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 11, 2016, 2:15 pm
#121
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Madison, WI, USA
Posts: 14,162
I sincerely doubt they are SARS reports. Probably an Office Max form.
Jan 11, 2016, 2:15 pm
#122
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Cincinnati
Programs: AA, Hyatt
Posts: 371
What OM and other retailers do is file AML (anti-money laundering) paperwork to keep as a CYA against racketeering charges if someone is found to have used the retailer as a way to launder money. No one gets that information from the retailers except by subpoena.
Jeeze, how much misinformation can one person give?
Jan 11, 2016, 2:18 pm
#124
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,072
SARs are for banks ONLY and are immediately reported to FINCEN
What OM and other retailers do is file AML (anti-money laundering) paperwork to keep as a CYA against racketeering charges if someone is found to have used the retailer as a way to launder money. No one gets that information from the retailers except by subpoena.
Jeeze, how much misinformation can one person give?
What OM and other retailers do is file AML (anti-money laundering) paperwork to keep as a CYA against racketeering charges if someone is found to have used the retailer as a way to launder money. No one gets that information from the retailers except by subpoena.
Jeeze, how much misinformation can one person give?
Jan 11, 2016, 2:30 pm
#126
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Cincinnati
Programs: AA, Hyatt
Posts: 371
Also, in order to be classified as an MSB, you have to issue, sell, and redeem MOs.
Of which those companies only sell. So none of them fill out SARs for MOs.
Except the Post Office because they have to.
https://www.fincen.gov/financial_ins...eselector.html
You can search for who is an MSB there.
Of which those companies only sell. So none of them fill out SARs for MOs.
Except the Post Office because they have to.
https://www.fincen.gov/financial_ins...eselector.html
You can search for who is an MSB there.
Jan 11, 2016, 2:31 pm
#128
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Madison, WI, USA
Posts: 14,162
Jan 11, 2016, 2:49 pm
#129
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 92
When the financial institution limits the number of deposits or transactions that can be performed.....................You were just following THEIR rules, and therefore, NOT intentionally finding a way to split deposits to stay under a threshold.
LOL all you want.
If one part of the rule isn't provable, it doesn't apply. A platypus has a bill, but it will never be a duck.
Jan 11, 2016, 3:02 pm
#130
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,072
Apply the part os "structuring" that indicates intent (or the possibility of appearing to be intent) to knowingly split deposits to avoid reporting...
When the financial institution limits the number of deposits or transactions that can be performed.....................You were just following THEIR rules, and therefore, NOT intentionally finding a way to split deposits to stay under a threshold.
LOL all you want.
If one part of the rule isn't provable, it doesn't apply. A platypus has a bill, but it will never be a duck.
When the financial institution limits the number of deposits or transactions that can be performed.....................You were just following THEIR rules, and therefore, NOT intentionally finding a way to split deposits to stay under a threshold.
LOL all you want.
If one part of the rule isn't provable, it doesn't apply. A platypus has a bill, but it will never be a duck.
Jan 11, 2016, 3:21 pm
#131
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 92
Guess you need to feel right, go ahead, IDC... already agree with another point of view here... they aren't even considered deposits. But, hey... here are some more examples to nit pick. Hope they fill your need.
My dad's banker never cared that I signed his name and deposited checks from his business into his account for him.
My bank doesn't care that my tenants give the last 4 of the account and pay their rent straight to the bank. (they do, however, laugh at the blonde who misspells or mispronounces my name... they called me once to ask if I had a ding dong blonde tenant, and should her deposit go into this account or that, and now they have a sticky note on the window in the drive through!)
No one cares if I use my credit card to buy 3,000.00 worth of roofing materials at Lowes for a family member's rental property, and then they use their DC to make payments at Lowes, OR, GULP, they give me a DC from their bank and their PIN and tell me what they want to pay on it monthly, and I make the payments.
My sister's bank doesn't care of I deposit MO's into HER account, with the last 4 of the account number and her name... I pay her back when she loans me a spot a couple months... I fill them out and sign her name on the back with deposit only.
If I have the DC, and I have the PIN, and if the owner is asked, they will say, yes, I gave them permission to use it....
Now what?
My dad signed a check for the first time ever on his own business account that he'd had for over 20 years... they called him and asked him to verify because HIS OWN signature didn't match the one on file which my mom and I had always signed FOR him... He still laughs about that today.
Jan 11, 2016, 3:26 pm
#132
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,072
Methinks the FlyerTalker doth protest too much.
"Their rules" limited both the deposit amount and the number of accounts — the latter being a total of *one* per person. A person who knowingly violated the latter rule also knowingly violated the former.
"Their rules" limited both the deposit amount and the number of accounts — the latter being a total of *one* per person. A person who knowingly violated the latter rule also knowingly violated the former.
Jan 11, 2016, 3:38 pm
#133
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 92
Or that I can't make a run to load money on several accounts for everyone because I have time and they do not?
Where does it say that I can't use one of their accounts to load money and pay the bills for a sickly elderly relative?
Where does it say that I can't use MY credit card to pay off that sickly relative's car payments, and then make payments back to my credit card for that relative?
Where does it say that I can't make payments monthly for other relatives, because it's either inconvenient (and handing me cash to cover it is easy) OR, they are laid off and will pay me back in a month or so?
There are many legitimate reasons to 'handle' another person's account.
Jan 11, 2016, 3:42 pm
#134
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,072
Please don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining.
Roughly zero percent of the people with nine BB accounts were paying off sick relatives' medical bills.
Roughly zero percent of the people with nine BB accounts were paying off sick relatives' medical bills.