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Gobank by Greendot - online banking with debit card(2016 onwards)

Old Jan 10, 2016, 7:37 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: radonc1
As of 9/18/21: WM loads are no longer free. WM will charge each load (no matter what the size) $3.74 in addition to the money being deposited into your Go Bank account.

GoBank fees and limits:

Cash deposits are limited to $2,500 per day and $3,000 per 30 days, subject to a maximum account balance of $50,000.
  • Sign up online & through the GoBank app FREE
  • Sign up with a starter kit from participating retail stores Purchase a starter kit at a participating retail location ($2.95 or less) + start your account for as little as $20, up to $500
  • Monthly Membership FREE in any month that you make qualifying direct deposits totaling at least $500. Otherwise, $8.95 per month. For more details on the Monthly Membership fee
    Keep in mind the maximum number of swipes for payment when loading prepaid reloadables including GoBank is THREE. Swiping the prepaid card is considered as FIRST swipe so it leaves you with THREE remaining swipes so plan accordingly.
Lots of $200 loads can get you shutdown. GoBank does not like paying load fees on low denomination loads. Two $500 loads is better than five $200 loads.

The monthly fee will accumulate if the account is dormant. You must call the phone number on the back to close the account.

5/29/19 - There may be a difference in which card gets free loads at WM. Getting the card online through GoBank.com sends out a Visa version. This card may not allow free loads at WM. Reports are that getting the card directly at WM will result in free loads. If anyone can confirm this, please do so.

-----------------------------
Shut down reports:

Please list your load/spend/billpay details (in a single statement/lifetime?) e.g.,
type of load, number of loads, denomination of your gc or mp, amount of your billpay, any actual swipe/dd?

lad2 (closed) - May: $2.7K 9 loads 5DDs - June: $5.5K 5 loads 6DDs - July: $4.6K 6 loads 1DD - August $9.9K 19 loads 1DD - no swipes

TheDapperDon (open) June $4.5k 5 loads. All GCs. 1 swipe. Everything else BP to CC. 1500 most loaded in one day .July - $3489 5 loads. All GCs. Several swipes. No load until below $20 or so remaining.

raghu455 (closed) May $2k 4 loads, june $7k all GCs. All BP to CC.

drdrew450 (closed) 17K in loads, unloaded all through bill pay, less than a month

cuebert (closed) $4.5k in 9 MP loads, BP out. That was fast.

sgideons (closed) May $7k 17 loads, june $17k 27 loads, july $5k 6 loads, september $3.5k 4 loads. Unloaded 90% ACH pull, 5% PP to self, 5% bill pay tool. Closed on September statement date.

MDWCommuter (closed): June only, $8k in 60 loads, all GC. $2k is most loaded in one day. Wrote 2 BP to CC checks, no ATM, no MP loads, no ACH pull, no DD, always carried at least a $1k balance

ArtemK (closed): 1st month - 5/21 - 6/21 - loaded $6,700, 6/21 - 6/30 - $4K loaded, all via GCs. Unloaded all via BP to Citi and Chase. No ATM, no MP loads, no ACH pull, no DD, no swipes.

rdover1 (Closed): 1st month - $23.6k loaded (WM GC), ~$1k spend, rest bill pay (mostly to CC)
rdover1 2nd card (closed): Closed mid cycle, survived 1st month. No bill pay, only MO. Never loaded over ~$4k. Total activity ~$12k.

T3pleShot (closed): 7k in loads at WMT, 10 loads, mostly $500, some $200, $4k billpay to CC, 5 swipes totaling about $25.

ctbarron (open): Month1 - $3.8k loaded, all bill pay out, 1 swipe; Month2 - $3.7k loaded, all bill pay out, few swipes and an ATM WD; Month3 - $4.2k loaded, all bill pay out, few swipes and an ATM WD. Zero membership fee, usually a balance of under $150.

americanindian (closed)- closed after 3 months today. had about 7.5k deposit each month, with lots of small value(<$20) purchases each month. liquidated mostly using bill pay.

rodsren (closed)- the dapperdon warned me. I was closed today after less than 5,500 or loaaing in less than 3 weeks (was going to try to keep it to 7,500 - 10,000 but didn't luck out.)

binnycode (closed, re-opened) - 7x $200 loads + 1x $700 load + 3x $500 over 2 days got me shut down. Called CSR and they re-opened my account, letting me know that "direct deposit would reduce my number of trips to walmart" lol!

tarcapone (open) old version opened October 2014 still alive February 2016. Load $1k/week ($4-$5K per month) nearly every Monday morning. Bill pay out large chunks to Credit cards. (Open) new version Opened November 2015 load $1K per week, but skipping a week each month. Bill pay out large chunks. My $1K/week is always one transaction (2x$500GC).





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Gobank by Greendot - online banking with debit card(2016 onwards)

Old May 28, 2019, 6:08 pm
  #706  
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: BGI | MIA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro | Hyatt Globalist | HH Diamond | SPG Gold
Posts: 316
Originally Posted by cajunguy
Jumped in on getting a GoBank card. I signed up online through their site, the card was delivered. I activated the card then went over to Staples to pick up 2 $100 VGC. Drove over to WM and went to the Money Center to load my card. 1st CSR had trouble with it, also I noticed it was going to charge me $3.74 for the load. I was thinking, after reading your post that I wouldn't be charged for the load. The 2nd CSR ran it through and told me there is a $3.74 charge for the load. I didn't complain, just sucked it up, loaded and walked out.

Question is if you do buy/pick up your card AT WalMart is this the only way you get FREE LOADS?

Or has WM's policy changed and they are now charging for the loads?
they would have to make some serious changes to void the free loads for gobank cards purchased at Walmart. They advertise right on the packing that reloads are free at Walmart stores.
Shadowfactor is offline  
Old May 28, 2019, 6:24 pm
  #707  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 26
Online sign up is free but loads cost.

Buy the package at WM, loads are free
meta99 is offline  
Old May 28, 2019, 8:41 pm
  #708  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: S Cal
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, United Silver, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,142
Cajunguy, is your GB card a VISA or MC?

I have a MC. I pay no fee for loads at WM. I've had the card for several years.

Vaguely, somewhere in the back of my mind in that great mess of MS information, I seem to remember that GB VISAs may work differently than MCs? But don't quote me on that....

Anyway, search this thread on the word "VISA." You're going to get some contradictory information. In particular, look at posts 526, 531, 535, 540, and 633. Some people with GB VISA cards are reporting paying a load fee, and there is some discussion of the "new" versus the "old" GB VISA card.

Last edited by GetawaysRus; May 28, 2019 at 8:50 pm
GetawaysRus is offline  
Old May 29, 2019, 12:05 am
  #709  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,522
Are there any easy ways to get money out of a GoBank account aside from withdrawing a bunch at an ATM?
nall is offline  
Old May 29, 2019, 5:21 am
  #710  
soy
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
Programs: various
Posts: 3,651
Originally Posted by nall
Are there any easy ways to get money out of a GoBank account aside from withdrawing a bunch at an ATM?
pay a bill
soy is online now  
Old May 29, 2019, 9:38 am
  #711  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, NSA, CIA, MIB
Posts: 537
Originally Posted by GetawaysRus
Cajunguy, is your GB card a VISA or MC?

I have a MC. I pay no fee for loads at WM. I've had the card for several years.

Vaguely, somewhere in the back of my mind in that great mess of MS information, I seem to remember that GB VISAs may work differently than MCs? But don't quote me on that....

Anyway, search this thread on the word "VISA." You're going to get some contradictory information. In particular, look at posts 526, 531, 535, 540, and 633. Some people with GB VISA cards are reporting paying a load fee, and there is some discussion of the "new" versus the "old" GB VISA card.
I have a Visa flavor GB card.

I think I'll do some digging on their site see if there's any language about Visa vs MC
cajunguy is offline  
Old May 29, 2019, 12:38 pm
  #712  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
Originally Posted by cajunguy
I have a Visa flavor GB card.

I think I'll do some digging on their site see if there's any language about Visa vs MC
u should have read this thread before signing up; nowadays, online sign up is the visa; only the MC version purch at WM now has $0 fee for loading
ricohitman and mySimon411 like this.
danhouston is offline  
Old May 29, 2019, 2:08 pm
  #713  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, NSA, CIA, MIB
Posts: 537
Originally Posted by danhouston
u should have read this thread before signing up; nowadays, online sign up is the visa; only the MC version purch at WM now has $0 fee for loading
I read this one - it didn't really indicate (or I didn't see it) where anyone mentioned it had to be "at" the store. No problem, really. I can close out the one I have and get one at the store. It was only $3.74, not going to break me.

BTW, maybe update the Wiki with your information?
cajunguy is offline  
Old May 31, 2019, 3:44 pm
  #714  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,522
Can a temporary card can be loaded at WM? Or only the permanent one?
nall is offline  
Old Jun 6, 2019, 3:35 pm
  #715  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: AAdvantage, Hilton HHonors Gold, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 49
Please let me know if it works in this case…

1. Open GoBank Debit Card account with checks
2. Buy SimonMall Visa Gift Cards
3. Load Simonmall visa gift card to GoBank Account
4. Write checks from GoBank to pay mortgage or car loans.

Thanks!
LAKnight is offline  
Old Jun 6, 2019, 6:08 pm
  #716  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 319
You can only load (1) $500 per transaction.
Clueless12 is offline  
Old Jun 6, 2019, 7:28 pm
  #717  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
1. Open GoBank Debit Card account with checks---> read cajunguy's experience several posts above yours and learn from it. Best to go to a WM store to buy the GoBank kit with $2.95 fee and make sure it says FREE to load money at Walmart.
3. Load Simonmall visa gift card to GoBank Account -->Do NOT register for account online, go to Walmart to buy the GoBank kit and look for the one with the Mastercard logo on the temporary card.
4. Write checks from GoBank to pay mortgage or car loans. --> check the maximum amount you can load to your account per rolling 30 days if that's enough to pay for your mortgage and car loans.

You're welcome : )
ricohitman, tscateh and cajunguy like this.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Jun 7, 2019, 3:06 pm
  #718  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL, WoH
Posts: 1,253
Originally Posted by Mamibear
1. Open GoBank Debit Card account with checks---> read cajunguy's experience several posts above yours and learn from it. Best to go to a WM store to buy the GoBank kit with $2.95 fee and make sure it says FREE to load money at Walmart.
3. Load Simonmall visa gift card to GoBank Account -->Do NOT register for account online, go to Walmart to buy the GoBank kit and look for the one with the Mastercard logo on the temporary card.
4. Write checks from GoBank to pay mortgage or car loans. --> check the maximum amount you can load to your account per rolling 30 days if that's enough to pay for your mortgage and car loans.

You're welcome : )
Can you not pay CC's with this? You mentioned just mortgage and car loan. Never used GB before.
ricohitman is offline  
Old Jun 11, 2019, 2:21 pm
  #719  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, NSA, CIA, MIB
Posts: 537
Went to WM this morning looking for the proper GoBank card. Found it in a center kiosk, the card has the little dog on it. There were 2 guys there, reading different cards, it sounded like they were trying to find one that they could tie into a checking account. I didn't offer any assistance because I was in a hurry.

The clerk at the register asked how much I wanted to load, I asked what was the minimum. She said $20 and up. I loaded $20 and asked to confirm I could load at the register, she confirmed.

Opened the package to register the card, had to use a different email address for this new card, my original account wouldn't allow me to add this new card to the now closed account.

Balance shows the $20.

I'm good to go!
cajunguy is offline  
Old Jun 17, 2019, 6:20 pm
  #720  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 329
Fee?

Haven't loaded gb in a month now..Last month worked fine but a friend reported he was charged 3.74 for his load today...anything changed ??
poisonsag is offline  

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