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)
Nov 30, 2023, 1:13 pm
#2102
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 128
Anyone having trouble with billpay or money transfer the last few days? I have tried to pay one of my Chase credit card bills and send money to my wife's Bluebird account, but keep getting an error message. This has been going on for 4-5 days.
Nov 30, 2023, 3:31 pm
#2103
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 249
Have you by chance hit the $100k yearly withdrawal/transaction limit for that SSN (possible if you have multiple cards loading $5k/month)? I recall that happened to me last year around this time and I couldn't cash out til Jan 1st.
Nov 30, 2023, 4:13 pm
#2104
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 128
Good catch. That's probably it exactly. I knew about the limit, but I guess I thought it applied to just loading the cards and that you just couldn't load any more money after the $100k limit was met. I didn't realize that it applied to withdrawals too. Thanks!
Dec 1, 2023, 10:46 am
#2105
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 56
Dec 1, 2023, 10:56 am
#2106
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 128
3ZeroT may know better than I do, but I don't believe that it's cumulative to both loads and withdrawals. It is cumulative to the SNN. So I have 2 Bluebird cards and have probably loaded and withdrawn $5k a month on each card ($10k per month cumulatively) for at least 10 months this year. That's why I probably hit the withdrawal limit. I may have loaded $5k in December of last year on the card I was referencing, but did not withdraw it until Jan of this year. That may be why I was able to load a final $5k this year, but now can't withdraw it until next year. If you just have one BB card under your SSN, you shouldn't hit the limits.
Dec 4, 2023, 12:50 pm
#2108
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,452
Dec 18, 2023, 9:52 pm
#2109
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 40
For the past several days, I was not able to load BB at Family Dollar. Any one have the same experience?
Barcode scanned, BB swiped, loading amount $500 input, $200 payment approved, $200 payment approved, and then after the final $100 swipe, it will say "invalid amount" and cancel the whole transaction.
I encountered the above error message at two different FD. I am wandering is my BB locked, or there was some update in the FD's system? I was able to load this way for the past several months.
Barcode scanned, BB swiped, loading amount $500 input, $200 payment approved, $200 payment approved, and then after the final $100 swipe, it will say "invalid amount" and cancel the whole transaction.
I encountered the above error message at two different FD. I am wandering is my BB locked, or there was some update in the FD's system? I was able to load this way for the past several months.
Dec 18, 2023, 10:01 pm
#2110
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
delete
Last edited by ericdabbs; Dec 19, 2023 at 11:02 am
Dec 18, 2023, 10:39 pm
#2111
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 16
I ran into the same last week. Then I found out I reached the annual BB load limit . Check yours.
Dec 19, 2023, 12:09 am
#2112
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 48
For the past several days, I was not able to load BB at Family Dollar. Any one have the same experience?
Barcode scanned, BB swiped, loading amount $500 input, $200 payment approved, $200 payment approved, and then after the final $100 swipe, it will say "invalid amount" and cancel the whole transaction.
I encountered the above error message at two different FD. I am wandering is my BB locked, or there was some update in the FD's system? I was able to load this way for the past several months.
Barcode scanned, BB swiped, loading amount $500 input, $200 payment approved, $200 payment approved, and then after the final $100 swipe, it will say "invalid amount" and cancel the whole transaction.
I encountered the above error message at two different FD. I am wandering is my BB locked, or there was some update in the FD's system? I was able to load this way for the past several months.
Dec 19, 2023, 4:56 pm
#2114
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 150
Getting a lot of "Invalid Merchant" errors at FD. Researched it and found old dps saying it was because of reaching some load limit (monthly, yearly). However, this is definitely not the case because I was able to go to another store, or go back to the same store the next day and it was BAU. Any idea what this error is about?
Dec 20, 2023, 7:40 am
#2115
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Northeastern United States
Posts: 598
Getting a lot of "Invalid Merchant" errors at FD. Researched it and found old dps saying it was because of reaching some load limit (monthly, yearly). However, this is definitely not the case because I was able to go to another store, or go back to the same store the next day and it was BAU. Any idea what this error is about?