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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 2633137 times)

Offline ae123

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1 - But did I get everything else right?

2 - I assume at CVS and Walgreens I would only earn 1 UR point per dollar spent.
Is that true?

Offline yossi4k

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1 - But did I get everything else right?

2 - I assume at CVS and Walgreens I would only earn 1 UR point per dollar spent.
Is that true?
yes except with the freedom card you will earn 5x  UR's from Jan-March 2013 on drugstores...

Offline ae123

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Thanks.
It may still be worth it for me to earn 1 UR point per dollar and earn 30,000 UR points a year while spending $237, as I would think 30k UR points are worth about $400.

Offline Dan

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I would think 30k UR points are worth about $400.
A lot more than that.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline ae123

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A lot more than that.

30k on their own? How?
Or only if it adds to more points that I could earn?

Offline ae123

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One problem is OD no longer sells VR's. It is because of threads like this one at all the forums that it was killed.

Does everyone understand this?

I strongly disagree with your attitude!
The whole purpose of this site is to help each other!
So, if someone knows something that will benefit others, he will post it here knowing full well that by publicizing it, it may end sooner.
We are here to help while things last. Not to mooch good information off of others without sharing and/or helping back.
By the way, even if it wasn't publicized here, don't think it wasn't publicized on other sites like MMS.

Offline TC610

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I strongly disagree with your attitude!
The whole purpose of this site is to help each other!
So, if someone knows something that will benefit others, he will post it here knowing full well that by publicizing it, it may end sooner.
We are here to help while things last. Not to mooch good information off of others without sharing and/or helping back.
By the way, even if it wasn't publicized here, don't think it wasn't publicized on other sites like MMS.

When I first came to DDF I totally agreed with you.  In fact, I may have posted something very similar to this.  After being here for a couple of years, I now disagree with those statements. 

I've seen too many good things here get killed by over exploitation.  All I can do is roll my eyes when I read reports of n00bs calling a company asking how to use loopholes that the general public just doesn't know about.  I read and keep up with most of these forums, helping out newer folks as best I can with the knowledge and experiences I have hoping that some day someone will help me out when I need it.

It's been proven that the longer things stay non-publicized, the longer they last for everyone who knows about them.  Sharing them amongst smaller groups of people is one thing, but MMS is where tricks like these go to die.

Offline ae123

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I hear you.
But are you saying we should stop sharing information here because some may ruin it? If yes, no one will be helping anyone!

Offline HelpMe

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I strongly disagree with your attitude!
What attitude? I just asked if everyone understands why a lot of these deals get killed early. They can make their own decision on what to post.

This would be attitude: Everything you asked has already been answered in this thread. Try reading the thread instead of asking the same question over and over. If you would like me to spice it up (attitude) just let me know.
"Elvis Has Left The Building"

Offline HelpMe

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But are you saying we should stop sharing information here because some may ruin it? If yes, no one will be helping anyone!
Some deals you need to use discretion. This is lesson I hope everyone learns sooner than later.
"Elvis Has Left The Building"

Offline Zalmy2

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So today I went to chase and asked the teller for a cash advance of 488 that's the total I had left on the card and she said I don't have sufficient funds so I asked here to give for me 450 so it went through but I got a charge of 1.95 on my card. Anyone else had this? Anything I can do?

Offline googleyeshivabocher

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You can use the bb card at a money pass atm and withdraw 500 without a charge up to 2k a month . It might present you with checking or credit go with only those options otherwise you might get charge a fee . as for finding the atm's google it .

Offline Saver2000

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You can use the bb card at a money pass atm and withdraw 500 without a charge up to 2k a month.
For those in Jersey,  the ATM's in wawa are part of money pass.

Offline Thingywingy

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You can use the bb card at a money pass atm and withdraw 500 without a charge up to 2k a month . It might present you with checking or credit go with only those options otherwise you might get charge a fee . as for finding the atm's google it .
From Bluebird website "Bluebird members never pay surcharge fees at MoneyPass ATMs, including Money Center Express machines at Walmart (but a $2 Amex network fee will apply unless you have Employer Direct Deposit)".
I am sometimes accused of overthinking things. I am still mulling over whether that accusation has merit.

Offline asks

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From Bluebird website "Bluebird members never pay surcharge fees at MoneyPass ATMs, including Money Center Express machines at Walmart (but a $2 Amex network fee will apply unless you have Employer Direct Deposit)".

Do you need to set up a PIN for ATM withdrawals on a BlueBird card?

Offline ADanFan

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It's important to note that:

1) VR (only; OR cash) can load a BB

2) CC's can buy MVD's that can get cashed out at an ATM for $2 (or at some banks for free)....

Offline Redbull3

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It's important to note that:

1) VR (only; OR cash) can load a BB

2) CC's can buy MVD's that can get cashed out at an ATM for $2 (or at some banks for free)....

I haven't seen MVD for sale (just my own experience), but I have seen Vanilla GC. According to the vanilla sites, you can convert the Vanilla GC into MVD - does anyone know if there are limits or fees with this conversion?

Offline yitzf

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It's important to note that:

1) VR (only; OR cash) can load a BB

2) CC's can buy MVD's that can get cashed out at an ATM for $2 (or at some banks for free)....

even without registering it?

Offline Dan

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I haven't seen MVD for sale (just my own experience), but I have seen Vanilla GC. According to the vanilla sites, you can convert the Vanilla GC into MVD - does anyone know if there are limits or fees with this conversion?
On the MVD site it just shows VR and DD as reload options.
I don't see a GC reload option.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Redbull3

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On the MVD site it just shows VR and DD as reload options.
I don't see a GC reload option.

On myvanilladebitcard.com, if you click get started, the bottom portion seems to indicate you can convert your current "vanilla gift card" into a MVD? Not as a reload but as a conversion. Is that not possible?