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Old Jan 10, 2015, 9:20 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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)


    Secure Document Upload
    Here's the link to upload secure documents to REDcard: https://secure.prepaidredcard.com/User/SecureFileUpload
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    Prepaid REDcard (Target) 2015-2016

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    Old May 5, 2015, 6:17 pm
      #6211  
     
    Join Date: Aug 2011
    Location: sfo
    Posts: 53
    Originally Posted by memphian901
    With regular Serve, can you load with VGC? I think so - but it has to state 'Debit' on the front of the VGC, correct?
    from what i know as long as the vgc has a pin AND the csr doesn't see what you're using you should be fine.

    i'm interested to see what happens tomorrow and if gc loading works.
    iguanajm is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:20 pm
      #6212  
     
    Join Date: Sep 2013
    Location: PIT-SCE-AOO-PHL-NYC-WAS
    Programs: free agent
    Posts: 1,033
    Wiped $2500 mixture of VGC and CC to RB.. Line was kinda long in USA capital's target.. I'm hoping debit prepaid cards will work then I can finish 2500 on two more RB .

    I think target will let debit because it doesn't cost them much or anything if we feed RB with VGC, SMGC, etc.. Also they should be smart enough to give us some incentives to go target and score 5% off... (I hope)..
    washeelers747 is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:21 pm
      #6213  
     
    Join Date: Apr 2015
    Location: San Diego
    Posts: 229
    Originally Posted by iguanajm
    from what i know as long as the vgc has a pin AND the csr doesn't see what you're using you should be fine.

    i'm interested to see what happens tomorrow and if gc loading works.
    yep, VGC cards with 'debit' on front can actually be used as credit or debit. If you choose debit, you must choose a PIN.

    I tried this with my REDcard a month ago - had $5000 worth of $200 giftcards. On the first 1k giftcards, I used the pin approach. The next 4k, I just treated the VGC's as credit and its a much easier flow.

    I sure hope VGC's work for REDcard, else, I'm going to have to switch to Serve - and don't know anything about it. I see there is a megathread here for that particular method of MS.
    memphian901 is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:23 pm
      #6214  
     
    Join Date: Mar 2014
    Location: NYC
    Programs: DL Platinum, AA Plat Pro, Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum, JetBlue Mosaic 3, Amtrak Select
    Posts: 966
    I loaded 1k in Harlem Target with a cc + id w/o issue. No mention of any future issues with loading via cc.

    However, this was the first time in 3+ months where a manager wasn't necessary to complete the transaction. Clerk did it on their own. To anyone who has experienced the Harlem Target... that is a sign the apocalypse is here
    uppereastsider is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:24 pm
      #6215  
     
    Join Date: Apr 2015
    Location: San Diego
    Posts: 229
    Originally Posted by uppereastsider
    hat is a sign the apocalypse is here
    lol
    memphian901 is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:26 pm
      #6216  
     
    Join Date: Mar 2015
    Posts: 5
    Just went to my local target in Tucson, AZ and cashier knew nothing about it but when I swiped my Venture card the screen said card not supported , tried my Southwest card and same thing. Was good while it lasted.... Any ideas on what I should go to know??

    Last edited by 89alpinem3; May 5, 2015 at 6:53 pm
    89alpinem3 is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:27 pm
      #6217  
     
    Join Date: Feb 2013
    Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
    Posts: 5,937
    Originally Posted by washeelers747
    Wiped $2500 mixture of VGC and CC to RB.. Line was kinda long in USA capital's target.. I'm hoping debit prepaid cards will work then I can finish 2500 on two more RB .

    I think target will let debit because it doesn't cost them much or anything if we feed RB with VGC, SMGC, etc.. Also they should be smart enough to give us some incentives to go target and score 5% off... (I hope)..
    Yeah I've been thinking Target may go back to cc load when they see a dramatic decline. Of course, the cc fees may be enough to make the difference in their confidence. I'm hoping a net loss might mean a resurrection.
    Stgermainparis is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:30 pm
      #6218  
     
    Join Date: Jun 2011
    Posts: 800
    Originally Posted by 89alpinem3
    Just went to locat target in Tucson, AZ and cashier knew nothing about it but when I swiped my Venture card the screen said card not supported , tried my Southwest card and same thing. Was good while it lasted.... Any ideas on what I should go to know??
    This is the first report that the register is declining credit.

    This is strange as registers don't usually update midday.
    macrophage is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:32 pm
      #6219  
     
    Join Date: Jan 2010
    Location: Twin Cities
    Programs: Delta DM MM, IHG Plat, Hilton DM, Marriott SE, Emerald EE, Oakdale Gun Club, NRA & GOA Life Member
    Posts: 3,870
    Originally Posted by pwhitty
    confirmed. I tried calling the 7 local targets and none could confirm. I just went and loaded the limit on my 6 cards all at once, something I usually space out the entire month slowly.... I had the line backed up for 20 min. Cashier and CSM were pissed! Oh well, let's go out with a bang!!
    I called 15 stores myself as well as my congressman and both of my senators. None have confirmed with me either. I've got a call into the Clinton Campaign. I'll let you know when they get back to me.

    If the rumors turn out to be false, I'm sure it will get shut down soon enough due to the idiots that call stores and then piss off the employees. "Never underestimate the power of human stupidity." -Robert A. Heinlein
    yohanson is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:32 pm
      #6220  
     
    Join Date: Jun 2006
    Location: STL
    Posts: 1,546
    I went to the Kirkwood, MO (St. Louis area) Target to reload my RB with $750 to meet the min spend on a new CSP. Cashier at the GS counter is doing my transaction, the cashier at the register next to her says "Oh yeah, someone came in earlier to reload a few of those and told me it was because today is the last day you can load them in store, I think they're being discontinued or something." So the cashier helping me says "Did you hear that? Supposedly these are being discontinued tomorrow." I just shrugged my shoulders and said it was news to me. She then asked me if I wanted to do any more reloads and seemed surprised when I said no. I have a new United Explorer card in the mail and want to save my monthly load limit to meet the min spend on that in the event RB CC loads don't go away.

    They never mentioned anything about a memo, and I didn't correct them about RB being "discontinued" or ask them about the memo because if they're clueless about the RB, I'd prefer to keep it that way, especially if no CC loads is only cashier enforced.

    RB is not sold in the area. Maybe the memo is only going to stores that sell RB.
    t325 is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:33 pm
      #6221  
     
    Join Date: Jun 2006
    Location: STL
    Posts: 1,546
    Originally Posted by macrophage
    This is the first report that the register is declining credit.

    This is strange as registers don't usually update midday.
    That is strange, updating the registers midday is stupid. Updates go wrong all the time. Then again, we saw how competent Target's IT department was with the breach.
    t325 is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:34 pm
      #6222  
     
    Join Date: Nov 2014
    Location: USA
    Posts: 1,084
    Did they enforce their $1k per day limit? Last couple of months I've had bad luck and the managers only allowed $1k per person per day. Despite having AFT and Redbird in my name.

    Originally Posted by uppereastsider
    I loaded 1k in Harlem Target with a cc + id w/o issue. No mention of any future issues with loading via cc.

    However, this was the first time in 3+ months where a manager wasn't necessary to complete the transaction. Clerk did it on their own. To anyone who has experienced the Harlem Target... that is a sign the apocalypse is here
    slivrflyr is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:35 pm
      #6223  
     
    Join Date: Feb 2011
    Posts: 197
    For every 200 people that load $5K on Redcard per month, that is $1,000,000 in credit card loads.

    Even if Target only pays Amex 1% in fees, that costs them $10,000/month per 200 dirtballs like us, from whom they might see a candy bar purchased from time to time. Add administrative costs, workforce time, etc. I imagine there are a many multiples of 200 of us by now.

    It was just a matter of time.

    And just when I was expecting my new Arrival Plus card (sigh)
    protagonist is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:38 pm
      #6224  
     
    Join Date: Dec 2014
    Posts: 102
    Saw dozens of MSers at the Harlem and Flatbush stores today.

    Flatbush one already started rejecting loads today. Several people tried arguing it but they stated they were told to enact the policy today.
    Light is offline  
    Old May 5, 2015, 6:39 pm
      #6225  
     
    Join Date: Mar 2015
    Posts: 54
    My sister works for target and knows nothing about a shutdown. She said she did a reload today with cc and it went as normal.
    kmwrestle is offline  


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