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Bluebird

The basics:

Sign up for a free account from Bluebird. Wait 7-10 business days to receive the card. If you have a Serve account, you will need to cancel it and then wait about 30 days before signing up. You need to wait for your physical BB card before you can proceed here.

Please note: As of the beginning of July 2014, you can load a maximum of $2500 a day at a WM register or ATM, up to $5,000 each calendar month into your Bluebird (hereafter: "BB") account. As of September 4, 2014, you can also load an additional $200/day with a debit card, up to $1000/month, though this might be risky, see below, II.4.

You can find answers to many questions here: https://www.bluebird.com/faqs?linknav=us-Prepaid-Bluebird-Home-Faqs#bluebird-checks And here: https://www.bluebird.com/ (just scroll down instead of clicking 'log in')

How to load it:

"Gift" cards (GCs)
Mastercard (MC) and Visa GCs have PIN codes that will make the cards function as debit cards. GCs may be used to load up your BB account in any Walmart, as will be explained below, or to get cash back when purchasing with them. Note that not all GCs work this way. Those from Metabank do, as do others. AMEX GCs are not capable of working with a PIN. They can only be used as gift cards. GCs for a specific business or store (iTunes or Home Depot or whatever) will never work in the ways described here. Note that 'Vanilla' brand GCs can no longer  be loaded to BB.

1. Buy Visa or MC GCs. The larger the denomination the better, since the fee-to-balance ratio will be better. Buy them anywhere, but you get the most out of this if you buy them with a CC that pays more than 1 point per dollar at that store at that time.

2. You will need a PIN for each GC. If you bought a MC GC, call the number on the back of the card or go online to set a PIN. If you bought a Visa, the last four digits of the card number will usually work, as long as you have not used the card yet. If you have used it, you had to set a PIN, so use that.
The # for US Bank MC Gift Cards is 1-866-952-5653. 1/2/<16 digit cc>#/<3 digits from back>#/3/PIN#/PIN#.

3. Go to Walmart (WM).

There are two suggested ways to load the GCs to BB at WM. Via a MoneyPass ATM (preferred) or via any cashier. Neither method charges an additional fee to what you paid when you bought the card. Please do not go to the service desk. Certainly do not refer to the GCs as gift cards, as they are, in fact, debit cards.

3a. MoneyPass ATMs

Not all WMs have MoneyPass ATMs, and MoneyPass ATMs at non-WM locations will not work to load BB. You can search for MoneyPass ATMs at WMs here: http://www.moneypass.com/atm-locator.aspx

Some report that MoneyPass ATMs in WMs near areas with high concentrations of DDFers seem to be permanently out of service. You may need to go farther afield or use the other method, mentioned below.

Follow the instructions on the machine to load your BB card. In some cases, the "WM Money Card" option will work for BB as well. Be patient and careful with your card swipes, as the machines are often slow or touchy. Each GC will be a separate transaction. Remember, the maximum of $2,500/day per BB account always applies.

If you are using high-denomination GCs, have found a very quick ATM, had a fellow BBer ahead of you, or are just experienced and able to complete each transaction very quickly, it is possible that you will complete $2,000 of transactions within about 10 minutes, which locks up the ATM for a while. Take a walk around the store and come back to let the machine unlock.

3b. Cashier

Please remember to be friendly, considerate and compassionate in all your interactions.

Ask a cashier to load your BB account from a debit card. If they don't know how, tell them to use 70 action code (they may need to type 70 first, followed by "action code") and follow the instructions on their screen. They are able to split a single transaction into up to four different cards, but it can be simpler to add one GC at a time, especially with people waiting behind you on line. You can then go back around to the same or another cashier to add other cards. Again, the $2,500/day per BB account applies.

This method should work at any WM - as intended by the BB product - but there are many stores in which some or all of the staff and management are suspicious of such transactions and will not do it. Your chances of convincing them to do something they think will risk their jobs is slim to none so if you encounter such resistance, please: Do take no for an answer and leave courteously to try another store or another day.
You want to stay under the radar as much as possible, so if things start getting complicated, tell them that you just remembered that you need to pick your kid up from school or whatever (have a good excuse ready beforehand) and that you need to leave, but you'll be back later. Th is way they forgot about their suspicions much faster.

4. It is apparently possible to load up to $200 per day to BB from debit cards on the BB web site for free, up to $1000 per month. Please note that people have had their BB accounts frozen or shut down for using GCs to load BB online, and that the BB site clearly says that any debit card used must be in the BB account holder's name. You have been warned.

Using A MC GC
Frequently a MC is declined at WM

When using the moneypass ATM, press the button ABOVE the BB button.  It may work without the following workaround.
The workaround is to:
1. Swipe MC
2.If you have the black and green screen press Cancel.If you have the white screen with colored touch icons, then right after you swipe a yellow 'change payment' button well pop up for a second, press that (you have to be fast).  You can also push the physical yellow button on the keypad. It does the same thing.
3. Select Debit
4. No Cash Back
5. Enter the PIN

Also seems to work if only $99 loaded.  or 99.99, too.

What to do with the money on your BB:

On the BB site, money can be sent to pay bills that don't normally accept CCs (think rent/mortgage, tuition, insurance, car payment, gas bill, even pay your cc bill) or to anyone in the U.S. for free. Use the 'pay and transfer tab'.  Checks sent online this way are delivered within 5 business days. (It may be prudent not to use BB to directly pay the CC on which you purchased the VRs/GCs that funded BB, but, once again, YMMV.)

Some people would rather use the free physical checks that you can order from BB. Please note that these checks need to be pre-authorized by you online, and a number written on them, before you give them to the person/institution you are paying. For checks of more than $2,000, authorization will require additional information and time. You need to provide the information and wait for confirmation before the check will be valid.

The money in your BB account can be withdrawn directly to a linked bank account, which, if done too much, may be seen as risky by BB, but in moderation should be fine. You can also send money to your bank account online by check, same as any other payee, but this might be risky from the perspective of the bank (not BB) if you bank and have CCs at the same institution.

Useful organizing techniques:

It can be unwieldy and confusing when standing in front of the WM ATM with a BB card or two and a bunch of GCs, some used, some not. The last thing anyone wants is to end up throwing away several hundred dollars on a perfectly good GC because you mistakenly thought it was drained. I'm sure there are contributors to this thread who have woken up in a cold sweat from just such a nightmare. Plus, being unorganized costs you time, and may make it more likely that some employee thinks you are up to something. Here are a few strategies for how to be organized.

1. Cargo pants, or other clothing/accessories with plenty of different pockets. Use different pockets for GCs yet to use and used GCs.

2. If you have more than one BB card, shuffle them into the stack of GCs at the appropriate spots for how many GCs you plan to load to each card. That way, you can just work through the stack and finish/begin each new BB card in turn.

3. A Sharpie marker works well for marking off GCs or BBs that you're done with. The marks even come off the cards with a little alcohol. Careful not to mark yourself or your clothes though.

4. Sort your GCs in ascending order of last 4 digits.  That makes it easier to keep track of which GCs are used.

To Close Your Bluebird:
While logged into your BB account, open this page: https://secure.bluebird.com/Profile/CloseAccount   

This no longer works and the only way to close your account is to call
For more details, including how to close family accounts, see (FM writeup)
« Last edited by justmeha on January 11, 2020, 11:55:46 PM »

Author Topic: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card  (Read 2263550 times)

Offline CS1

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I found a working MoneyCenter machine! (Sorry, but i will not be answering where it was) I prefer cashiers over the machine still, much faster.
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Offline sam i am

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I found a working MoneyCenter machine! (Sorry, but i will not be answering where it was) I prefer cashiers over the machine still, much faster.
Did you actually use it or you just saw that it was working? The one in my usual Wm was 'working,' but it couldn't complete the load. After keying in  the PIN for the debit card, the screen would ask for PIN again, this time the actual #'s would display, not ****. CS of course was no help. I then found another WM with a MC ATM, and the same thing happened.

Offline Yehuda25

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Did you actually use it or you just saw that it was working? The one in my usual Wm was 'working,' but it couldn't complete the load. After keying in  the PIN for the debit card, the screen would ask for PIN again, this time the actual #'s would display, not ****. CS of course was no help. I then found another WM with a MC ATM, and the same thing happened.
same happened to me when I actually found for the first time ever a working atm :'( :'( :'(
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Offline Vosizderneias

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Can i load GC's to my wifes bluebird at WM?

Offline PBaruch

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Can i load GC's to my wifes bluebird at WM?

As long as you don't use the ATM - it always asks for your ID.  ATM's are very smart these days.
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Offline PETERP

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stbaum, I used the Monroe WM once, no problem. No ATM's.

What !  I was headed there tmrw. No atms .

No way to get MO using OV reload cards ?  I am crushed on my first experience with Vanilla etc 

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Since the clock for $1000/day for bluebird resets at 12am, if I were to go to Walmart, I could technically load $2000 if I were to load before 12 and then immediately after 12?

Offline DBK

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What !  I was headed there tmrw. No atms .

No way to get MO using OV reload cards ?  I am crushed on my first experience with Vanilla etc
Had same experience tried using OV to purchase MO and the machine asked for a different payment method.
Very disappointing.

Offline Yehuda25

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Since the clock for $1000/day for bluebird resets at 12am, if I were to go to Walmart, I could technically load $2000 if I were to load before 12 and then immediately after 12?
yes but make sure that you load first before 1150, and then again slightly after 12, they usually reset the registers early.
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Offline Yehuda25

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Can i load GC's to my wifes bluebird at WM?
yes, they wont id you, but make sure that you have a debit card with your wife's name just in case, that is the only thing they would check.
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Offline PBaruch

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yes, they wont id you, but make sure that you have a debit card with your wife's name just in case, that is the only thing they would check.

I go with 4 BB cards. Never once in my travels has anyone ID'd me.
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Offline Yehuda25

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I go with 4 BB cards. Never once in my travels has anyone ID'd me.
I guess you dont live in the ny metro area  ;D ;D
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Offline PBaruch

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I guess you dont live in the ny metro area  ;D ;D

Dude, there is so much you don't know.   :)
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Offline Yehuda25

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Dude, there is so much you don't know.   :)
well definetly not in lakewood or monsey  :) :)
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Offline Marco Polo

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and quiter if you know what I mean :)

and its only a surprise if you found a working one in the NY metro area !!!
Was in NY metro...

Did you actually use it or you just saw that it was working? The one in my usual Wm was 'working,' but it couldn't complete the load. After keying in  the PIN for the debit card, the screen would ask for PIN again, this time the actual #'s would display, not ****. CS of course was no help. I then found another WM with a MC ATM, and the same thing happened.
I did use it. Did a few rounds and then it started asking for "employee assistance" or something like that for every load.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline Yehuda25

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Was in NY metro...
I did use it. Did a few rounds and then it started asking for "employee assistance" or something like that for every load.
there is a limit of 2k per every 10 mins, after that it will ask for "employee assistance". The trick is to do slightly under 2k, than wait 10 min and do more. Then rinse and repeat.
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Offline Marco Polo

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there is a limit of 2k per every 10 mins, after that it will ask for "employee assistance". The trick is to do slightly under 2k, than wait 10 min and do more. Then rinse and repeat.
The employees very very helpful. I would only use the machine if the lines were full (like today), otherwise, i prefer using a cashier over the machine.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline PBaruch

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The employees very very helpful. I would only use the machine if the lines were full (like today), otherwise, i prefer using a cashier over the machine.

MP, that is so old school my friend.  As for me, I hate humans and human contact.  Machines rule!
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Offline Marco Polo

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MP, that is so old school my friend.
If it isn't broke... Also takes a lot longer to load at the machine and time is money. 
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline PBaruch

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If it isn't broke... Also takes a lot longer to load at the machine and time is money.

That's a charged statement.  Depending on your locale, its not 100% accurate. 
What do you do after your dreams come true?