Jan 7, 2016, 8:18 am
Last edit by: RedSun
This is the 2016 and onwards Bluebird thread.
The original discussion. The previous 2013- 2014 megathread. The previous 2015 megathread.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read the wiki before posting a question.
The most recent huge wave of shutdowns occurred in May 2019.
Most accounts used for MS were shut down on Jan 8, 2016. Another wave of shutdowns occurred on March 4, 2016. Using Bluebird for MS is very likely to lead to account closure. There is no clear pattern as to how to avoid the account shut-downs. Some of the dormant accounts were not shut down.
Check your BB load limits BEFORE asking in this thread about "tender not allowed" or any other errors.
Bluebird website. There's no need to buy a Bluebird kit in-store; sign-up free on the website.
For information on switching from BB to Serve, see the Serve thread wiki.
Bluebird Load Limits:
The cash load limit for a temp card is $1,500 total.
*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. If blocked, call Account Protection Services at 1-800-660-2454 to clear it (9am-8pm EST, Mon-Fri).
The day currently resets around midnight Eastern/11pm Central/10pm Mountain/9pm Pacific.
For online bill pay
Loading with debit card at Walmart
Self checkout does not work for loading.
Many Walmart stores are enforcing a rule against the use of gift cards when loading, even though the register and the MCE do not enforce. Do not make your prepaid debit cards visible. Show them a bank debit card if asked. Otherwise, you may be asked by management to never visit the MC again to load with gift cards.
Loads at register over $500 will sometimes trigger ID requirement. There is a limit of four swipes per transaction; this means your card plus three payments.
If your card doesn't say "debit" on the front, it isn't a debit card.
Please see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...bit-cards.html for additional information on using prepaid debit cards.
Training a WM cashier:
Error Messages:
DEBIT NOT AVAILABLE
Received when I used a card I thought I had activated but hadn't.
DEBIT NOT APPROVED
Received when the card's monthly load limit had been reached.
TENDER NOT ALLOWED
Card was incorrectly read, or wrong PIN entered .
HOST TIMEOUT
Connection problems. The GC may be drained but the transaction should reverse itself, and funds will become available again. Try again later.
The original discussion. The previous 2013- 2014 megathread. The previous 2015 megathread.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read the wiki before posting a question.
The most recent huge wave of shutdowns occurred in May 2019.
Most accounts used for MS were shut down on Jan 8, 2016. Another wave of shutdowns occurred on March 4, 2016. Using Bluebird for MS is very likely to lead to account closure. There is no clear pattern as to how to avoid the account shut-downs. Some of the dormant accounts were not shut down.
Check your BB load limits BEFORE asking in this thread about "tender not allowed" or any other errors.
Bluebird website. There's no need to buy a Bluebird kit in-store; sign-up free on the website.
For information on switching from BB to Serve, see the Serve thread wiki.
Bluebird Load Limits:
- Cash loading: $2,500 ($1,999.99 at Walmart) per card per day; $9,000 per day all BB cards combined; $5,000 total per calendar month each card; $10,000 calendar month and $100,000 per year all BB cards combined for each SSN.
- Direct Deposit: $100,000 per year
- Online Debit Card Load* - $200/day and $1,000/month
- Checking/Savings Account - $2,000/month
- Mobile Check Capture by Ingo® Money - $5,000/day and $10,000/month
- ATM Withdrawals - $750/day and $2,000/month
The cash load limit for a temp card is $1,500 total.
*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. If blocked, call Account Protection Services at 1-800-660-2454 to clear it (9am-8pm EST, Mon-Fri).
The day currently resets around midnight Eastern/11pm Central/10pm Mountain/9pm Pacific.
For online bill pay
- You can pay the credit card that you used to buy reloads
- Error 1302 means that you have 1 pending payment the same amount as the one you just submitted. For example, 1000 bill pay to sapphire preferred from Friday and then on Saturday you submit another bill pay for 1000 to sapphire preferred, you will get this error.
- Tip: if using online bill pay to the same place multiple times, vary your amounts by $0.01 to make it easier to track since your confirmation number does not match the tracking number on your credit card statement
Loading with debit card at Walmart
Self checkout does not work for loading.
Many Walmart stores are enforcing a rule against the use of gift cards when loading, even though the register and the MCE do not enforce. Do not make your prepaid debit cards visible. Show them a bank debit card if asked. Otherwise, you may be asked by management to never visit the MC again to load with gift cards.
Loads at register over $500 will sometimes trigger ID requirement. There is a limit of four swipes per transaction; this means your card plus three payments.
If your card doesn't say "debit" on the front, it isn't a debit card.
Please see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...bit-cards.html for additional information on using prepaid debit cards.
Training a WM cashier:
- If the WM cashier doesn't know how to load the card, advise them to enter "70" then press "action code".
- If you are using a temp card that doesn't have your name on it, you can swipe the card from your side of the terminal. The WM rep never has to touch any of your cards. The screen will say "enter account." That is your prompt to slide the card.
- The terminal will ask the WM employee if you are loading in multiples of $2000. Advise them to enter "no."
- Avoid saying gift card. Always refer to your card as a debit card.
Error Messages:
DEBIT NOT AVAILABLE
Received when I used a card I thought I had activated but hadn't.
DEBIT NOT APPROVED
Received when the card's monthly load limit had been reached.
TENDER NOT ALLOWED
Card was incorrectly read, or wrong PIN entered .
HOST TIMEOUT
Connection problems. The GC may be drained but the transaction should reverse itself, and funds will become available again. Try again later.
Bluebird master thread (2016 onwards)
May 20, 2022, 11:50 am
#1741
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: 32 16N/110 57W
Programs: Asiana Club Diamond (*G), AA PPro (OWE), Korean Air Skypass MC (STE)
Posts: 157
New prepaid Amex debit
Tried all yesterday to sign up, different browsers, with and w/o VPN, clearing the cache, even called CS, to no avail.
I'd either get the "This is embarrassing, technical issue" message or the "Sorry you were rejected" message.
CS said it maybe because of the way my name is registered with SS, so I tried lower case, upper case, with middle initial, full middle name, w/o middle name, middle initial with 'period', w/o etc. The application only asked me for address and SS #, no drivers license or anything else.
I figure I'll go down to Walmart now and buy one of the rack for the fee and then see how I go.
My credit is fine, I'm under 5/24 if that matters; does anyone have any experiences like this?
Thanks
I'd either get the "This is embarrassing, technical issue" message or the "Sorry you were rejected" message.
CS said it maybe because of the way my name is registered with SS, so I tried lower case, upper case, with middle initial, full middle name, w/o middle name, middle initial with 'period', w/o etc. The application only asked me for address and SS #, no drivers license or anything else.
I figure I'll go down to Walmart now and buy one of the rack for the fee and then see how I go.
My credit is fine, I'm under 5/24 if that matters; does anyone have any experiences like this?
Thanks
May 20, 2022, 8:33 pm
#1742
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: 32 16N/110 57W
Programs: Asiana Club Diamond (*G), AA PPro (OWE), Korean Air Skypass MC (STE)
Posts: 157
Well to follow-up and answer my own question, I went to WM and bought a card, loaded up $20. Still couldn't register and called them up, got on to the Supervisor. After much fluffing around all they could say was that there is a problem verifying my identity and perhaps that stems from past card accounts. (I've never had a Bluebird, Serve or other Amex card before). So pretty frustrating really.
May 22, 2022, 6:47 am
#1743
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,445
Well to follow-up and answer my own question, I went to WM and bought a card, loaded up $20. Still couldn't register and called them up, got on to the Supervisor. After much fluffing around all they could say was that there is a problem verifying my identity and perhaps that stems from past card accounts. (I've never had a Bluebird, Serve or other Amex card before). So pretty frustrating really.
You may want to follow up on this and find out exactly why you are unable to verify your ID. It isn't hard to do so. You just upload your ID (DL) and proof or domicile (utility bill, etc.) to prove that you live in your current house/apt.
I would recommend escalating until you find out exactly why they cannot verify who you are.
May 22, 2022, 11:08 pm
#1744
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 41
Simon VGC? I thought those were basically dead at this point
May 23, 2022, 11:19 am
#1745
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: 32 16N/110 57W
Programs: Asiana Club Diamond (*G), AA PPro (OWE), Korean Air Skypass MC (STE)
Posts: 157
Have you thought that maybe you were hacked and someone else used your ID?
You may want to follow up on this and find out exactly why you are unable to verify your ID. It isn't hard to do so. You just upload your ID (DL) and proof or domicile (utility bill, etc.) to prove that you live in your current house/apt.
I would recommend escalating until you find out exactly why they cannot verify who you are.
You may want to follow up on this and find out exactly why you are unable to verify your ID. It isn't hard to do so. You just upload your ID (DL) and proof or domicile (utility bill, etc.) to prove that you live in your current house/apt.
I would recommend escalating until you find out exactly why they cannot verify who you are.
May 29, 2022, 3:13 pm
#1746
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 117
I am doing 499 since then & still running in 58 debit not available error since last week continuously. Sometimes 2nd swipe goes fine, sometimes doesn't work at all
May 31, 2022, 8:13 am
#1747
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 108
Error code 58 is Transaction not permitted on terminal. The merchant is not allowed this type of transaction.
May 31, 2022, 8:16 am
#1748
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 108
All good with MBVGC from Stap to BBAM in full amt per single transaction at regular terminal.
Jun 8, 2022, 9:55 am
#1749
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 8
Regular MSer, but new to the Staples VGC to BB Amex game. I've been successfully loading MBVGC from Staples at Walmart, until the past week. Getting error code 58 "tender not allowed." I even tried to do a MO for $98 just to test, and it did not go through on two MC registers. However, I was able to load cash at the MC counter. This happened at two different WMs in the NYC suburbs (a notoriously dry MS area).
Anyone else running into the same issues? Cards are registered and PINs are reset. Wondering if the registers recently got recoded. Weird.
Anyone else running into the same issues? Cards are registered and PINs are reset. Wondering if the registers recently got recoded. Weird.
Jun 8, 2022, 1:08 pm
#1750
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 108
Regular MSer, but new to the Staples VGC to BB Amex game. I've been successfully loading MBVGC from Staples at Walmart, until the past week. Getting error code 58 "tender not allowed." I even tried to do a MO for $98 just to test, and it did not go through on two MC registers. However, I was able to load cash at the MC counter. This happened at two different WMs in the NYC suburbs (a notoriously dry MS area).
Anyone else running into the same issues? Cards are registered and PINs are reset. Wondering if the registers recently got recoded. Weird.
Anyone else running into the same issues? Cards are registered and PINs are reset. Wondering if the registers recently got recoded. Weird.
Jun 8, 2022, 1:28 pm
#1751
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 8
Tried a few times at the register at 2 different WMs. My last successful load was 5/26 at the register. Going to try again at a third WM later this week...
Jun 8, 2022, 1:54 pm
#1752
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 108
Did you try <$99 and >$99 and got the same error? This is not good. Thanks. Ingenico point of sale terminal or a diff one?
Jun 9, 2022, 2:55 am
#1753
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: JRF
Programs: AA Gold, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 1,784
After reading this, I bought a $100 BHN Meta at Whole Foods and loaded the full amount in 1 swipe at WM cashier. BAU for me, YMMV
Jun 9, 2022, 12:44 pm
#1755
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 108
Regular MSer, but new to the Staples VGC to BB Amex game. I've been successfully loading MBVGC from Staples at Walmart, until the past week. Getting error code 58 "tender not allowed." I even tried to do a MO for $98 just to test, and it did not go through on two MC registers. However, I was able to load cash at the MC counter. This happened at two different WMs in the NYC suburbs (a notoriously dry MS area).
Anyone else running into the same issues? Cards are registered and PINs are reset. Wondering if the registers recently got recoded. Weird.
Anyone else running into the same issues? Cards are registered and PINs are reset. Wondering if the registers recently got recoded. Weird.
I'll be trying another WM farther out to see if I encounter the same problem.
I also tried to do a MO for $99 and got denied several times.
Note that there has been no change in POS terminals."
Based on data points so far, it seems the issue started 5/27 onwards. Seems MBVGC game @WM is over.