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)
Oct 10, 2019, 8:37 pm
#841
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 845
For creating multiple BB accounts, is it OK to use the same email address in case of a shut down?
I guess if they really wanted to go after all accounts they already have name/SSN/address to find those.
Oct 11, 2019, 7:27 am
#842
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,447
There are DPs out there that people have opened multiple BB and Serve accounts with the same email address (in the past).
Oct 11, 2019, 7:54 am
#843
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 75
I use different email addresses for mine, but others use the same one. I had all the cards I was actively using at the time shut down with the last wave so that evidently doesn't help much.
Oct 11, 2019, 12:39 pm
#844
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 845
Thanks for the replies!
Oct 20, 2019, 6:47 pm
#845
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
multiple attempts easier today to load addl MCGC bought at safeway & staples after one of $200 at different WMs got a print out "exceeded load limit"; the BB acct still hasn't anywhere close to a $5k load limit
Anyone has recently experienced the same issue or restriction at WM? suspect that WM may have rolled out a restriction or a change to its systems in my area; hope or wish that it's not so; may have been an temp error on their end....
Edit: nvm, I figured out why...
Anyone has recently experienced the same issue or restriction at WM? suspect that WM may have rolled out a restriction or a change to its systems in my area; hope or wish that it's not so; may have been an temp error on their end....
Edit: nvm, I figured out why...
Last edited by danhouston; Oct 20, 2019 at 7:58 pm
Oct 23, 2019, 8:10 pm
#846
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 829
Was shutdown in 2016 or so since then have not been able to sign up for this card, does anyone know how long you remain on their naughty list? It seems like they have gone through ownership changes yet retaining the memory from the past?
Oct 24, 2019, 6:43 am
#847
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
I heard it takes 5 years to get back on. Call them to find out.
Oct 24, 2019, 12:19 pm
#848
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,447
If you are declined, no amount of sweet talk is going to change the final outcome.
I am not certain of the 5 year mark. I have seen nothing anywhere that would support this, but if others know of DPs confirming it, it would be helpful to all let us know where they were seen.
I did get a new BB (only 1) after I was shut down in the first masacree but I did that only after the latest slaughter in May of this year. For some reason, I applied immediately after that debacle and was approved for a single card. I have not been able to get another since then, and have not used the BB card in any form for MS activity. I am running a test to see if it gets shut down no matter what or how I use it..
Results to follow
Oct 24, 2019, 1:19 pm
#849
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: DEN
Programs: Hilton Diamond Hyatt Globalist Marriott Gold AA EXP
Posts: 1,019
You don't need to call. Just try to sign up on-line.
If you are declined, no amount of sweet talk is going to change the final outcome.
I am not certain of the 5 year mark. I have seen nothing anywhere that would support this, but if others know of DPs confirming it, it would be helpful to all let us know where they were seen.
I did get a new BB (only 1) after I was shut down in the first masacree but I did that only after the latest slaughter in May of this year. For some reason, I applied immediately after that debacle and was approved for a single card. I have not been able to get another since then, and have not used the BB card in any form for MS activity. I am running a test to see if it gets shut down no matter what or how I use it..
Results to follow
If you are declined, no amount of sweet talk is going to change the final outcome.
I am not certain of the 5 year mark. I have seen nothing anywhere that would support this, but if others know of DPs confirming it, it would be helpful to all let us know where they were seen.
I did get a new BB (only 1) after I was shut down in the first masacree but I did that only after the latest slaughter in May of this year. For some reason, I applied immediately after that debacle and was approved for a single card. I have not been able to get another since then, and have not used the BB card in any form for MS activity. I am running a test to see if it gets shut down no matter what or how I use it..
Results to follow
Oct 25, 2019, 5:33 am
#850
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,447
) was using my data (SS#, email, etc.) and not someone else's. So BB knew exactly that it was an application from someone who had been decapitated in 2016 Second I believe that there have been 3 massive purges in toto since the first masacree in 2016. However, there are lots and lots of DPs out there indicating that Amex (or it's successor) will shut down individuals at any time. I presume that this is because they are flagrantly abusing their card/cards and have drawn eyes onto their account.
Finally, DPs exist that people with multiple accounts (either active or not) have been shut down with the loss of either a single active account only (with preservation of the other active or dormant accounts) or the loss of all accounts. Therefore, I cannot say what BB policy is since the data is so scattered. It might be worth an individual thread if people were willing to own up to what closure experiences they have encountered.
Oct 28, 2019, 5:42 pm
#851
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 94
Just tried to load $499.00 VGC to BB. I haven't used BB in 4 years. Person at the register told me they needed manager approval. I asked why and he said there is a $100 load limit to BB. Manager came over and asked are you loading with a debit and I said yes and then they let it go through. Has anyone experienced this? The guy at the register was not one of the usual suspects that I used to see on my frequent trips to WM so I am not sure if he didn't know what he was doing or if this is something new. Any intel?
Oct 28, 2019, 5:56 pm
#852
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 54
Just tried to load $499.00 VGC to BB. I haven't used BB in 4 years. Person at the register told me they needed manager approval. I asked why and he said there is a $100 load limit to BB. Manager came over and asked are you loading with a debit and I said yes and then they let it go through. Has anyone experienced this? The guy at the register was not one of the usual suspects that I used to see on my frequent trips to WM so I am not sure if he didn't know what he was doing or if this is something new. Any intel?
Oct 29, 2019, 2:50 pm
#853
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 202
Just tried to load $499.00 VGC to BB. I haven't used BB in 4 years. Person at the register told me they needed manager approval. I asked why and he said there is a $100 load limit to BB. Manager came over and asked are you loading with a debit and I said yes and then they let it go through. Has anyone experienced this? The guy at the register was not one of the usual suspects that I used to see on my frequent trips to WM so I am not sure if he didn't know what he was doing or if this is something new. Any intel?
Oct 29, 2019, 3:14 pm
#854
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
Just tried to load $499.00 VGC to BB. I haven't used BB in 4 years. Person at the register told me they needed manager approval. I asked why and he said there is a $100 load limit to BB. Manager came over and asked are you loading with a debit and I said yes and then they let it go through. Has anyone experienced this? The guy at the register was not one of the usual suspects that I used to see on my frequent trips to WM so I am not sure if he didn't know what he was doing or if this is something new. Any intel?
Oct 29, 2019, 3:34 pm
#855
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: DEN
Programs: Hilton Diamond Hyatt Globalist Marriott Gold AA EXP
Posts: 1,019
Loading at the register is a YMMV store policy. Some stores the store managers have a policy that if you load more than $100, you will have to go to the Money Center to load and of course some stores they don't have any policy regarding loading at the register. Certainly the register system is capable of loading BB at the register. You probably ran into a new person or someone who was very cautious and wanted to double check with a supervisor before loading your card. I wouldn't put too much weight on this occurrence and just remember the cashier for the future and try to avoid them next time.