Old Jan 7, 2016, 8:18 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: RedSun
This is the 2016 and onwards Bluebird thread.

The original discussion. The previous 2013- 2014 megathread. The previous 2015 megathread.

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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.

Print Wikipost

Bluebird master thread (2016 onwards)

Old Jan 10, 2016, 11:37 am
  #91  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by nwflyboy
Well, if I had my druthers, they would be nothing here to read, and this forum would never have been started. This forum is a perfect magnet for the card issuers, banks, and other key participants in the game, providing a crystal-clear blueprint for them to discover, understand, assess, and then kill every opportunity. You think the companies involved don't read this forum?

The blogs and this forum are the best thing the big companies have going for them - they're a perfect guide to killing every opportunity. Things that are endlessly discussed here, and plastered all over blogs with step-by-step instructions get killed. Things that don't get that kind of attention go quietly on. It's that simple.

But the large corporate entity that owns this forum has a vested interest in getting as many eyeballs on it as possible, no matter the consequences - that's why it was created, and why they'll never restrict it. And the bloggers have a huge, personal, vested interest in publicizing every exploit possible - if they don't, they'll have to move back into their mom's basement and find a real job.

If you think either is acting out of the goodness of their hearts, I think you're naive. But the apologists will be along any minute now to tell you how the bloggers and corporate owners of this site are really great guys, just motivated by trying to help everyone, and all the attention they focused on the birds had nothing to do with yesterday's shutdown. Feel free to believe that if you want.
No need to worry about this forum giving away any secrets. Bow-Tie Boy has just done a post on the best way to meet min spnd post BB shut down: Buy GCs and use them to buy MOs, which you use to pay your CC bills at bank branches.
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Old Jan 10, 2016, 12:30 pm
  #92  
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Deleted. No reason to enable stalkers.
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Old Jan 10, 2016, 12:31 pm
  #93  
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Originally Posted by RobertHanson
^ Thanks for sharing that. How many banks was that spread across?
One CU.
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Old Jan 10, 2016, 3:24 pm
  #94  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by PaulMSN
One CU.
Wow, really? I'd never have thought that possible. Time to check out some of my local CUs. ^
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Old Jan 10, 2016, 3:42 pm
  #95  
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Originally Posted by RobertHanson
Wow, really? I'd never have thought that possible. Time to check out some of my local CUs. ^
Build up a relationship with them if you can, make friends, keep a low profile, build up slowly, keep the money in your account as long as possible and don't lie if they ask why. If you obtain a CC from them and it offers rewards, don't MS on it. If they're not being adversely affected, they may not care, although there's always the possibility of a back office busybody mucking things up for you.

Bear in mind that anything can end at any time. I could go in on Monday and be told no more MOs.
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Old Jan 10, 2016, 3:55 pm
  #96  
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 284
Anyone else attempted to sign up for a different AmEx prepaid product, post BB shutdown?

I just attempted to sign up for RC (to meet a monthly min. debit card purchase requirement) and recd the following message:

"Unable to sign up - Sorry, we are unable to approve you for an Account at this time.
Thank you for your interest in Target Prepaid REDcard by American Express."

Wondering if this is a possible blacklisting by AmEx; or maybe I just need to wait a couple of days after closing my BB account?
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Old Jan 10, 2016, 5:20 pm
  #97  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by PaulMSN
Build up a relationship with them if you can, make friends, keep a low profile, build up slowly, keep the money in your account as long as possible and don't lie if they ask why. If you obtain a CC from them and it offers rewards, don't MS on it. If they're not being adversely affected, they may not care, although there's always the possibility of a back office busybody mucking things up for you.

Bear in mind that anything can end at any time. I could go in on Monday and be told no more MOs.
You mean the way all of a sudden we couldn't buy VRs at CVS with a CC anymore; we couldn't load RB with a CC anymore; we couldn't load anything on our BB card any more? Like that?

Building the relationship is excellent advice, thanks again....
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Old Jan 10, 2016, 5:43 pm
  #98  
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 647
Originally Posted by PaulMSN
One CU.
I would be careful some jealous person doesn't call and says your money laundering.. I work at one of the big banks and we deal with this all the time with exes, etc
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Old Jan 10, 2016, 5:51 pm
  #99  
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Originally Posted by isriam
That makes no sense. You can Billpay from many places like Walmart and kroger or your own bank and they will all be different pay from accounts.
At Citi, they are coded differently. Bill Pay from places like you mentioned, Citi coded it as Bill Pay from ONE account - your card number, hence they are coming from ONE single account as far as the system is concerned. MOs are coded with EACH MO's ID number as a payment account. You can go into your Payment Activity to see how Citi coded your payments.

Go to your cards Payment Activity screen and you can readily see how each bank codes the form of payment. You will LEARN a lot how each bank handles payments.
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Old Jan 10, 2016, 6:42 pm
  #100  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Originally Posted by kingrat
I would be careful some jealous person doesn't call and says your money laundering.. I work at one of the big banks and we deal with this all the time with exes, etc
Any bank/corporate employees/tellers/cashiers call anything illegal or fraud or money laundering without going to the law school! What can u do about it?
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Old Jan 10, 2016, 6:47 pm
  #101  
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Originally Posted by kingrat
I would be careful some jealous person doesn't call and says your money laundering.. I work at one of the big banks and we deal with this all the time with exes, etc
Given your recent posts, I have to wonder if you're planning on doing that.
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Old Jan 10, 2016, 8:25 pm
  #102  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 14
I just found the termination email in the "all mail" folder in my gmail account.

They cite Section 22.d of the member agreement, which says:

"d. Suspension of Use; Cancellation; Closure

We, in our sole discretion, may limit your use of, suspend or terminate your privileges with respect to, your Account, Family Account(s), SetAside Account, Walmart Buck$ balance and/or Card or any feature or benefit thereof, with or without cause or notice, other than any notice required by Applicable Law, including in the event we believe there has been a breach in security or there has been unauthorized activity involving your Account or you have engaged in activity that is fraudulent or inappropriate or that violates the terms of this Member Agreement. We reserve the right to suspend or close your Account (or Family Account(s), SetAside Account or Walmart Buck$ balance) if, among other reasons, (i) you neither Add Funds to nor use your Account, Family Account, SetAside Account and/or Card for extended periods, (ii) there are no funds remaining in your Account or Family Account or SetAside Account for extended periods, (iii) you attempt to Add Funds to your card from an Add Funds Source and are declined or dishonored repeatedly, (iv)you structure purchases or conduct transactions with your Account, Family Account, SetAside Account and/or Card to manufacture spend, (v) you withdraw your consent to deal with us electronically pursuant to the Consent Statement or (vi) for any other reason permitted by Applicable Law. We may, in our sole discretion, decide not to immediately exercise our rights pursuant to this paragraph, but such forbearance (whether once or repeatedly) shall not constitute a waiver nor shall it preclude our right to exercise our rights in the future. "
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Old Jan 11, 2016, 9:45 am
  #103  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by blue432
I just found the termination email in the "all mail" folder in my gmail account.

They cite Section 22.d of the member agreement, which says:

"d. Suspension of Use; Cancellation; Closure

We, in our sole discretion, may limit your use of, suspend or terminate your privileges with respect to, your Account, Family Account(s), SetAside Account, Walmart Buck$ balance and/or Card or any feature or benefit thereof, with or without cause or notice, other than any notice required by Applicable Law, including in the event we believe there has been a breach in security or there has been unauthorized activity involving your Account or you have engaged in activity that is fraudulent or inappropriate or that violates the terms of this Member Agreement. We reserve the right to suspend or close your Account (or Family Account(s), SetAside Account or Walmart Buck$ balance) if, among other reasons, (i) you neither Add Funds to nor use your Account, Family Account, SetAside Account and/or Card for extended periods, (ii) there are no funds remaining in your Account or Family Account or SetAside Account for extended periods, (iii) you attempt to Add Funds to your card from an Add Funds Source and are declined or dishonored repeatedly, (iv)you structure purchases or conduct transactions with your Account, Family Account, SetAside Account and/or Card to manufacture spend, (v) you withdraw your consent to deal with us electronically pursuant to the Consent Statement or (vi) for any other reason permitted by Applicable Law. We may, in our sole discretion, decide not to immediately exercise our rights pursuant to this paragraph, but such forbearance (whether once or repeatedly) shall not constitute a waiver nor shall it preclude our right to exercise our rights in the future. "
Manufacture spend? What is manufacture spend? I'm sure none of us here would even think of doing it, whatever it is....
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Old Jan 11, 2016, 11:27 am
  #104  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
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Originally Posted by Happy
At Citi, they are coded differently. Bill Pay from places like you mentioned, Citi coded it as Bill Pay from ONE account - your card number, hence they are coming from ONE single account as far as the system is concerned. MOs are coded with EACH MO's ID number as a payment account. You can go into your Payment Activity to see how Citi coded your payments.

Go to your cards Payment Activity screen and you can readily see how each bank codes the form of payment. You will LEARN a lot how each bank handles payments.
I've seen this on my statements (where a billpay is coded as coming from the card number that is being paid). You should keep in mind that that is just how it is presented in the statement. Deeper down in the system they do know the funding source bank and account numbers. I'm stating the obvious, but they have to in order for the payment to complete. I don't work at a bank, but I would be shocked if the fraud department did not have access to this information. So, I try to tread a little cautiously even with bill pay. Have not used MOs, but I'm not surprised at this information.
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Old Jan 11, 2016, 11:41 am
  #105  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,298
Originally Posted by jsk1973
Yes, "easy-peasy" if you ignore what people are trying to tell you re: money orders.

If you think you can dump $5,000 or $10,000 in money orders on your local branch every month without attracting scrutiny, you're in for a big surprise.



Amex plainly doesn't want churners or MSers. They assuredly lose money on the former, and the latter are probably more hassle than they're worth.
It's all YMMV. If you are a poor grad student who is dumping 5-10K MO in your account monthly when the previous couple years you never had more than 1 or 2K in your account, yea I could see it. But people that have mid 5 figures, an IRA, and a decade long relationship I don't suspect MO would be a big deal, especially if you preemptively told them. It all boils down to moderation though, I would never do 10k a month for a year anyhow, no matter if my bank told me it was "A-ok."
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