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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 2264232 times)

Offline Iz

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12300 on: September 18, 2016, 11:33:20 AM »
My heretofore pleasant Walmart took a decidedly nasty turn today (multiple cashiers/CSRs). Has anyone else noticed this?

Offline mochjas

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12301 on: September 18, 2016, 11:45:46 AM »
My heretofore pleasant Walmart took a decidedly nasty turn today (multiple cashiers/CSRs). Has anyone else noticed this?
can you be more specific? What did they say or do?

Offline Iz

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12302 on: September 18, 2016, 11:50:38 AM »
can you be more specific? What did they say or do?
One cashier sent me to CS. CS made sure I'd use a bank DC. A different cashier had a mashgiach watching like a hawk... I never had any trouble at this store. Maybe it's just the Sun. morning staff...

Offline mochjas

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12303 on: September 18, 2016, 12:02:26 PM »
One cashier sent me to CS. CS made sure I'd use a bank DC. A different cashier had a mashgiach watching like a hawk... I never had any trouble at this store. Maybe it's just the Sun. morning staff...
well I saw somewhere that Walmart would be cracking down on the near future snd that corporate made stores aware that bluebird was being used for ms so I'm not surprised

Offline Iz

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12304 on: September 18, 2016, 12:03:46 PM »
well I saw somewhere that Walmart would be cracking down on the near future snd that corporate made stores aware that bluebird was being used for ms so I'm not surprised
That's exactly what I was afraid of. Can you find the source?

Offline Iz

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12305 on: September 19, 2016, 12:23:55 AM »
My heretofore pleasant Walmart took a decidedly nasty turn today (multiple cashiers/CSRs). Has anyone else noticed this?
One cashier sent me to CS. CS made sure I'd use a bank DC. A different cashier had a mashgiach watching like a hawk... I never had any trouble at this store. Maybe it's just the Sun. morning staff...
So it seems. They were much better tonight.

Offline Vosizderneias

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12306 on: September 29, 2016, 08:40:38 AM »
Will Vanilla Reload cards still work to load at WM? If not, which GC works?
Thanks. 

Offline Iz

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12307 on: September 29, 2016, 10:31:32 AM »
Will Vanilla Reload cards still work to load at WM? If not, which GC works?
Thanks.
Same as Serve.  ;)

Offline David R

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12308 on: September 29, 2016, 11:24:30 AM »
I got an email that loading checks will no longer be allowed by mail and that doing so in the app now goes through a different company.

Just a reminder: if you were notified that you may no longer load your Bluebird, you were probably informed exactly which methods of loading you may not use. Other methods such as mailing checks (must be received before 11/9/2016), using the app to deposit checks and receiving funds from another Bluebird account are still allowed. This is good to know if you need funds in your account to use an Amex offer.
Will Vanilla Reload cards still work to load at WM? If not, which GC works?
Thanks.
Wrong terminology. Vanilla reload cards are no longer available. When they were available, they could be loaded to prepaid cards by phone or online, not at Walmart.

Offline nnj

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12309 on: November 02, 2016, 06:08:07 PM »
Teterboro asked me if I was using a gift card, I showed her a real debit card, and when I loaded a metabank vgc it came up as "invalid tender". Card worked just fine at another WM. Has this always been a Teterboro thing? New? I wanted to try a Sunrise at another cashier, but it seemed best to walk away.

Offline ludmila

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12310 on: November 02, 2016, 09:49:46 PM »
Will Vanilla Reload cards still work to load at WM? If not, which GC works?
Thanks.
No Vanilla do not work, and MC are a headache, you have to be fast to intercept --, Meta Bank Visa cards and US Bank visa cards work perfectly.
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Online elazarmn

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12311 on: November 03, 2016, 07:33:12 PM »
Does this way of manufacturing points still work?

Offline mochjas

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12312 on: November 03, 2016, 07:37:42 PM »
Does this way of manufacturing points still work?
yes

Offline nnj

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12313 on: November 06, 2016, 01:08:14 AM »
Ludmila, you've tried recently at Teterboro? I've never had an issue at any other Walmart, but this Teterboro cashier asked me what I was using to load in a suspicious way, asked to see my debit cards - I showed her a real debit card, and when I swiped my metabank vgc the machine said "unauthorized tender" and she complained that I was using a gift card. I'm trying see if this particular Walmart's machines have become more sensitive than before.

Offline MoMo22

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12314 on: November 07, 2016, 03:06:46 PM »
how do i spend the 15K on the amex plat.. if i live in israel (no Bluebird) ?

Offline Iz

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12315 on: November 19, 2016, 10:37:11 PM »
Can Vanilla be loaded to BB at Walmart in the amount of $49.99?

Offline SearchGuy

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12316 on: November 19, 2016, 10:50:07 PM »
how do i spend the 15K on the amex plat.. if i live in israel (no Bluebird) ?
And in US, would you covered by BB?...

Offline ckmk47

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12317 on: November 20, 2016, 02:58:33 AM »
Can Vanilla be loaded to BB at Walmart in the amount of $49.99?
I assume so. Though I've never tried it, you say how much to load, why can't it be an odd amount.  But if it needs to load whole dollar amounts, load $49 and put the .99 into your Amazon account. (.50 minimum)
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Offline srap

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12318 on: November 21, 2016, 05:06:40 PM »
After the shut down sweep of last year (?), was anyone successful in reopening his BB or Serve account? 
If yes, same account or same info-different account or different info-different account?

Offline Iz

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Re: Bluebird: Now you can pay bills that don`t take credit card with a credit card
« Reply #12319 on: November 21, 2016, 05:17:03 PM »
I assume so. Though I've never tried it, you say how much to load, why can't it be an odd amount.  But if it needs to load whole dollar amounts, load $49 and put the .99 into your Amazon account. (.50 minimum)
Thanks, but it didn't work.