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)
Jan 5, 2019, 12:31 pm
#661
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NJ
Programs: AA Plat Hyatt Diamond Marriot Plat elite Hilton DIamond and IHG Plat
Posts: 59
OK. So, I did some MS 3 years ago and things were going fine until Serve "observed unusual usage patterns' on my account and closed me down. I got a PM yesterday stating that I can now use Bluebird to load my GCs that I typically get from Simon Malls (lots in the area and on the way to work).
Is this still a valid strategy? Buy Simon GCs, go to WM, load to BB, use BB to pay off bills et al. Try not to get greedy or stupid and bank lots of miles.
What part of this master plan is not valid?
Is this still a valid strategy? Buy Simon GCs, go to WM, load to BB, use BB to pay off bills et al. Try not to get greedy or stupid and bank lots of miles.
What part of this master plan is not valid?
Jan 5, 2019, 12:43 pm
#662
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NJ
Programs: AA Plat Hyatt Diamond Marriot Plat elite Hilton DIamond and IHG Plat
Posts: 59
OK. So, I did some MS 3 years ago and things were going fine until Serve "observed unusual usage patterns' on my account and closed me down. I got a PM yesterday stating that I can now use Bluebird to load my GCs that I typically get from Simon Malls (lots in the area and on the way to work).
Is this still a valid strategy? Buy Simon GCs, go to WM, load to BB, use BB to pay off bills et al. Try not to get greedy or stupid and bank lots of miles.
Can I still get a BB account if I got booted from Serve?
What part of this master plan is not valid?
Is this still a valid strategy? Buy Simon GCs, go to WM, load to BB, use BB to pay off bills et al. Try not to get greedy or stupid and bank lots of miles.
Can I still get a BB account if I got booted from Serve?
What part of this master plan is not valid?
Jan 5, 2019, 1:36 pm
#663
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
Regrettfully, it appears that while you thought you were not closed down, indeed you were.
I was in the group of original shut-downs and have tried to re-sign last year (on line). I got as far as you did, and then got the same response that you received. However, I know that I am a member of the banned group, so the response was not a surprise.
Just for a DP, why don't you see if you can sign up for a Serve Card? If that fails, then you know your SSN is on a no-fly list. (and please let us know the outcome
)
I was in the group of original shut-downs and have tried to re-sign last year (on line). I got as far as you did, and then got the same response that you received. However, I know that I am a member of the banned group, so the response was not a surprise.
Just for a DP, why don't you see if you can sign up for a Serve Card? If that fails, then you know your SSN is on a no-fly list. (and please let us know the outcome
)The odd thing is that AmEx has issued me a Hilton Surpass card since then so I guess it's only a ban for my MSing. I don't MS with the AmEx card and from my understanding they've stopped issuing points for my previously favored MS card, the Simon Mall Card.
Oh well, I suppose I can do this the easy way and just pay quarterly taxes with a credit card. I don't like the charges/cost of that one so I'll limit my MSing until I find something else - I'm not a fan of the money order liquidation route.
Thank you very much for the response; most appreciated.
Jan 5, 2019, 1:39 pm
#664
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
OK. So, I did some MS 3 years ago and things were going fine until Serve "observed unusual usage patterns' on my account and closed me down. I got a PM yesterday stating that I can now use Bluebird to load my GCs that I typically get from Simon Malls (lots in the area and on the way to work).
Is this still a valid strategy? Buy Simon GCs, go to WM, load to BB, use BB to pay off bills et al. Try not to get greedy or stupid and bank lots of miles.
Can I still get a BB account if I got booted from Serve?
What part of this master plan is not valid?
Is this still a valid strategy? Buy Simon GCs, go to WM, load to BB, use BB to pay off bills et al. Try not to get greedy or stupid and bank lots of miles.
Can I still get a BB account if I got booted from Serve?
What part of this master plan is not valid?
Jan 6, 2019, 7:16 am
#665
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NJ
Programs: AA Plat Hyatt Diamond Marriot Plat elite Hilton DIamond and IHG Plat
Posts: 59
Jan 6, 2019, 7:48 am
#666
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 35
Is withdrawing from BB to a bank account via ACH transfer not advised? I just withdrew $2500 to my main bank account, but I'm seeing references to billpay and such. I'd rather just keep charging those things to my amex CC and just pay the CC off the usual way, ie ACH payment from my main bank account. I'd hope I'm not asking to be shut down this way.
Jan 6, 2019, 1:07 pm
#667
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,423
Is withdrawing from BB to a bank account via ACH transfer not advised? I just withdrew $2500 to my main bank account, but I'm seeing references to billpay and such. I'd rather just keep charging those things to my amex CC and just pay the CC off the usual way, ie ACH payment from my main bank account. I'd hope I'm not asking to be shut down this way.
)The reason that Serve and BB exist is to provide banking services to those who either do not qualify for a bank account (too little money, awful credit, etc.) or who don't want to pay for a regular checking account. or finally those who just are not financially competent.
So here you are, and you are using BB and withdrawing money you deposited (with GCs, no doubt) to a bank savings account
.If I were an auditor, and was looking at such an account, I would be asking why this person needs BB when he/she is depositing thousands of dollars every month into it and then withdrawing similar amounts and sending it directly to a bank
Jan 6, 2019, 1:46 pm
#668
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
The rest seems valid, except for one critical point. If you were banned from Serve, you're likely blacklisted by AmEx for both Serve and BB, just like me. I never had a Serve card but my MSing with BB got me banned from both.
Jan 6, 2019, 2:16 pm
#669
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: none
Posts: 106
i have BB and Serve, i never xfer money to my bank, i loaded VGC to them, wait few days, then pay credit cards from BB or serve account directly, I always left 0 balance before the statement date to avoid serve monthly fee in case not load over 500 for the cycle. Had them about 8 months, not big Mser, so far, so good.
Jan 7, 2019, 4:43 pm
#670
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 35
I am going to answer this question with some of my logic (but that does not mean that Amex uses this at all )
The reason that Serve and BB exist is to provide banking services to those who either do not qualify for a bank account (too little money, awful credit, etc.) or who don't want to pay for a regular checking account. or finally those who just are not financially competent.
So here you are, and you are using BB and withdrawing money you deposited (with GCs, no doubt) to a bank savings account .
If I were an auditor, and was looking at such an account, I would be asking why this person needs BB when he/she is depositing thousands of dollars every month into it and then withdrawing similar amounts and sending it directly to a bank
)The reason that Serve and BB exist is to provide banking services to those who either do not qualify for a bank account (too little money, awful credit, etc.) or who don't want to pay for a regular checking account. or finally those who just are not financially competent.
So here you are, and you are using BB and withdrawing money you deposited (with GCs, no doubt) to a bank savings account
.If I were an auditor, and was looking at such an account, I would be asking why this person needs BB when he/she is depositing thousands of dollars every month into it and then withdrawing similar amounts and sending it directly to a bank
Jan 8, 2019, 6:41 am
#671
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,423
When I had my BB account, I actually used my BB as a checking account, depositing money in the form of GCs and then writing checks or paying bills (not credit card statements either). The problem with me was that the bills being paid were large (in the thousands of dollars in some cases). I suspect that my payment activity was several standard deviations above what Amex considered a "standard BB user" (which means that someone with my level of activity should easily qualify for a standard bank checking account) and therefore they chopped my head off in the massacree of 2016.
If I knew then what I know now, my fiscal behavior would have been light-years different with my BB account.
As with most things, you rarely get more than one shot in life
Jan 8, 2019, 7:06 am
#672
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
Not sure how you do the ACH payments. Most people just pay bills via BB. You can also use BB as a Credit/Debit card at stores and online. But you take away the spending opportunity.
Jan 10, 2019, 7:46 am
#673
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NJ
Programs: AA Plat Hyatt Diamond Marriot Plat elite Hilton DIamond and IHG Plat
Posts: 59
Yup. Just applied for BB and was denied. I think they are on to me. If no BB and no Serve, what is the next work-around to do some MS?
Jan 12, 2019, 5:58 pm
#674
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 2
Okay I have a couple questions. What a great resource!
I currently have Serve. Can I also now sign up for Bluebird?
Serve is reloadable with gift cards at my Family Dollar. Is Bluebird also? FD doesn't charge me a fee for Serve. Will they for Bluebird?
I currently have Serve. Can I also now sign up for Bluebird?
Serve is reloadable with gift cards at my Family Dollar. Is Bluebird also? FD doesn't charge me a fee for Serve. Will they for Bluebird?
Jan 12, 2019, 8:18 pm
#675
Join Date: Nov 2015
Programs: DL, Marriott & IHG Platty; HH Diamonte
Posts: 861
Just do an ACH pull from BB to CC