Frequent Miler's latest team challenge, Million Mile Madness, is happening now! Follow us as Greg, Nick, and Stephen compete to earn 1 Million SAS miles by flying 15 airlines before November 23rd. Who will complete the challenge with the most Speed, Affordability, and Style?
American Express sent emails to Serve, REDcard, and Bluebird cardholders today to let them know that they will be taking away the ability to link a new bank account to fund your card. My response was a shrug. Who would want to fund their account that way, anyway?
However, several REDbird cardholders sent me copies of their emails which contained an interesting nugget. The email said (bolding is mine) “You can continue to easily add money through Direct Deposit, Debit Card, and Cash Reloads at any U.S. Target store.”
That makes it sound as if debit loads at Target are allowed. If that was true, we would be back in business with the old perpetual point machine: use credit card to buy debit gift cards; use debit gift cards to load REDbird; and then use REDbird to pay credit card bills.
Unfortunately, I do not read it that way.
“Direct deposit” is not something that is done at Target. So, I believe that the commas are particularly important here. I believe that the email is simply saying that you can add money through each of the following methods:
- Direct deposit
- Debit Card (meaning online debit loads with a real bank debit card, not a gift card)
- Cash Reloads at Target
Whether or not Target allows debit as a means for paying for “Cash Reloads” (as they used to) is up to Target. And, at this point I don’t see any reason to believe that Target will change its mind.
Here’s the email:
Hello XXXXX,
We want to let you know about some changes to the terms and conditions of your Prepaid REDcard® by American Express Account:
- Funding & Transfers
As of October 28, you will not be able to link a new bank account to your Prepaid REDcard Account to add money. However, you will still be able to transfer money out of your Prepaid REDcard Account to a bank account.
If you currently have a linked bank account, nothing will change – you’ll still be able to add money from that account.
You can continue to easily add money through Direct Deposit, Debit Card, and Cash Reloads at any U.S. Target store.1- Early Direct Deposit
Now you can get access to your money up to two days faster* with Direct Deposit. You can automatically add all or part of your paycheck, government benefits and federal tax refunds to your Prepaid REDcard Account.You can also review these changes in the Consumer User Agreement here.
Thanks,
The Prepaid REDcard® by American Express TeamCustomer Service
Privacy Statement1 Reloads are not currently available at Target stores in AR and NC.
*Faster access compared to standard payday electronic deposit and subject to your employer submitting paycheck information to the bank before payday. Your employer may not submit paycheck information early
We kindly ask you not to reply to this e-mail but instead contact us via Customer Service.
See the Prepaid REDcard User Agreement for complete Prepaid REDcard terms and conditions.
Prepaid REDcard by American Express is issued by American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., 200 Vesey Street, New York, NY 10285, licensed to engage in the transmission of money by the New York Department of Finance and other state money transmitter regulators. Click here for information about addressing complaints regarding our money services business, lists of our money services licenses and other disclosures.
© 2015 American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Target and the Bullseye Design are trademarks of Target Brands, Inc.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
[…] A glimmer of hope for REDbird? No, not really. – American Express sent out a memo about REDbird changes, but the changes aren’t what we are hoping for. […]
Nothing to do with Target but I tried loading my One Vip Serve at cvs yesterday and the cashier said the register was saying cash only. Anyone else have this issue? Is it easier to have the cashiers at wal mart do it?
That is because you can’t load Serve with pin debit cards anywhere but Walmart or Family Dollar.
Next time I suggest you read up a bit more on each MS venue you intend to utilize, before you decide to go swiping places 🙂
Greg,
Just tried to load my BB with VGC from Staples at a walmart.. The cashier wanted to know what i was loading with and flat out, and rather rudely, said that no GCs are allowed. Only debit cards with name imprinted from a real bank.
Yeah, unfortunately some Walmart stores have trained their cashiers to not allow gift cards.
Target was the one killing debit loads at Target, just a few days ago, so of course this wouldn’t change again so soon, and in the infinitely small chance that it would change, this change wouldn’t be announced by Amex (since Target killed it, not Amex), or at all.
On another Redbird note, has anyone tried to load Redbird with a money order or check since Oct 12th? What about before October 12th?
What about the $1k in Citibank debit card that’s required to get the 5K American Air or 50KThank You points from their checking account? Would that work?
If you do online loads, yes I would expect that to work, but I haven’t looked at the full terms and conditions of that deal
I tried at two Target locations(6pm CST), it did NOT work
Maybe try one more just to be safe.
I tried to load yesterday with my GC and it did not work. I thought here was something wrong at that store. I then tried again today at a different store and it didn’t work either so then I tried to load with my bank debit card and it still didn’t work. I then called Target and they confirmed Target no longer allows debit loads at the store. Now I came to read all these comments and they confirm it. So pretty much this is dead now. Even if you can buy customized GC online with your name…so that you can actually link them to your account online, you are only able to load $1000 per month so this is useless for MS.
Anyone with half a mind can tell they mean the online debit card loading option. Why do I bother commenting.
@Dave – Maybe you’re a masochist?
The email sent to Bluebird is almost identical, as such, it’s possible (if not likely) that the text referring to debit card loads is just an artifact from the BB email they used it as a template…. move on, nothing to see here.
Edited: The email sent to Bluebird card holders is almost identical, as such, it’s also possible that the text referring to debit card loads is just an artifact from the BB email text which they used as a template…. i.e., ‘move on, nothing to see here’.
Canceled 3 Redbirds weeks ago. I’m over it.
I must have missed the memo. At what point did Target stop accepting debit card reloads (does this include VGC??) It’s been about a month since the last time I did it…
I never got an email saying you couldn’t do debit card loads in-store anymore, either. So where is that coming from?
https://frequentmiler.com/2015/10/13/heres-the-redbird-memo-cash-is-the-only-tender-guests-can-use/
Well, shoot. What’s the best option for this now?
Seemingly every one of these miles and points blogs has a post titled “Next Options Now that Redbird is Dead” from a few weeks ago. Check them out and follow the horde of crop-eating insects to the next crop to destroy.
Sub
+
will go try loading after work…..hopefully it will be working (cross finger xxx)
pretty weak sauce for writing a blog post about, IMO. of course it doesn’t work.
It (debit card )doesn’t works just tried it at target store