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)
Sep 5, 2022, 6:42 pm
#1801
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 108
BAU for SPLS VGC --> BBAMEX for full amount in one swipe at regular cashier terminal.
Saw VGC with new packaging today at SPLS. Do they have the same BIN and work the same as VGC with existing packaging?
Saw VGC with new packaging today at SPLS. Do they have the same BIN and work the same as VGC with existing packaging?
Sep 14, 2022, 7:13 am
#1802
Join Date: Aug 2022
Posts: 66
Hit my monthly max on serve so have tried to unload a few VGC's through Bluebird. Have only been successful with $99 transactions, anyone else have this issue? How are you getting around it. $99 per transaction is not proving to be very efficient. With serve, I typically go 2 $200 transactions per stop.
Sep 14, 2022, 8:09 am
#1803
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 144
Hit my monthly max on serve so have tried to unload a few VGC's through Bluebird. Have only been successful with $99 transactions, anyone else have this issue? How are you getting around it. $99 per transaction is not proving to be very efficient. With serve, I typically go 2 $200 transactions per stop.
Funny, I have much better luck with BB than Serve at WM. It's all very YMMV, but unless you give us the BIN, no one can really answer your question.
Sep 14, 2022, 8:19 am
#1804
Join Date: Aug 2022
Posts: 66
435880
ETA: I have been loading Serve at FD and DG, not WM.
ETA: I have been loading Serve at FD and DG, not WM.
Sep 14, 2022, 9:41 am
#1805
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,442
Walmart loading at the cashier can be wonky using either BB, BBV or Serve. Sometimes I get a rejection x 2 before it goes through, and we did nothing different other than run the process through a second and rarely a third time.
Most of my cashiers seem to have no issue with repeating the process because they say that an initial failure is a common glitch.
Most of my cashiers seem to have no issue with repeating the process because they say that an initial failure is a common glitch.
Sep 14, 2022, 1:25 pm
#1807
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 108
Walmart loading at the cashier can be wonky using either BB, BBV or Serve. Sometimes I get a rejection x 2 before it goes through, and we did nothing different other than run the process through a second and rarely a third time.
Most of my cashiers seem to have no issue with repeating the process because they say that an initial failure is a common glitch.
Most of my cashiers seem to have no issue with repeating the process because they say that an initial failure is a common glitch.
Sep 14, 2022, 1:28 pm
#1808
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 108
Hit my monthly max on serve so have tried to unload a few VGC's through Bluebird. Have only been successful with $99 transactions, anyone else have this issue? How are you getting around it. $99 per transaction is not proving to be very efficient. With serve, I typically go 2 $200 transactions per stop.
Sep 14, 2022, 1:49 pm
#1809
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 144
[QUOTE=cidcock;34599360]435880
According to my records I have tried that BIN with BB at 16 different registers (MC, CS, regular aisle, electronics, sporting goods, etc) across 6 different WMs - they work at 9. I've tested all of the possible scenarios several times, because a single failure doesn't mean anything. Like I said, super YMMV, you just gotta find what works for you. The 435880s have been wonky for me at WM for over two years now. I just keep those for Serve at FD/DG and save my 409758s for BB at WM.
If you're having trouble with limiting out on Serve, you do know you can have 2 Serves for a total of $10k/month?
According to my records I have tried that BIN with BB at 16 different registers (MC, CS, regular aisle, electronics, sporting goods, etc) across 6 different WMs - they work at 9. I've tested all of the possible scenarios several times, because a single failure doesn't mean anything. Like I said, super YMMV, you just gotta find what works for you. The 435880s have been wonky for me at WM for over two years now. I just keep those for Serve at FD/DG and save my 409758s for BB at WM.
If you're having trouble with limiting out on Serve, you do know you can have 2 Serves for a total of $10k/month?
Sep 15, 2022, 1:05 am
#1810
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 235
dumb question, if i have multiple BB subaccounts do I get $5k/month limit on each subaccount?
Main account did $5k this month already. On a fresh subaccount I tried loading $500 (using same type of VGCs as main account) but got errors during loading. So not sure how the $5k limit works for subaccounts
Main account did $5k this month already. On a fresh subaccount I tried loading $500 (using same type of VGCs as main account) but got errors during loading. So not sure how the $5k limit works for subaccounts
Sep 15, 2022, 3:09 am
#1811
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 144
dumb question, if i have multiple BB subaccounts do I get $5k/month limit on each subaccount?
Main account did $5k this month already. On a fresh subaccount I tried loading $500 (using same type of VGCs as main account) but got errors during loading. So not sure how the $5k limit works for subaccounts
Main account did $5k this month already. On a fresh subaccount I tried loading $500 (using same type of VGCs as main account) but got errors during loading. So not sure how the $5k limit works for subaccounts
Limits are clearly laid out in the member agreement:
https://www.bluebird.com/legal/membe...ement#anchor19
Sep 15, 2022, 3:19 am
#1812
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 235
You don't want a subaccount, you want another account.
Limits are clearly laid out in the member agreement:
https://www.bluebird.com/legal/membe...ement#anchor19
Limits are clearly laid out in the member agreement:
https://www.bluebird.com/legal/membe...ement#anchor19
Sep 15, 2022, 12:56 pm
#1813
Join Date: Aug 2022
Posts: 66
[QUOTE=fly2fish;34600376]
Thanks for the response. I am currently out of cards, are they 409758 cards - Mastercard? If not, where are you sourcing those. I had cooled down for the month as I met my Serve limit and Staples is not currently running a sale. I do have another Serve Account which I can activate, if I can get more cards. Are you just eating the $6 activation fee? Seems kinda steep ona $200 card, right?
435880
According to my records I have tried that BIN with BB at 16 different registers (MC, CS, regular aisle, electronics, sporting goods, etc) across 6 different WMs - they work at 9. I've tested all of the possible scenarios several times, because a single failure doesn't mean anything. Like I said, super YMMV, you just gotta find what works for you. The 435880s have been wonky for me at WM for over two years now. I just keep those for Serve at FD/DG and save my 409758s for BB at WM.
If you're having trouble with limiting out on Serve, you do know you can have 2 Serves for a total of $10k/month?
According to my records I have tried that BIN with BB at 16 different registers (MC, CS, regular aisle, electronics, sporting goods, etc) across 6 different WMs - they work at 9. I've tested all of the possible scenarios several times, because a single failure doesn't mean anything. Like I said, super YMMV, you just gotta find what works for you. The 435880s have been wonky for me at WM for over two years now. I just keep those for Serve at FD/DG and save my 409758s for BB at WM.
If you're having trouble with limiting out on Serve, you do know you can have 2 Serves for a total of $10k/month?
Sep 15, 2022, 1:38 pm
#1814
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,442
Sep 28, 2022, 7:20 pm
#1815
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 108
Bought variable $500 VGC (MB) from local grocery store. Same BIN as the VGC from Staples. Loaded full amt to BBAm in one swipe at Wally regular terminal.