Jan 25, 2015, 12:41 am
Last edit by: ChrisFlyer66
American Express® is discontinuing the American Express for Target Prepaid Card program on March 21, 2016.
***Attention*** If you are new to the forum and thinking about AFT loads to accomodate your bonus or rewards spend, please be advised this method has taken a major hit effective first week of May, 2015, as mentioned in latter posts on this thread.****
This thread is a continuation of http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...ities-208.html
please be aware the Target breach cards are currently on the black market, as always be aware of activity on all accounts
Purchase in store. Each store seems to have just one lane that has them on display (unlike the AMEX GC which are at most lanes). Package is larger than other gift cards, silver and red.
Not available in all states. Search here for possible locations
Note: Unlike AMEX's restriction on BB/Serve/Redbird where one person can only hold one of those, you can have an AFT (2, actually) while holding a BB, Serve, or Redbird
Need DL to purchase.
Max 1 purchase per ss# per day--this means one person can actually have 2 AFT cards, which is why there is a $5000 total limit for 2 cards (see below).
Max initial load $500 + $3 load fee.
May reload temp card as soon as verification of identity is complete, may take 48 hours. You can use an ATM with a temp card as soon as you're able to view your temp card PIN online. If you're unable to view your PIN online, you won't be able to use an ATM until you have the permanent card, which takes about two weeks.
Many stores now limit reloading to the service desk, and no longer at cashiers. The card must be swiped at a cash terminal to reload, not scanned! Ask cashiers to try if they don't seem to recognize the card. Ask if loading at service desk is a policy, it might just be a knee-jerk response from cashiers that don't know about the card. I have been told that a few times, "You need to go to the Service Desk," it has never been true. Say please and thank you.
Limits & Fees
Loading
Codes as purchase on all cards.
Load fee $3
Max $1000 per card in 24 hour period.
Max $5000 total for both cards per 28 day rolling period.
May load any card *until* balance is $2500 for 28 day period (not *up to*)
System will allow a $1000 load on a card with a $2000 balance so long as you are under $5000 for all cards over 28 day period. See below for optimal load sequence, $15/$5k a month after 1st month and $15k in 65 days for new cards.
Unload via ATM
Max $400/card/day (resets 12am PST)
First ATM w/d per month per card is free, based on 1st of the month (not rolling)+ any ATM owner fee.
Additional ATM w/d fee $3 + ATM fee
Note that unlike Amex RB/BB, AFT is NOT in AllPoint network, thus NO surcharge-free ATM generally.
When asked 'from account' choose 'checking.'
Possibly helpful link (Surcharge Free ATMs):
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...-fee-atms.html
Unload by purchases
No fee. No cash back.
Additional information
Optimal load pattern for least number of $3 fees after first $500 load is $3k/$2k.
New accounts can load $15k in 65 days. 4 trips in a week for new cards, 3 in a week once a month after that.
Load always means load $1000. 28 day load total in parenthesis. 'Dropped' means that load is past the 28 day mark.
Day 1: Purchase card #1, load $500
Day 3: Purchase card #2, load $500; Load card #1 ($1500)
Day 5: load card #1 ($2500); load card #2 ($1500)
Day 7: load card #2 ($2500)
*********************************wait************
Day 29: ($2000)($2500) day 1 dropped
Day 31: ($1000)($2000) day 3 dropped
Day 32: load card #1 ($2000) ; load card #2 ($3000)
Day 33: ($1000)($2000) day 5 dropped
Day 34: load card #1 ($2000); load card #2 ($3000)
Day 35: ($2000) ($2000) day 7 dropped
Day 36: load card #1 ($3000), ($2000)
*********************************wait************
Day 61: load both cards, day 32 dropped
Day 63: load both cards
Day 65: load one card.
Repeat Loads waiting 29 days between loads, if you loaded both cards 29 days ago load both now, if you loaded one card, load one now. So next load date is 61+29= Day 90
FAQ
Q: Can I load with Visa/MC/Amex Gift Cards?
A: Visa and MC Gift cards with a PIN can be used. Amex gift cards no longer work.
Q: How about Target gift cards?
A: The register prompts not to allow Target gift cards. They may not be hard coded, though.
Q: Will I get 5% off if I load with a Target Red card?
A: No. Sorry, I wish.
Q: Can I load multiple cards in one transaction?
A: No. This died February 4, 2015 or shortly before.
Q:Is there a max number of payment swipes?
A: Yes. Maximum swipes for split payments is 7, though other users have reported being able to swipe at least 10 gift cards for payment without problems.
Q: What are the lowest possible fees with a fee-free ATM available?
A: For 2 cards, each loaded with $2.5K each over 2 months ($10K in total), you would pay $30 in loading fees (10 load fees of $3 each) and $63 in ATM fees (25 total withdrawals, with 1 free withdrawal per card each month, resulting in 21 ATM fees of $3 each).
Q: Where is my permanent card? I did not receive my permanent card. How do I receive my permanent card?
A: You do not need to register the temporary card online after purchase or create the online account to receive your permanent card. You should have received your permanent card within 7 days. Your temporary card will stop working after 30 days.
If you have not received your card, your application may have been declined. The personal information you registered may be incorrect, or Amex could not verify your identity.
---
Official fund loading from T&C
You may load funds to your Cards using your Funding Source until the Available Funds on any Card purchased by you equals $2,500 and on all card purchased by you equals $5,000... Not more than $1,000 may be loaded to any Card purchased by you in a 24 hour period using your Funding Source, not more than $5,000 may be loaded to all Cards purchased by you in any 28-day period using your Funding Source.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE IF YOU LOADED YOUR PREPAID CARD AT TARGET DURING THE CHRISTMAS SECURITY BREACH: It is important to have AMEX reissue your cards (just phone the number on the card and ask for a new card). Thieves have the numbers and pins and can drain your account at any time. AMEX does not appear to be using software to block suspicious activity, so they can drain it all. If you loaded your prepaid card at Target between November 27 and December 15, 2013, you are at significant risk of having your money stolen (several reported cases in April and May).
***Attention*** If you are new to the forum and thinking about AFT loads to accomodate your bonus or rewards spend, please be advised this method has taken a major hit effective first week of May, 2015, as mentioned in latter posts on this thread.****
This thread is a continuation of http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...ities-208.htmlplease be aware the Target breach cards are currently on the black market, as always be aware of activity on all accounts
Purchase in store. Each store seems to have just one lane that has them on display (unlike the AMEX GC which are at most lanes). Package is larger than other gift cards, silver and red.
Not available in all states. Search here for possible locations
Note: Unlike AMEX's restriction on BB/Serve/Redbird where one person can only hold one of those, you can have an AFT (2, actually) while holding a BB, Serve, or Redbird
Need DL to purchase.
Max 1 purchase per ss# per day--this means one person can actually have 2 AFT cards, which is why there is a $5000 total limit for 2 cards (see below).
Max initial load $500 + $3 load fee.
May reload temp card as soon as verification of identity is complete, may take 48 hours. You can use an ATM with a temp card as soon as you're able to view your temp card PIN online. If you're unable to view your PIN online, you won't be able to use an ATM until you have the permanent card, which takes about two weeks.
Many stores now limit reloading to the service desk, and no longer at cashiers. The card must be swiped at a cash terminal to reload, not scanned! Ask cashiers to try if they don't seem to recognize the card. Ask if loading at service desk is a policy, it might just be a knee-jerk response from cashiers that don't know about the card. I have been told that a few times, "You need to go to the Service Desk," it has never been true. Say please and thank you.
Limits & Fees
Loading
Codes as purchase on all cards.
Load fee $3
Max $1000 per card in 24 hour period.
Max $5000 total for both cards per 28 day rolling period.
May load any card *until* balance is $2500 for 28 day period (not *up to*)
System will allow a $1000 load on a card with a $2000 balance so long as you are under $5000 for all cards over 28 day period. See below for optimal load sequence, $15/$5k a month after 1st month and $15k in 65 days for new cards.
Unload via ATM
Max $400/card/day (resets 12am PST)
First ATM w/d per month per card is free, based on 1st of the month (not rolling)+ any ATM owner fee.
Additional ATM w/d fee $3 + ATM fee
Note that unlike Amex RB/BB, AFT is NOT in AllPoint network, thus NO surcharge-free ATM generally.
When asked 'from account' choose 'checking.'
Possibly helpful link (Surcharge Free ATMs):
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...-fee-atms.html
Unload by purchases
No fee. No cash back.
Additional information
Optimal load pattern for least number of $3 fees after first $500 load is $3k/$2k.
New accounts can load $15k in 65 days. 4 trips in a week for new cards, 3 in a week once a month after that.
Load always means load $1000. 28 day load total in parenthesis. 'Dropped' means that load is past the 28 day mark.
Day 1: Purchase card #1, load $500
Day 3: Purchase card #2, load $500; Load card #1 ($1500)
Day 5: load card #1 ($2500); load card #2 ($1500)
Day 7: load card #2 ($2500)
*********************************wait************
Day 29: ($2000)($2500) day 1 dropped
Day 31: ($1000)($2000) day 3 dropped
Day 32: load card #1 ($2000) ; load card #2 ($3000)
Day 33: ($1000)($2000) day 5 dropped
Day 34: load card #1 ($2000); load card #2 ($3000)
Day 35: ($2000) ($2000) day 7 dropped
Day 36: load card #1 ($3000), ($2000)
*********************************wait************
Day 61: load both cards, day 32 dropped
Day 63: load both cards
Day 65: load one card.
Repeat Loads waiting 29 days between loads, if you loaded both cards 29 days ago load both now, if you loaded one card, load one now. So next load date is 61+29= Day 90
FAQ
Q: Can I load with Visa/MC/Amex Gift Cards?
A: Visa and MC Gift cards with a PIN can be used. Amex gift cards no longer work.
Q: How about Target gift cards?
A: The register prompts not to allow Target gift cards. They may not be hard coded, though.
Q: Will I get 5% off if I load with a Target Red card?
A: No. Sorry, I wish.
Q: Can I load multiple cards in one transaction?
A: No. This died February 4, 2015 or shortly before.
Q:Is there a max number of payment swipes?
A: Yes. Maximum swipes for split payments is 7, though other users have reported being able to swipe at least 10 gift cards for payment without problems.
Q: What are the lowest possible fees with a fee-free ATM available?
A: For 2 cards, each loaded with $2.5K each over 2 months ($10K in total), you would pay $30 in loading fees (10 load fees of $3 each) and $63 in ATM fees (25 total withdrawals, with 1 free withdrawal per card each month, resulting in 21 ATM fees of $3 each).
Q: Where is my permanent card? I did not receive my permanent card. How do I receive my permanent card?
A: You do not need to register the temporary card online after purchase or create the online account to receive your permanent card. You should have received your permanent card within 7 days. Your temporary card will stop working after 30 days.
If you have not received your card, your application may have been declined. The personal information you registered may be incorrect, or Amex could not verify your identity.
---
Official fund loading from T&C
You may load funds to your Cards using your Funding Source until the Available Funds on any Card purchased by you equals $2,500 and on all card purchased by you equals $5,000... Not more than $1,000 may be loaded to any Card purchased by you in a 24 hour period using your Funding Source, not more than $5,000 may be loaded to all Cards purchased by you in any 28-day period using your Funding Source.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE IF YOU LOADED YOUR PREPAID CARD AT TARGET DURING THE CHRISTMAS SECURITY BREACH: It is important to have AMEX reissue your cards (just phone the number on the card and ask for a new card). Thieves have the numbers and pins and can drain your account at any time. AMEX does not appear to be using software to block suspicious activity, so they can drain it all. If you loaded your prepaid card at Target between November 27 and December 15, 2013, you are at significant risk of having your money stolen (several reported cases in April and May).
AmEx for Target (2015)
Apr 10, 2015, 10:47 am
#391
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 190
I found some AFTs in another Target in DC. I bought one a week ago and will buy another one today if they still have them.
I also found a fee-free ATM at my work's credit union inside my building. Woo hoo!
So people mention using the cash for bill pay. Does that only mean doing billpay at Walmart/KMart?
Can you also do billpay at banks?
Can you billpay at a bank to pay a card issued from another bank, for example, go to Citibank to pay a Chase American Express bill?
I also found a fee-free ATM at my work's credit union inside my building. Woo hoo!
So people mention using the cash for bill pay. Does that only mean doing billpay at Walmart/KMart?
Can you also do billpay at banks?
Can you billpay at a bank to pay a card issued from another bank, for example, go to Citibank to pay a Chase American Express bill?
Apr 10, 2015, 10:51 am
#392
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 24
I just started doing bill pay with the cash I got. I have tried paying citi cards @Citibank, and you can actually do it at ATM which is very very convenient. I have to go in the Chase bank branch to pay my chase credit card. That's my main spending anyways and I have never tried paying other bank's credit card inside a bank...
I work in downtown DC so I have a lot of bank options anyway, but not sure how I'll go about trying to do Barclays or AmEx.
Apr 10, 2015, 5:20 pm
#393
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Heaven
Posts: 552
Apr 11, 2015, 11:43 pm
#395
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
Apr 13, 2015, 10:32 am
#397
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
Maximum monthly manufactured spending on Amex Platinum at Target
I have two Target Redbird and one Amex for Target. What is the maximum monthly manufactured spend at Target one has put on an Amex card (right after opening an account) or for that matter any other card without raising a red flag? This is assuming you are also charging other expenses.
Apr 13, 2015, 1:21 pm
#398
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cambridge, MA
Programs: AAdvantage EXP
Posts: 278
Apr 13, 2015, 3:47 pm
#399
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, SPG Gold, UA Silver ,AA &Southwest
Posts: 41
AFT will credit my account with 3 usd later ?? How this monthly once Free ATM works for AFT ??
Apr 13, 2015, 5:52 pm
#401
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
First time , today I withdraw from US bank ATM and found 3 USD is charged towards fees. $ 403 is appearing on my AFT as withdrawals and is it not free for first ATM withdrawals ??
AFT will credit my account with 3 usd later ?? How this monthly once Free ATM works for AFT ??
AFT will credit my account with 3 usd later ?? How this monthly once Free ATM works for AFT ??
What might have happened is that US Bank might be charging you the $3 for the operator fees for using their ATM which coincides with your thinking that it is from Amex which may not have been the case. When you withdrew from US Bank, there should have been a warning screen that you have to accept the foreign ATM fees which either stated the $3 or you didn't pay attention.
Apr 13, 2015, 6:00 pm
#402
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, SPG Gold, UA Silver ,AA &Southwest
Posts: 41
You shouldn't have been charged for the $3 fee from Amex. Amex does not first charge you the $3 and then reimburse you later. The only charges that should have appeared are the operator fees for the first ATM withdrawal.
What might have happened is that US Bank might be charging you the $3 for the operator fees for using their ATM which coincides with your thinking that it is from Amex which may not have been the case. When you withdrew from US Bank, there should have been a warning screen that you have to accept the foreign ATM fees which either stated the $3 or you didn't pay attention.
What might have happened is that US Bank might be charging you the $3 for the operator fees for using their ATM which coincides with your thinking that it is from Amex which may not have been the case. When you withdrew from US Bank, there should have been a warning screen that you have to accept the foreign ATM fees which either stated the $3 or you didn't pay attention.
Apr 13, 2015, 10:56 pm
#403
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
1) Amex ATM withdrawal fee ($3 per transaction regardless if ATM operator displays $0 fee, first ATM withdrawal per month is waived)
2) ATM operator fees (varies per ATM operator)
What happened in your situation is that fee #1 was waived since its the first of the month but fee #2 was $3 which is what was charged. The next time you withdraw from US Bank your fees wil be $6 ($3 from fee #1 and $3 from fee #2 (US Bank)).
Apr 14, 2015, 12:01 pm
#404
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, SPG Gold, UA Silver ,AA &Southwest
Posts: 41
Just FYI, ATM withdrawal for AFT always has 2 fees.
1) Amex ATM withdrawal fee ($3 per transaction regardless if ATM operator displays $0 fee, first ATM withdrawal per month is waived)
2) ATM operator fees (varies per ATM operator)
What happened in your situation is that fee #1 was waived since its the first of the month but fee #2 was $3 which is what was charged. The next time you withdraw from US Bank your fees wil be $6 ($3 from fee #1 and $3 from fee #2 (US Bank)).
1) Amex ATM withdrawal fee ($3 per transaction regardless if ATM operator displays $0 fee, first ATM withdrawal per month is waived)
2) ATM operator fees (varies per ATM operator)
What happened in your situation is that fee #1 was waived since its the first of the month but fee #2 was $3 which is what was charged. The next time you withdraw from US Bank your fees wil be $6 ($3 from fee #1 and $3 from fee #2 (US Bank)).
Any one in Bay area get a chance to find, Fee Free ATM's to withdraw cash from AFT ? Look like cheapest is Costco with 1.25cents + 3.00 AFT charges.