought, ATM, check to self, billpay right away, etc.
I guess time will tell how things go and whether Amex or Target decide to put measures in place to curb certain Redbird behaviors, and whether that entails acct shutdowns. A shutdown could also be about a combination of factors (as far as usage behavior) which might make it harder to pinpoint as to why one person got shut down...I don't expect an email from REDcard to be all inclusive of all the actual reasons as such.
My guess is that generally speaking this isn't about hiding MS behavior per se... I think Amex and Target are well aware of MS, as other banks and big box stores. If I can stumble on MS on the internet without even looking for it--as I did--I'm sure Amex and Target know a whole lot about it. The scrutiny could have more to do with risk of fraud/theft, or other risk factor/models that banks and stores put in place, and MS-related activities can at times look like they could be something like that (which might invite human scrutiny), depending on what the risk model of each bank, and also on the actual fraud/theft/going under data, in general and in the geographical area of the particular Redbird/Serve/otherMSacct usage. This last part for instance might in part account for the particular NYC stores having disallowed credit card loads to Redbird.
Last edited by NoonRadar; Apr 5, 2015 at 11:53 pm
Apr 6, 2015, 3:59 am
#4803
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
Remember, AMEX is not a noobie at this. They ran BB for a number of years before they designed RB. They saw how we used BB for MS, and if they didn't want us to do that with RB, they could have set RB up to prevent that. Instead, it's as if they polled us on FT, asked us what we would most want a new program to have, and did it just the way we wanted. 
Except for the folks in NC, of course.
Except for the folks in NC, of course.
AmEx is likely paid based on usage fees of RB.
Target only makes money on RB if you make purchases in Target.
AmEx is likely very happy when people MS on RBs, as it means more fees for them.
Apr 6, 2015, 7:52 am
#4804
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 5
This has probably been discussed before but I'm curious what you think that Target and Amex were hoping to accomplish with this card and all the features it has. I believe I'm making use of all the various features and I don't believe I'm abusing it.
1) I add funds to the account with a credit card. The fact that they've introduced limits would indicate that they knew it would be used and introduced a limit to avoid over-use.
2) I transfer funds out to my bank account. Again, that's a feature that they offer so they must've considered it would be used.
1) I add funds to the account with a credit card. The fact that they've introduced limits would indicate that they knew it would be used and introduced a limit to avoid over-use.
2) I transfer funds out to my bank account. Again, that's a feature that they offer so they must've considered it would be used.
Dbear, you mention transferring funds out to your bank account. It's been a week or more since I read the FAQ at the RB site, but I did not spot anything about the ability to do that. Is it easy to find, once you've got your RB account/card?
Apr 6, 2015, 7:54 am
#4805
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 800
(I'm a total noob to this forum as a poster, but I've been doing MS for several years, including some app I can no longer remember that stopped taking CCs, Amazon Payments, BB, Serve, and I'm getting ready to switch to RB, when the load system works in NC)
Dbear, you mention transferring funds out to your bank account. It's been a week or more since I read the FAQ at the RB site, but I did not spot anything about the ability to do that. Is it easy to find, once you've got your RB account/card?
Dbear, you mention transferring funds out to your bank account. It's been a week or more since I read the FAQ at the RB site, but I did not spot anything about the ability to do that. Is it easy to find, once you've got your RB account/card?
Apr 6, 2015, 9:53 am
#4806
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
I don't see RB continuing forever. Of course the daily 'I was able to load' posts get a bit old.
Apr 6, 2015, 10:18 am
#4807
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
The shutdowns were just a few days before a bunch of layoffs at Target. I'm a bit surprised that there hasn't been any more rounds of account closures but perhaps the layoffs had something to do with it.
I don't see RB continuing forever. Of course the daily 'I was able to load' posts get a bit old.
I don't see RB continuing forever. Of course the daily 'I was able to load' posts get a bit old.
Apr 6, 2015, 10:35 am
#4808
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: NYC
Posts: 5,025
In a world where people are backstabbed by those they trusted most. Brothers and best friends sleeping with there wives. families stealing from each other etc etc
You guys think some dude on the internet will not do a little white lie because you interacted with them once and they seemed to be righteous?
Anyone who thinks it wasn't most likely a hoax is not thinking clearly and need to watch more episodes of House.
You guys think some dude on the internet will not do a little white lie because you interacted with them once and they seemed to be righteous?
Anyone who thinks it wasn't most likely a hoax is not thinking clearly and need to watch more episodes of House.
Apr 6, 2015, 11:04 am
#4809
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 25
In a world where people are backstabbed by those they trusted most. Brothers and best friends sleeping with there wives. families stealing from each other etc etc
You guys think some dude on the internet will not do a little white lie because you interacted with them once and they seemed to be righteous?
Anyone who thinks it wasn't most likely a hoax is not thinking clearly and need to watch more episodes of House.
You guys think some dude on the internet will not do a little white lie because you interacted with them once and they seemed to be righteous?
Anyone who thinks it wasn't most likely a hoax is not thinking clearly and need to watch more episodes of House.
Apr 6, 2015, 12:04 pm
#4810
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
Wasn't meant in that manner, but this too will eventually end. Or do you think RB's current T&C will continue forevah?In a world where people are backstabbed by those they trusted most. Brothers and best friends sleeping with there wives. families stealing from each other etc etc
You guys think some dude on the internet will not do a little white lie because you interacted with them once and they seemed to be righteous?
Anyone who thinks it wasn't most likely a hoax is not thinking clearly and need to watch more episodes of House.
You guys think some dude on the internet will not do a little white lie because you interacted with them once and they seemed to be righteous?
Anyone who thinks it wasn't most likely a hoax is not thinking clearly and need to watch more episodes of House.
And it was more than one person; it was 8 or 9. With that many people, eventually one would admit it was a hoax. None have stated that it was a hoax, just internet detectives that got overly concerned about copyright dates and email headers.
Apr 6, 2015, 12:29 pm
#4811
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 825
Wasn't meant in that manner, but this too will eventually end. Or do you think RB's current T&C will continue forevah?You live in New York city. Most people don't behave in that manner and I don't consider TV shows to reflect reality. Maybe TV reflects NYC/LA reality??
And it was more than one person; it was 8 or 9. With that many people, eventually one would admit it was a hoax. None have stated that it was a hoax, just internet detectives that got overly concerned about copyright dates and email headers.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...l#post24459139
Apr 6, 2015, 12:30 pm
#4812
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: NYC
Posts: 5,025
Wasn't meant in that manner, but this too will eventually end. Or do you think RB's current T&C will continue forevah?You live in New York city. Most people don't behave in that manner and I don't consider TV shows to reflect reality. Maybe TV reflects NYC/LA reality??
And it was more than one person; it was 8 or 9. With that many people, eventually one would admit it was a hoax. None have stated that it was a hoax, just internet detectives that got overly concerned about copyright dates and email headers.
Tell me what part of the country you are in and I will help you out by googling for you all the .... people have done to each other there.
Where is the "Everybody lies" GIF when you need it.
As mentioned above it was only a few separate logins and probably a total of 2 or 3 people.
Also the person you have the most faith in that thread is from CA perhaps even the evil LA.. OMG
Last edited by Domat; Apr 6, 2015 at 12:40 pm
Apr 6, 2015, 12:41 pm
#4813
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Madison, WI, USA
Posts: 14,162
Apr 6, 2015, 1:21 pm
#4814
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 129
In a world where people are backstabbed by those they trusted most. Brothers and best friends sleeping with there wives. families stealing from each other etc etc
You guys think some dude on the internet will not do a little white lie because you interacted with them once and they seemed to be righteous?
Anyone who thinks it wasn't most likely a hoax is not thinking clearly and need to watch more episodes of House.
You guys think some dude on the internet will not do a little white lie because you interacted with them once and they seemed to be righteous?
Anyone who thinks it wasn't most likely a hoax is not thinking clearly and need to watch more episodes of House.
Apr 6, 2015, 2:17 pm
#4815
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
7- Grayland post #302
8- Busymike post #304
The people posting in this viewfromthewing post/thread may also be FTers; I think the first letter is RFDMinnesota's. The second letter is almost the same. One person in the comments section, Snowflaking, said he got shut down.
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....bird-accounts/
So at least 8 unique FT user IDs, which may be the same as the 3 on viewfromthewing. They could all be the same person with multiple accounts, just trying to scare everyone on FT. It just seems like a lot of effort for a hoax.