My friend Bill (Racerboy 80) managed to get a photo of The Memo. This is the one that asserts that REDbird loads are now cash only (for more, see: I’m calling it. REDbird is dead bird.)
I realize that the above can be hard to read, so here it is in text:
Tender Accepted Select Reloadable Prepaid Cards
Effective Oct 13 cash is the only tender guests can use to reload select prepaid cards (listed below) in store.
Key Details
- Prepaid cards falling under this restriction include: REDcard, American Express for Target, Green Dot MasterCard, Green Dot Visa, NetSpend Visa and MyVanilla Visa
- POS will prompt if a payment type cannot be used.
- If applicable, credit or debit cards can be used to pay the card fee.
Cashier Direction
- Follow POS prompts. If POS displays a message that the tender can only be used for a certain amount or not at all, ask the guest for another form of payment.
- If the guest inquires about the tender restriction, advise: “Target has made the decision to only allow cash reloads for this card. This decision aligns with other retailers who also only accept cash for reloadable prepaid cards.”
Guest Questions
- Target policy: refer guests to Target Guest Relations at 1-800-440-0680
- Reloadable prepaid card questions: Refer guest to the card issuer contact information on the back of the card.
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[…] Note: As of October 13, 2015, the Target REDcard (REDbird) can only be loaded with cash in-store at Target. Gift cards and/or debit cards no longer work to load REDcard. For more info, see: Here is the REDbird memo, “Cash is the only tender guests can use” […]
[…] Note: As of October 13, 2015, the Target REDcard (REDbird) can only be loaded with cash in-store at Target. Gift cards and/or debit cards no longer work to load REDcard. For more info, see: Here is the REDbird memo, “Cash is the only tender guests can use” […]
[…] Note: As of 10/13/15 the Target REDcard (REDbird) can only be loaded with cash in-store at Target. Gift cards and/or debit cards no longer work to load REDcard. For more info, see: Here is the REDbird memo, “Cash is the only tender guests can use” […]
[…] since the Target RedCard met its demise back in October 2015 when it was announced only cash could be used to load the card I have been remiss in finding another method of […]
[…] The 5X bonus category for office supplies, cable, internet and phone is nice, but it’s not easy to manufacture spend at office supply stores since they stopped selling $500 Visa gift cards. Recently Staples starting selling $300 Visa gift cards online, but if you don’t have a Serve or Bluebird card with a Walmart or Family Dollar close by, it’s not easy to unload those since the downfall of the REDcard. […]
I’m going to target today to load with Cash. It’s not greatly useful but still has some use.
Is there any alternative for unloading VGC besides Walmart? I went to 5 walmarts in the bay area this weekend and none had KATE kiosk, the ones that had em they had out of order signs on em.
[…] by Trevor on October 18, 2015 There are a ton of moving pieces in the miles and points world on any given day, any given week. Earlier this week, news started popping up about a rather large flapping moving piece (aka RedBird) which may no longer being able to be loaded with debit cards (let alone pin enabled Visa Gift Cards). […]
[…] https://frequentmiler.com/2015/10/13/heres-the-redbird-memo-cash-is-the-only-tender-gues… […]
The $500 vanilla visa card loads at the Family Dollar near me. Try one near you and you may get lucky..
So, here is how I break it down. I have both a Target and Walmart within 5 minutes of my home. I do shop at both regularly. However, since I acquired the Redcard and using it for MS, I did notice I would pick up extra items while there. A pack of socks here, a bottle of shampoo there, and ALWAYS the obligatory Starbucks. I would use 5 minutes of an employees time twice per month to load my single card. I’m figuring it cost Target $1 for me to load my card (I’m not certain of swipe percentages, online transaction fees, etc. and how they apply to a co-branded card), so add on an extra dollar to make Target’s in store cost $2.
While I’m there, I buy two venti mocha frappuccinos, a black tea, and an Icee to hydrate the family. We then pick up a pack of socks for my daughter, a cat t-shirt shirt for my son, a novelty “hot sauce” T-shirt for me and some make up or other items for the wife. We’re now in the neighborhood of dropping $50 on that visit. I don’t know their profit margins, but on my T-shirt alone, I’m sure they covered the cost of my Redbird loads, even with the 5% savings. Add in the frapps and I’m sure they are making out like bandits.
Now, will I still shop at Target? Off course I will. Will I be in there as often presenting them an opportunity to take some extra money out of my pocket? No
So, although they will be missing out on my 5-10 dollar profit each trip, they most likely have someone (based anywhere in the US) coming in with a fraudulent debit card loading hundreds or thousands of dollars on a Redbird. So, they make $10- 20 off me (and others like me) in a month, but may be taking huge losses due to fraud. It would take a hundred people with my habits to make up for one thief. This probably makes the Redcard unsustainable as a product.
I think this is a byproduct of what I hear every time I buy VGS’s, unload VGC’s, etc… The cashiers inevitably mention scammers and fraud and that they have to check ID’s and be careful. I don’t think it’s manufactured spenders ruining these opportunities as much as thieves and those perpetrating fraud.
Except you do realize that there are many MSers out there who reload anywhere between 5-15 cards twice a month. Inevitably, abusers will ruin it for everyone.
I’m so glad the target is sending back all these “people of walmart” back where they belong, the gutter.
Curious, why the holier than thou attitude?
This guy is probably net netty.
WM must be following this with great interest. It shouldn’t take them long to follow the Target’s lead.
[…] Two days ago I was one of the first bloggers to cover the eventual demise of debit card loads to REDcard (REDbird). At the time it seemed unlikely that Amex & Target would block all debit cards, but that is exactly what happened. Yesterday I saw a memo that confirmed Target REDcard loads are cash only and Frequent Miler even posted a copy. […]
[…] morning, Frequent Miler posted a copy of the official “memo” that Target associates recently received. You can view the full memo on his site, but the gist of it […]