As of May 6, 2015, Target no longer accepts credit cards for in-store REDbird reloads. For more information, please see “REDbird Post Memo Answers“, and “REDbird grounded. Now what?“
My wife’s Target Prepaid REDcard finally arrived in the mail today. I quickly activated the card online then sped out to my closest Target store to test it out. The results were spectacular!
First, a little background…
REDcard is a new product that is so similar to Bluebird that some are calling it Redbird. For details about the card please see: The Target Prepaid REDcard.
In my first encounter with REDcard, a store manager told me that it could be reloaded with debit cards, but not with credit cards (see “Amex introduces new Bluebird-like Target REDcard!”). Then, when I discovered that the temporary card was reloadable after registering it, I found out that it was easy to reload with gift cards, but I botched the credit card experiment (see “Confirmed: REDcard likes Vanilla and more”).
It was a long shot, but there was still a chance that the manager was wrong about credit cards…
REDcard changes everything
Today, I hurried over to the Target customer service desk to see what this little card can do. At first, I asked to reload $2500. After all, that’s what the website says you can do (when you log into your permanent account):
Comically, the register told the clerk that the amount was too small. Obviously they need to work on their error messages. We then tried $1,500 with the same result. Finally, the register happily accepted $1000 as a load amount that wasn’t too small.
I then swiped my credit card and the clerk asked to see the last four digits on the card. Done. Sale complete! As advertised, there was no fee to load the card.
Before leaving the store, I loaded the card twice more and each time paid with a credit card. With hardly any effort at all, I was able to load the card up to the $2,500 daily load limit with a credit card. Since the card has a $5000 monthly load limit, I should be able to max it out with just one more trip to Target this month.
While at Target I also bought a few things and paid with the REDcard. That gave me an automatic 5% discount. Nice bonus!
At home, I logged into my credit card account to make sure that the charges appear to be regular purchases (they do). And, then I tried out the REDcard bill pay feature which seems to have worked flawlessly.
Questions answered
Until now, there were several questions still unanswered regarding REDcard. Here’s what we now know…
Q: Can you reload REDcard with a credit card?
YES
Q: Are you sure it wasn’t a fluke?
It is possible that Target has plans to change the register to not allow credit cards, but I don’t think that’s the case. During my earlier botched credit card experiment, the cashier was surprised that the credit card didn’t work (it turned out that there was a fraud alert on my card). She said that she remembered from training that loading with a credit card was one of the key benefits of the card. She even mentioned that people should be able to earn miles with their cards!
Q: What are the card’s load limits?
When reloading the card at Target, the following limits are in place:
- $1000 maximum reload per transaction
- $2500 maximum reloads per day
- $5000 maximum reloads per month
Q: Will these charges count as cash advances?
While we don’t yet have absolute proof of this, I’m confident in saying “no”. The charges I’ve done so far fully appear to be purchases. And, previous experience with the similar Amex for Target card has shown that credit cards are safe to use for register reloads at Target.
Q: Can you reload REDcard at a Target store that doesn’t sell REDcard?
YES. The store I went to today doesn’t yet sell REDcard. Plus, the website explicitly says: “You can add cash to your Target Prepaid REDcard® Account for free at all Target locations in the US.” Note that when they say “load cash” they’re really referring to loading the card at the register. It doesn’t matter to Amex how you pay for that load.
Q: Can someone else buy a REDcard for you?
I’ll give this one a tentative “yes”. When you buy a Prepaid REDcard at Target, you have to give them your drivers license info, your SSN, birthdate, and more. Then, you have to register the card online in order to get a permanent card. In the process of registering online, you do need a bit of info about the original buyer (birthdate, for example), to get past the first screen, but then you can change the details on the following screens. I did this for my wife. I bought the card at Target and used my own driver’s license, SSN, etc. But, when I got home, I registered the card to my wife. I can’t promise this will work for everyone, but it worked for me.
Why does this matter? Not many stores yet sell this new card and you can’t get one online. You can find participating stores here. If you have a relative or good friend who lives near a participating Target, you might be able to get them to buy the card for you. Then, you should be able to register it in your own name online.
Q: Can you reload Serve at Target?
Since Serve and REDcard are on the same technology platform, and since you can reload Serve at Walmart (like Bluebird), it seems reasonable to assume that it would work at Target as well. I tried a Serve card, but it didn’t work. So, the answer for now is no. It won’t surprise me, though, if that changes in the future.
Q: Can REDcard be enrolled in Amex Sync promos like Serve?
No. I tried and the system said “Unfortunately, the Card you entered is not eligible.”
Which is best Bluebird, Serve, or REDcard?
Each person can only have one: Bluebird, Serve, or Prepaid REDcard so this is an important question. The answer depends on a lot of factors. I’ll address this in full in a future post. For now, suffice to say that if you’re uncomfortable buying and liquidating Visa or MasterCard gift cards, then REDbird is way better.
Keep in mind, if you want to switch from one to another, you can close your previous account online. Please see: How to cancel Bluebird online.
It doesn’t get any easier than this
For those with a Target store nearby, its hard to imagine an easier way to increase credit card spend. Simply go to Target, load up your REDcard, and pay with your credit card. Then, use the card to buy things at Target (for 5% off), to withdraw cash at AllPoint Network ATMs (for free), and to pay bills online (including mortgage, rent, credit cards, etc.). You can even use the bill pay function to pay individuals (Amex will mail a check).
To a large extent, this changes the game for credit card signups. People with the REDcard no longer have to worry (much) about whether they can meet the minimum spend requirements to get those huge signup bonuses. Interested in an offer that requires $5K spend? No problem. Two trips to Target and you’re done.
And, don’t forget about big spend bonuses. Want to earn hotel or airline elite status? How about the Southwest Companion Pass? With the right credit cards, it’s suddenly easy.
5X everywhere?
One more thing…
Suppose you have a card that earns a nice bonus at grocery stores. It so happens that some Target stores are coded as grocery stores. You can lookup your local store here: visa.com/supplierlocator.
It would be pretty cool to get 5 percent cash back when loading REDbird right? See “Playing 5X everywhere Whack a Mole.” Keep in mind a couple of things:
- Various registers in one store may code differently. Some may code as grocery while others may code as discount store.
- American Express codes are different. Even if your Target is coded by Visa as a grocery store, it probably isn’t a grocery store in the eyes of American Express.
More questions?
Many questions have already been answered in previous posts. Please first read these posts before asking questions in the comments section below:
- Amex introduces new Bluebird-like Target REDcard!
- The Target Prepaid REDcard
- Confirmed: REDcard likes Vanilla and more
And, of course, watch this blog for further developments!
Read more about REDbird:Also: |
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[…] our family both for the points earning opportunities and its Target availability and discounts. I’ve been following The Frequent Miler’s Target experiments as closely as I follow the weekly Target sales, and today it was time to try and get my own Target […]
[…] 2. In case you haven’t heard about new product called REDcard (similar to Bluebird), here is some info on it on Frequent Miler blog. […]
[…] REDcard changes everything […]
[…] fourth year of blogging was dominated by REDbird: The Target Prepaid REDcard. This was yet another prepaid reloadable card from American Express. Unlike Bluebird and Serve, […]
[…] vast majority of my manufactured spend approach currently relies on REDbird (see “REDcard changes everything”). I currently manage four REDbird cards. Since each card can be loaded up to $5K per month, […]
[…] REDcard changes everything […]
[…] for 7 months of free credit card loads and 5 additional months of easy debit […]
[…] products that Amex allows each person to have only one. For details about REDbird, please see “REDcard changes everything.” For more about the three similar Amex products, please see “The complete guide to Bluebird, […]
Thanks for this info! I know the page is old but it looks like you’re still responding to comments. I’m in a time crunch and need to get $500 on a non-Amex credit card (Cap One Quicksilver) in the next 3 days, but I have a Serve account. Is it possible to register my temp card online with my SO’s information, then load it at Target with my Quicksilver?
Background: I had a friend buy me a Redcard with a $1 load a couple days ago, since I have Serve. I can’t get my money out of Serve, cancel it, register the Redcard in my own name, and get to a Target in time to hit the spend deadline. If I can hit my cc spend by loading someone else’s Redcard, that would be a giant help.
You can load someone else’ s card. If you are going to have problems, just go buy a 500 VGC
Can I load more than $500 onto the temp card after the initial load or do I have to wait for the permanent card to arrive in the mail?
Once you register the card online, you can load another $1000 ($1500 total, inclusive of initial in-store purchase/load).
I asked a friend who lives in Ohio to get me a temporary Prepaid RedCard from their Target store. It arrived today but the package looks different. It says American Express for Target Reloadable Prepaid Card. Is this the same one? It doesn’t say Red Card. I’m very disappointed, i think it’s the wrong card. See pic below.
http://www.noobtraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/IMG_3965.jpg
Reply
Yeah, unfortunately your friend got you the old Amex for Target card. It’s not completely worthless, but it’s definitely not nearly as useful as REDbird
I should have briefed him before he went to Target. The first time he went they asked for his driver’s license and didn’t know how much to load in the card so he didn’t get it. I told him to just give his info and load $1 and I can change the info when I register it online. He went back to Target over the weekend and mailed it to me, only to find out that it’s not the right card. The other bad thing about it is that he got charged $3 fee for a $1 load.
Ugh! I didn’t even know there was another kind of prepaid card from Amex. I showed him the Redcard photo but the packet you get from Target for the temporary card actually looks different so he probably just assumed it’s the right one and bought it anyway even though it didn’t say Redcard. He would have called and asked which one to take if Target had the Redcard prepaid version also but I’m assuming his store didn’t have it. Well he’s not very bright but partly my fault for not educating him enough. He did me a big favor so I just thanked him and left it at that. I’ll instead ask my friend from Oklahoma. The thing is, I need it sooner and he’s currently overseas and will not be back until May 1st.
I have a Barclay Arrival+ MasterCard. Is it okay to use this card to load the RedCard? It will not count as a cash advance, correct? I need to spend $3k in 3 months so I can get the sign up bonus. Thanks.
Hi Joey,
Yes, it is absolutely okay to use the Arrival+. I typically put $5000 per month on mine through Redbird. It has never shown up as CA.
Cheers!
Great! I went to Target today and they said that I have to get the Prepaid version online and the guy suggested eBay. I checked for participating Target stores who sell it but there is none in California. I am in San Francisco. Sorry but I’m new to this, so how can I get one besides eBay and where do I apply?
Look back through the posts and find NoonRadar and click on his profile picture. He has contact information and he sells them.
Cheers!
I also have two RedCards, still in there sealed packages, registered with $1 loads….if anyone is interested. Just give me a way to contact you.
Just a quick update on this…people can now buy the temporary activated Redbird (prepaid REDcard) instantly from my online store at NoonRadar.com
I need the RedCard to consolidate and -liquadite if possible- my Amex prepaid cards. I have to take a long ride to Target so could you please confirm if I can still load RedCard with Amex prepaid cards?
Thank you.
Yes, it still works at most Target stores, but some don’t allow it.
Can anyone tell me how to get the money from Red Card to my bank account. I have linked and verified my bank account with the purpose of withdrawing money from my Red Card account into my back account but I cannot figure out how to do so. I was able to do that with my Bluebird but now with my Red Card it seems there is only an option of loading the card using my back account. Any ideas?
If anyone needs a RedCard, I have two left (that are loaded, but unregistered)..so you can message me.
You only have four options to get money OUT of your RedCard account, and linking your (or any bank) account is only for ADDING money to your RedCard.
You can remove money by:
1) Online/Retail Purchases
2) Pay Bills
3) Send Money Transactions (must be to another RedCard account, so essentially the money is still ‘trapped’ within the RedCard system
4) ATM Withdrawals – You can withdraw cash at AllPoint ATM’s, to a maximum of $750/day $2,000/month
*Note: Each method listed above has its own set of restrictions…
FYI: You may only add ONE bank account to your RedCard account, and this is only for adding money to your RedCard; the ACH will reverse any attempts to thwart that restriction.
More information found here:
https://amex.serve.com/prepaidredcard/faqs/
Thank you soooooo much guys. John it is good to know I have that many options including the ATMs. FrequentMiler that is just what I was looking for so exited about this new account. Thanks for all your constant support you guys rock.
Martin: Once you have linked your bank account, simply go to Settings… Withdraw Funds, then click Transfer to Bank
john DELTA: You missed this option. You CAN withdraw to your bank account but not via ACH
Smooth!
https://secure.prepaidredcard.com/Funds/WithdrawMoney
I found my prepaid red card deposit information including routing and account number. Could I use that as E-check to pay for my rent ?
RedBird (as well as BlueBird/Serve) only allow ACH in, not out.
But I paid one of credit card in this way and it succeeded showing in my cc payment although not in prepaid card statement.
It seems that GM is right, after 2 days the payment was reversed.
[…] Target REDcard is not available in all areas. But from Frequent Miler’s reports, it could really help folks with meeting minimum spending requirements and earning extra miles and […]
FYI – If anyone drives to Oklahoma to get a Redcard. I went this last Satruday, I was in town visiting my bro who goes to OU. The first target I went to, in Moore OK no longer carries prepaid Redcards. I asked if she knew of any other targets that carried them, and she mentioned Edmound. So, I went to Edmound and they had it.
I just got 1 card. I wanted to get two, but they were really low on cashiers and the girl that rang me up when I bought the first one had only rang one of those cards up before and didn’t know what she was doing. She asked another cashier and he didn’t know either so I was holding up the line. Anyways, I got one and am in the process of activating. Thought I would share that even though the map shows they have it, they may not. I would call before driving a ways.
[…] Prepaid Redcard from American Express, at Target registers I can load funds from any credit card (see this article). $1,000 is the maximum you can load in any one swipe, and so I ask to load $1,000 and swipe the […]
If anybody is interested I have a couple of Redbird cards available. You can email me at dewitt.will [at] icloud [dot] com if you are interested.
Why would anyone buy these anymore? the terminals are getting hard coded to reject cc loads..the end is near.
@Joseph-
Haven’t heard anything about this happening to the RedCards, but soon, yes for the Bluebird.
Does anyone have any other information regarding this possible development?
If you pay attention at all, it seemed to be a network system outage on one day causing trouble.
Where did you get your information Joseph? The end may be near, but as of today I have reaped 90k points on various CCs using 5 RCs.
Joseph? Joseph? Hellooooo Joseph?
Hi everybody,
I am still new at this and just found out about this new RedCard. 2 quick questions:
1. Can I write a check to myself and unload the card amount to my checking’s account ?? Would that raise any suspicion ??
2. Can I pay my credit card bill with RedCard ??
1) Checks are not available with RedCard, only Bluebird.
2) Yes, you can pay your credit card with Redcard.
Thanks racerboy80 for your reply.
I apologize if I was unclear with my 1st question. What I meant to ask is, Can I transfer the amount on the RedCard back to myself (like, an online transfer) ??. The above blog says the following: “You can even use the bill pay function to pay individuals (Amex will mail a check).
So, can that individual be myself ?? If the answer is Yes, would it create any suspicion to the banks if I start doing this on a regular basis to earn more miles/points. ??
I’m guessing that you could send yoursrelf checks, but I would think that Amex would frown upon that, and I don’t think the banks would care at all.
You can just link your bank account to your card and transfer money electronically, which would probably be the safer bet.
I personally use a combo of bill pay, ATM withdrawals, and transfers to my checking account in that order utilizing mostly the bill pay.
Frequent Miler do you have any advice to add?
Is there any concern using an AmEx card to reload the RedCard? Would something like that be flagged by AmEx?
Thinking of using my DELTA AmEx and US Bank FlexPerks AmEx
I can’t say it would never be a problem, but I reload with Amex cards regularly and haven’t had any trouble.
Another thought…
Can a person go to a Target selling these and purchase more than one? I am a bit puzzled how one would do that when to cashier is asking for your Driver’s license and SSN? If you wanted three cards, for example…how would you deal with that?
Of course, I am travelling and want to pick up one for myself and two others back at home…
Yes, I detailed how to buy more than one here: https://frequentmiler.com/2014/10/29/how-to-buy-redbird-for-others-and-how-to-use-them-at-non-participating-stores/
So I have two big questions:
#1 I see that people are using their VISA and MasterCard Credit Cards to reload the RedCard…but is it possible to use an AmEx product (I am thinking US Bank’s FlexPerks AmEx) to reload the RedCard?
#2 Although my local Target “MAY BE” (although I seriously doubt it) classified as a grovery store, the reloading of a RedCard is an AmEx transaction and not a pure “Target” (i.e. grocery transaction. So how would this generate any bonus points for a grocery purchase bonus for that category?
I believe amex cards don’t code as grocery (and not all targets do for mastercard/visa to my understanding) but you are paying to load the amex redcard product with a visa/mc so if it codes as grocery it’ll earn rewards for groceries. Amex has nothing to do with it unless youre using an amex card to load. I know my target is grocery as i was told so when i got a fraud alert automated message on my visa.
[…] the trio that can be loaded via credit card in-store. For complete details, please see: REDcard changes everything, The complete guide to REDbird, and The complete guide to Bluebird, REDcard, Serve, and […]
If I have a serve card, can I get my wife a redcard?
Yes
[…] option will be easy to max out quickly. With my four REDbird cards (mine, my wife’s, my sister’s, and my niece’s), I can theoretically max out this promotion in […]
[…] since REDbird appeared and proved to be better than expected, I’ve been asked the same question many times: What is the best credit card to use to load […]
anyone else having issues with the billpay function, this is the message I am getting when trying to set it up:
Technical Difficulties
Due to technical difficulties we are unable to process your request at the moment. Please try again.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Just fix the phone number on your profile then bill pay should work
Thank you! the area code was left off and working fine now
I have a Serve card. If my girlfriend gets a Redcard, can I have her load it with my credit card at the counter?
Has anyone setup a trade ring to purchase Redcards for people who aren’t near a participating location?
@ Eric: Would greatly appreciate it if other people would be willing to help others in states that do not offer the pre-paid REDcard. Can you help me I’m in CA? Thanks.
I probably missed it somewhere but if I managed to get a Redcard or two in a neighboring state (I’m in MO) would I still be able to load it at local Targets?
Thanks
All Targets support loading per the above article.
Patrick, I’m also in MO (STL) and I have a friend mailing me a card from Colorado Springs. I can see if he can get you one as well … if you’re in STL, I could hand off.
THAT would be excellent. I too am in STL. How do you propose we go about doing this? (BTW…any chance for two?) 🙂
THANKS!
send me a note at my gmail acct … conciergeservicesSTL
Yes, either you can load her REDcard with your credit card at the counter, or you can get her an authorized user card and then she can load her own card with your credit card account.
.
People have been selling the cards on eBay
[…] REDcard changes everything […]
So… I’m new to the RedBird / Serve and all prepaid type things and want to make sure I am understanding the possibilities here.
So, I can go to target and get a reloadable RedCard (temporary then premanent). After that I can use a points credit card, such as Barclays Premier, Chase BA, or Starwood to load that up. Then I can go to an AllPoint atm and withdraw all the money on the card. Then take that money and pay the credit card off. So it costs me nothing and I accumulate points? Am I missing something? Is this going to be available very long? Is target eating the credit card fees? Is it more complicated than this? I live next to a target and Allpoint ATM.
Drew – you have got it correct – it is a beautiful way to earn miles and points! However, I wouldn’t simply withdraw the cash from the ATM because you may get closed down really fast doing that. What you should do instead is use the bill pay or transfer to bank account options that you will find on the Redcard site once you have registered your card. You certainly can do a mix of cash withdrawals, bill payments and bank transfers if you wish.
Greg is on vacation for a bit btw.
That’s all correct. No fees. Even better, you can use the REDbird’s bill pay function to pay your credit card bill without visiting an ATM at all. No idea how long this will be available.
[…] #1 REDcard changes everything […]
ippo, I have the same questions … when does the West Coast get access to this card and how do we find out? I’m glad you asked.
Why Wait? I’m on the West Coast, and did not wait for the card to be offered here. I *planned* to give my SS# to a family member (or friend) who lives in an area where the card is sold and ask them to put $1 on one and send it to me. BUT I picked one up myself in November while travelling. Have reloaded it at my home Target without a problem – except as mentioned elsewhere, for some reason loading $1,500 at one time causes a strange error “amount too low” at the cash register, yet loading $500 over 3 transactions worked just fine. Best of luck 🙂
You can load up to $1000 per transaction on the RedCard (RedBird).
@ mother fussbudget: Need to wait b/c not able to travel for work or pleasure. So until the Redcard becomes available in CA cannot get the card. Unless some kind user offers to help out. So far no luck. 🙁
I’ve used a guy on ebay who sells them for 35ish. Buys one, sends you scans of card and destroys them or sends temp card to you if you prefer. Ebay cracked down since they don’t allow selling information but can provide his info.
Hi Eric, can you please send me the information for the person on ebay who sells these? My email is nickolasrigali@gmail.com
@Nick Reyes: I bought two REDbirds successfully 3wks ago from the guy who is honest, $39.99 each, paid by Paypal. If you still need the info. email me: alohasandiego2003@yahoo.com
Subject: Buying REDbird.
@Nick Reyes: If you still need the seller info., email me: allyearrun@yahoo.com
The guy I bought two from him, who’s is honest.
Hi Eric –
Can you please send me the contact info for the guy on ebay? Thanks. Email is carlb89@yahoo.com
Hi. Great site. Got some questions.
Why is Target/Amex being so damn secretive about when and where they are releasing the REDcard? Contacting Target and Amex is a waste of time since none of the agents know if there are any plans to release in other states and if so, WHEN?
Can we even hope this card will have a wider national release as in most states like Oregon, Nevada and California? Or should we just forget about it and stick to Serve? Thanks!
I think that they are currently doing market research in order to decide when and whether to roll out the card further. If the card is successful in the places it has been out so far, then yes it should eventually be released nationwide.
Ok. Thanks for sharing. How long ago was the card released?
Hopefully people patiently waiting in other states well not have to wait much longer. Does anyone have news on the roll out schedule? We’re in California. Thanks.
If I remember correctly, the card first appeared in October
Last time I checked, there was no availability on the West Coast, so I am hoping!
Anyone having problem login to the account. I keep seeing this message Exception of type ‘Serve.P2P.Infrastructure.Exceptions.ResponseAlertException’ was thrown.
Can I have both a Bluebird and a RedCard open at the same time registered on my own name?
No
Well I have to admit I feel a bit Stu-pid because I thought Greg had responded and now realize it was Carl. Shouldn’t even have gotten involved – I think I was hangry and needed to eat. Anyways, Judy is right. My apologies to Justin and Greg.
Stu the only person here with egg on their face is Judy. Exactly one person used the word “ass” in a rather minor spat. Hardly the end of western civilization. You made a comment many were likely already thinking. In any event it didn’t warrant the mini-rant Judy went on. In fact, by the time Judy commented Justin had already apologized for the tone of his comments due in part to your comment helping him see the light! Kudos to Justin and you, and as it stands now, Judy is the only one who NEEDS TO GET A LIFE and stop posting “simple-minded drivel.”
Can I load the 5k a month with the temporary card? I read your posts again and didn’t see it answered. Sorry if it has already!
No, you need the permanent card to do that
He was nice enough to provide the links which is more than I would have done. Your post didn’t even warrant a response and most bloggers would have ignored you.
People who call each other ugly names and find fault in nasty ways NEED TO GET A LIFE. You don’t even know each other! And if you do know each other, pick up the phone and insult each other all you like. Why wreck the sites for the rest of us; we don’t want to read your simple-minded drivel.
Two Questions!
I just got the Citi HHonors card and the Chase Hyatt co-branded card. I am going to use Redbird to meet the minimum spend on both of them. Any problems with this? I know Citi has been known to dislike Gift card purchases and tagging them as Cash Advance. Any data points on using them for direct loads to Red Card?
Second question is can you unload these to a bank account? How do I liquidate 5k on the card? ATM withdraws would require a LOT of trips and would probably get me banned from abusing the card…Please let me know!
Try spending due diligence and reading the info.
https://frequentmiler.com/the-complete-guide-to-redbird-the-target-prepaid-redcard/
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1618018-prepaid-redcard-target.html
Carl,
I am conflicted on how to reply to your response. On one hand you gave me links to useful content, but on the other hand you were being an ass to me. I think I will just leave it at that. You are a helpful ass. Thanks!
Have to wade in here a bit. You expect the information (the free information that you pay…. zero $$$ for) to be repeated in the comment section when you could have and should have looked through the blog and found it yourself? He was using a play on words with “spend” due diligence but you are calling him an ass – seriously? find the information yourself and share what you learn repeatedly with people too lazy to even read through several detailed posts that explained exactly what you are asking. Grow up.
I apologize to Carl for my rude comment. After reading your post I saw I misinterpreted his response. Sorry =(
To answer your questions:
1) No problem using Citi or Chase credit cards. No cash advances
2) Yes
I picked up my second Red Card at Target in Annapolis, MD on Monday with no problem. When I tried for my third one on Wednesday, The computer blocked me with a message to the effect of ‘can’t load card’ or something similar. We tried two different cards off the rack with the same result. My friend was able to get his first card right after I was blocked. Anybody else have a similar experience?
Strange!
You can unload it at the ATM. I was able to use the ATM with my temp card.
You can only unload it at the ATM after you register it online. Please see: https://frequentmiler.com/2014/10/18/redbird-life-cycle-infographic/
Hi
I got a question: I believe I read one of your post saying that Amex GC can be loaded to Red-card. So I tried today, it turned out I could not do that. The error message is \not proved\. I want to know is there any specify steps that I should follow when load Amex GC to Redcard?
Thanks in advance
When I’ve tried I simply used it exactly as I would any other credit card. Do regular credit cards work for you?
yes, The normal CC load works fine for me. It loaded the Amex GC the same way I did with CC. Not sure what Happened.
Hi Greg,
I’m getting some Redbirds for family members.
Couple questions:
-How many can I get per day? There are few Targets around
-Can I load the max (500?) and unload before giving it away?
Thanks,
Bill
-You can get one per SSN per day, but you can use the SSN of the recipients rather than your own in order to buy more than one per day.
-Yes you can load $500
-No, you can’t unload it before giving it away, but they recipient could send the money back to you once it is registered and they get the permanent card.
Great post as well as continuing analysis of REDcard.
Quick question. I searched your blog, but I could not find an explicit answer.
Do REDcard loads using an AMEX card made at a Target store earn cash back/points (as opposed to an online credit card load to Serve where conventional wisdom is that AMEX loads do not earn cash back/points)?
If not, do purchases of AMEX gift cards using an AMEX card earn cash back/points (which can then be liquidated by loading REDcard at Target)?
Thanks in advance for your expert knowledge!
Yes, Amex cards earn points when used at Target to reload REDbird.
Yes, purchases of gift cards with Amex cards earn points too. In some rare cases you may have to mix in other items with the purchase in order for gift card purchases to count within bonus categories.
Sweet. Thanks!
My follow-up question though was regarding purchasing AMEX gift cards directly from American Express, not at Target (sorry it was not more clear).
I know it’s a bit off topic in regards to this post about REDcard, but I was curious if those purchases also earned cashback/points.
Yep, you’ll earn points that way too.
[…] This credit card feature goes away at the end of the year, so it would be necessary to complete all $25K spend this year. I’m hoping that a reader has tried this and can simply tell me that it either will or won’t work. Otherwise, I’m willing to give it a try just to see what happens. It would be awesome to get 10K miles closer to the 30K goal simply by making a few trips to Target. […]
[…] recently got the new REDbird, and I knew from FrequentMiler that it’s not eligible for Amex Offers. Like a good blogger, I decided to try and see for […]
[…] I even get into this post I want to direct you to the Frequent Miler blog, where Greg has posted extensively over the past several weeks about the new American Express […]
I just picked up a REDcard. I sampled swiped with AMEX to see how the transaction will be handled just to be safe. Hopefully the cashiers know how to fill in my town considering they do not carry the card.
I’ve been using my American Express Blue Everyday to reload redbird and get 1% cash back/use the 0% APR offer. Do you know if Amex would red flag this? What has been the experience with Discover cards. If you can load using 0% APR cards, that’s free credit for more than a year. Please advise.
Many credit card companies will decline the initial load purchase because it looks like an unusual purchase. Once you get through that hoop, though, I don’t expect any to worry about you spending a lot at Target. That said, if you start spending more on your credit card than your reported income, that could raise a flag.
Used Ink business Plus but I used it for meeting $5000 spending for 70,000 pts. I don’t know if I received 2x bonus points.
@Brett said “Is there an avenue for getting money back from Visa and MC gift card!
Brett, not to be rude, but at this point you are in way over your head and should not do another thing related to gift cards or Redbird etc. until you carefully read at least the last year of FrequentMiler’s posts.
Data point. Got permanent card. Loaded 2500 over three different credit cards. A second swipe with one credit card filled with fraud alert. The customer service representative had heard of them and was friendly. She asked where she could get one because she wanted to get one too 🙂
I got mine in Minneapolis. We were down visiting in Des Moines and stopped at a random target with no problems.
@Tom it would really help if you told us which card got 2X
So since I can’t get a Redbird here in PHX, but can in Tuscon, I can buy the temp card in Tuscon but load it in PHX?
That is correct. You can load it at any Target store.
I did exactly that – picked one up at an out-of-state family wedding, and have been loading it at my local Target ever since.
You guys are exactly correct! Today showed up on account as Groceries!!
Thanks for all the help! That’s why I come to this blog!!
Thanks, but I was wondering about what to do after I close out my Bluebird account. Is there an avenue for getting money back from Visa and MC gift cards!
Sorry for not making that clearer!
I apologize if you mentioned this in one of your other posts, but I switch over from Bluebird to Redbird, is there an another means to transfer Visa and MC gift cards back to my account? Can I load these gift cards to Redbird? Or do I need to use no-fee ATMs?
If you haven’t already closed it out, just load them up to your bb (or serve) and then unload to a bank account. That’s what I did – only took a day, then I closed my serve and 10 minutes later activated my redbird.
It’s very easy to load them onto REDbird at Target. Just use them to pay for the reload instead of paying with a credit card.
Loaded $1000.00 on REDbird and shows up on my Ink Business Plus as Cash Advanced. I called and spoke with rep and yes I will be charged with fee. Any way around this?
Wanted to pay taxes later in year without using credit card and also spend $5000 for 70,000 pts.
I have loaded three different Redbirds with two different chase ink plus and all have been charge and not cash advance.
That can’t be right. It should show up as a regular Target purchase
Has the charge actually posted…or are you just seeing that the Cash Advance Limit has decreased?
It has been documented that the cash advance limit will decrease on certain transactions with different cards, but still post as a purchase.
[…] no question that the Target Prepaid REDcard (AKA REDbird) is an exciting new product. At this time, though, it is only available in select locations across the United States (see […]
[…] REDcard Changes Everything […]
ahhh… I see the problem. There’s no master lookup list for Amex MCC codes. With VISA, I can lookup my local Target & Walmart – they show up as ‘Grocery’, but NO LOOKUP tool to see how Amex will show up – probably ‘discount / merchandise’. Will keep pondering…
Very new at this – please let me know if I have this right:
You’re saying I can do the following:
1) @Staples, I buy $2000 of Visa gift cards on my Chase biz card – 5x*2000=10,000 Chase pts.
2) @Target, I put $2000 on Redcard from my HHonors card – 5x*2000=10,000 HHonors pts.
3) @Home, I bill-pay my $2,000 rent from RedCard.
4) @Home, I pay HHonors with Visa Gift Cards.
5) @Home, I pay the Chase biz card $2,000 (my rent)
Is that right (assuming I can pay the HHonors with a Visa)?
1) Yes
2) Yes
3) Yes
4) No. I don’t know of any way you can do that
5) I don’t understand this step. How are you hoping to pay the Ink bill?
Only a couple of problems I’ve found…
1) No Target stores in my state offer this card. I’m going to try buying one out-of-state, and see if I can use it at home.
2) Staples in WA offer $200 max Visa gift cards for $7.95. Yuck! I’ll check out the Staples/OfficeMax on business trips to see if I can find $500 cards.
3) RE: my earlier query – I was planning to pay down the Ink Card bill from my actual checking account – the ‘real’ rent check, and can do this from home.
[Thanks Frequent Miler for ALL your help here!]
1) That should work
2) The usual price is $6.95 for $200 cards. You won’t find $500 cards that you can buy at an office supply store with a credit card unfortunately.
3) Ah, yes, of course that will work!
Any idea how long it takes for a bill-pay check to reach it’s intended recipient?
Can I use Amex gift cards to load prepaid RedCard?
Yes. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m sure it will work as long as the cashier doesn’t balk.
[…] Use to reload REDbird (see REDcard changes everything) […]
[…] also attended a Frequent Miler session which encouraged me to want try the new Target Prepaid REDcard, a way to manufacture up to $60,000 in spend a year. It’s in limited markets only right now, […]
[…] REDbird is a prepaid card very similar to Bluebird and Serve. As such, it has capabilities that make it very attractive to those who like to earn credit card rewards. To catch up on the basics, please see: REDcard changes everything. […]
Greg,
Do you know if it is possible to load @ Target with one of the sub-account cards or will that only work with the Primary card?
I haven’t tried, but I expect that only the primary card can be reloaded.
I still don’t understand what you do with all that money on a debit card. The only things that I can’t charge on my credit cards are my mortgage payment and office rent. So what can I do with this debit card full of cash that I get through a credit card?
You can use its bill pay function to pay your mortgage and office rent, for example.
[…] REDbird, the new Target Prepaid REDcard, is a terrific new alternative to Bluebird and Serve. Like Bluebird and Serve, REDbird is a prepaid reloadable card and is a reasonable fee-free checking account alternative. In addition to no-fees, it offers 5% off all Target purchases and fee free shipping from Target.com. Best of all, it allows free credit card reloads at Target and free bill pay (see “REDcard changes everything”). […]
[…] 5% off all Target purchases, it allows free credit card reloads at Target and free bill pay (see “REDcard changes everything”). So, yes, it is awesome, but only if you manage to get a working permanent […]
[…] few days after I created that chart, the Frequent Miler reported that he was successfully able to load a REDcard at Target with his credit card. Currently Bluebird […]
[…] REDbird (AKA the Target Prepaid REDcard) is in hot demand, but it is currently available only in select areas. Why should you care about REDbird? If you can get over the technical hurdles involved in obtaining a card and registering it, you’ll find it to be the single easiest (and fee-free) option for increasing credit card spend. For details, please see: REDcard changes everything. […]
To be clear, the bill pay feature is totally free? I can send money to an individual, my plumber, or my mortgage company to pay a bill and incur no charges? I searched in the Redcard FAQ, among other places, but haven’t been able to get an explicit confirmation.
Yes, bill pay is totally free.
Yes, send a check to anyone for free.
Can you have a Red Card and keep your AmEx for Target card?
Yes
[…] Where Delta differs from all other airlines is that they offer a path to top tier elite status that does not require flying. Via certain Delta branded American Express credit cards, it’s possible to spend your way to high level elite status. This is especially interesting now that a new product nicknamed Redbird has made it easier than ever to increase credit card spend for free (see “REDcard changes everything”). […]
Can you reload the Redbird with Target gift card? I ask because right now Chase Freedom has a 5% category on Amazon. What about buying Target gift card through Amazon and then using them at Target to reload the Redbird.
Unfortunately, no.
[…] reload was the right Vanilla reload. No matter what happens, I’m studying everything FrequentMiler has to say on […]
Yes, I had linked my checking account to his Bluebird account to deposit $2,000 to pay bills through it, and BlueBird went berserk, shut his account, and wouldn’t reopen it. I just stopped using my Dad’s account for easy points back when CVS was in the game. Mike
Temporary Card –
Sunday morning: Loaded $500 on it when buying it.
Monday afternoon: Loaded $1000 on it with Cap1 credit card, at a store that does not sell the REDCard. Transaction took about 40 seconds.
Will wait for the permanent card and see what happens!
I am wondering what is the difference between the temporary card and permanent card. I loaded only $5 when I purchased the card. I don’t know if it is ok to continue to load on this temperate card. Anyone Knows? Thanks!
Once you register the card online successfully (a feat in itself for many), you can load up to $1500 and withdraw cash at ATMs while waiting for the permanent card to arrive.
When I purchased the Redcard at Target, I already registered it during check out. Cashier input the driver license number and address, I input SSN and phone number. I guess that I already registered. Am I wrong?
Also, Can I load the temperate card with $2500 daily? Thanks!
You are not registered if that is all you did. You still need to go to the website and register for a permanent card.
Once you’re registered for a permanent card, you can load $1500 until you receive the permanent card. Then you can load $2500 a day up to $5000 a month. Not sure if your initial load or the $1500 will effect the limit.
Racerboy80 is right. You have to register online despite the Target stuff. Then your card will be reloadable up to $1500.
Thanks for the all the replies!
Today, I tried to register on the website. When I input my phone number that I used during check out, it showed that this phone number is already registered. So I changed to another phone number, input all the information required on the website. Finished registration online. Now, when I tried to login, it always showed username and password does not match. So I called the customer services. They asked me if I only purchased one card. It is true that I only bought one card. Then, she did some research and told me that there is an issue regarding login system on their website,and the issue will be resolved by the end of this week. Does anyone have the same problem? Thanks!
Yes, lots of people are having trouble. Even though my wife’s card was registered without issue, I still haven’t been able to get my own card registered. Earlier today I was told to try again on Friday when the issue will be fixed. I don’t know how much to believe that, though. On Sunday they swore it would be fixed “within 24 hours”
Does anyone register or login the target redcard website?
I don’t understand the question.
I mean the problem still exist for me. I registered, but cannot login. I was told that the problem will be resolved last week. Does anyone get issue resolved? Thanks!
Some people have told me that they had their issues resolved. I’m still waiting for mine.
Mine was resolved and took around 4 days to take care of. My issue was the card was not activated properly. I had to fax a copy of the receipt, my ID, and my temporary card to them.
It seemed to be dealt with more quickly when I called the resolution center directly. The number is (800) 438-6468. Good luck!
I found that when logging in that it would not accept the “.com” part of my email so I went back to the activate page and it allowed me to enter and log on with no issues
[…] you to The Frequent Miler, we now know that you can reload your REDcard with a credit card at Target […]
Target already had a huge data breach and now they want your drivers license info, SSN, birth date, etc. No thanks.
I have the previous RedCard Debit Card (handeled by TDBank). What do you think are the chances of converting from that to the Amex card? If I remember right, With Serve, you can use your credit card as a backup funding source… do you think this could work with the Amex Redcard?
Seems unlikely to me that they would let you convert. Even though they have the same name, they’re completely different products. Redcard only allows debit cards as backup funding sources.
Do you think TD Cash Reward card will give 5% cash back if I use it to load Redcard? It is a visa card, also it is 5% for grocery in the first 6 months.
Yes, if your target is coded as a grocery store
I have tested my tdbank credit card at my local target, and it did not give 5% back. I suggest you test your tdbank card, and be sure to make a large enough purchase so that it’s easy to compute the cashback (1% v 5%).
Hi FM
This card is still not available in CA. Any hints on when this will be rolled out to CA. I live in San jose. Also bill pay feature for Amex Red Card. what is the maximum amount per check i.e. for BlueBird I recall it is around 2K. Is there any restriction like that for Amex red Card. (CA rents/mortgages are high )
No, I have no idea when it will be rolled out to the rest of the country.
I think that the Bluebird/Serve/Redcard bill pay limit is something like $15k
I have a new question. I just bought the temp card in MD. I wanted to register it to my father when I return home. He had a Bluebird account previously that was shut down by them. When I log onto his account to try and close it, it says this account has been suspended. Does this mean it is closed? Would I be able to register the Redcard to him since it is a new product? Thanks.
I don’t know the answer to that one. I’ve never seen a suspended Bluebird account. I think there’s a good chance that you will have to call to get it setup if/when registration fails
Do you think this would be the easy way to unload Amex GCs?
Yes unless you get a cashier that doesn’t think gift cards are allowed for the purchase
Can I use a Chase Ink Plus card to load RedCARD without getting hit with a cash advance fee? I’d love to meet the 5k spend requirement this way (just got the card a week ago), but not at the expense of a huge cash advance fee. 😐
Yes, that should be fine.
You’re better off with buying gift cards then load to Serve or Bluebird account. You will pay gift cards fees but earn a lot of points then funding direct to Redcard
Is that based on the theory that gift cards are certain not to trigger a cash advance fee? I recently started 3 Serve accounts which I’m loading (all 3) with my Arrival card. So far, it doesn’t appear those charges are going to trigger a cash advance fee based on the way Barclay is coding Serve. That being said, Chase (Ink Plus) may code differently, so I’ve avoided using the Ink card to load Serve directly. What’s the max gift card value you can purchase? $500? $1000?
[…] you haven’t read Frequent Miler’s post on the new Target REDcard, check it out, it’s a game changer…unfortunately, it’s only available in a very limited […]
I’m curious about the 5% cards for grocery as well. I haven’t tried it, but I’m pretty sure that Amex does not recognize Targets as groceries, including the ones coded that way by visa, so if true that eliminates Amex cards. There is a Wells Fargo card that gives 5% on groceries (and gas and drug stores), but only for 6 months. Of course, if you get that card now it will probably outlast the credit card loading feature of the RB, as I agree with other commentators that cc loading is very unlikely to last more than a couple months. Maybe Diners Club with the $300 AF, which gives 3X for grocery stores with a couple of interesting transfer partners, so depending on how you value the transfer partner points you could get close to 5%.
There is also the Target credit card that gives 5% for Target purchases. FM didn’t say what cc he used. Could it be the Target card at 5%?
To be clear: I didn’t try to get 5X. I just pointed out that its possible.
I used a Delta Reserve card because I’m working on maxing out its big spend bonus.
Has anyone attempted what Mike has described (i.e., using the Target credit card to get 5x on the reload of the Target prepaid card)? Thanks.
I used REDbird to reload another REDbird. No 5% discount was applied. I expect that the Target credit card would have the same result
I bought a card today. The purchase fee for the temp card is listed as $5. This is in MA.
Also I would like to know which Visa card has %5 cash back for grocery stores. All the target stores in MA are coded as Grocery store according to search by your link.
It does look like Target/Amex is trying different approaches in different states w/ respect to the fee.
You can find cards with grocery store bonuses here: https://frequentmiler.com/2012/11/09/best-category-bonuses/
Not exactly sure why, but I didn’t get any activation fee charged when I picked one up today. I loaded $500 with my Citi AA card. I only paid the $500 and Citi classified the purchase as a Grocery Store. So far so good!
That’s the way its supposed to be. There shouldn’t be an activation fee.
Agree with previous post. With bloggers droning on about Redcard and MSers murdering cc loads, this method will die quickly. It’s just too easy for us and too expensive for Target and card companies. However, Target is easier than Wally World. For that reason alone it might be worth the swap.
I wouldn’t bother closing bb or serve since this cc function of the red card will be gone faster than you can say “blogger fest”. This will be the top story of every “blogger” for the next week. I guarantee you, within one month, cc will be gone. Thanks ff.
All deals die eventually, which is why its a good idea to jump on them while they’re available
Just convinced the GF to get a Serve account, but may have to point her in this direction instead.
However – With everyone predicting the end of fee-free online CC Serve loads, what makes us think that won’t happen with “Redbird”?
It definitely could happen with Redbird as well. Nothing seems to last long in this game so the best approach is to jump on deals while they last.
does RedBB have the same bill pay functions as BB and Serve ?
Yes
@FM, two questions if I need someone else to buy one for me:
1- Can that person later get a card for themselves given that they have to provide all personal info at Target?
2- Is there a minimum amount to buy the card in store, say, $20?
1. Yes, I think so since it worked for me to get a card and then register it for my wife. I’ll soon try other combinations.
2. Yes, there is a minimum but I forget what it is. I know I saw it somewhere! If I remember right, it was a very small minimum.
The paperwork that comes with the card stated the initial load can be from $.01 to $500.
Also, to add on about the activation fee, I was charged $5.00.
Thanks
[…] of MH370. (HT: Alan H.) Marriott adopting new baseline cancellation policy starting January 1 Amex-Target REDcard can be funded directly with a credit card! Different members get different United shopping portal bonuses Virgin America Chairman (and former […]
I just went and purchased the REDcard with the intent of registering it in my wife’s name when I got home.
I loaded the card with $500 from a credit card and utilized all my information to purchase it (I have a Serve card in my name). At the end of the transaction the cashier received an error stating that the transaction couldn’t be completed and said to call the number on the card. Thought maybe it was because I loaded the $500. I checked the credit card and there is a temporary authorization for the $500.
I called and was advised that there is a technical issue with the Target stores not activating the temporary card properly and they would call me in the next 24-48 hours and they would let me know when the problem was remedied.
The rep stated I would then still have to register for the permanent card after they fix it. So, now I wait…
Yep, similar issue with my own card even though my wife’s was fine
Did they resolve the problem yet, or are you still waiting? If so, how long did it take?
Still waiting…
You aren’t kidding when you say they aren’t available in many places. Looks like it’s time for a road trip.
How did you load your wife’s redcard at the target? Didn’t they verify the name on the card? They didn’t ask for your DL to match the name on the card?
No, I’ve never had anyone in any store try to verify the name on the reload card. In my experience they only try to match up the name on your credit card with your ID. After all, there’s nothing wrong with reloading your spouse’s reload card.
Might be different for each state. Bought temp card this morning in Maryland. $0 purchase fee, was able to load $500 with credit card when purchasing card. Tried to load another $500 with different credit card, was rejected at register – not 100% sure of the reason (but didn’t want to try again and hold up the line).
From “Temporary Card Agreement” in the package: “Maximum load of $500 to the Temporary Card.” “Once loaded, the Temporary Card is not reloadable”
Will wait for the permanent card and see what happens!
Temp cards are $500 max. You have to wait for perm card to load full amounts.
Any word on the roll out timetable in other states?
My wife’ll be trying for this with an ITIN as soon as we can get across the border to a state that sells it… I don’t expect it to work, but it would be sweet.
Good luck! I think its very unlikely to work though
one more question, do the stores that code as HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES / SUPPLIES count as drug store charges?
I don’t know
I found a target nearby with grocery coding, but it says level III data, should I avoid playing here? would amex change the coding of my purchase?
That should be fine
That should be fine, but keep in mind if you’re paying with an Amex card it probably won’t code as a grocery
Will I have a hard pull credit inquiry if I get the red card?
No
How do you know if your target will post as a grocery store from the visa supplier locator? When I look up your store in ann arbor it shows as discount/wholesaler. When I look at my local target it also shows as discount/wholesaler. is there a secret to finding registers that code as grocery store other than trying it in person yourself?
1. Put in your city and supplier name Target and press search.
2. Click “show full list”
3. Sort by distance to find the closest Target stores
4. Scan down the Industry/MCC column to find Target stores listed as grocery stores. If you don’t find any, you’re out of luck.
it’s not moneypass. I believe it’s the allpoint atm network
Good catch. Fixed.
With all this talk, no one has talked about Citi cards and Redcard, I would like to know if using a Citi CC does it post as Cash Advacned?
As long as the swipe is in-store, the chance of it being treated as a cash advance is very low. I’m pretty sure even Citi is safe.
How is this business model sustainable ? Someone has to make money to keep it going ?
I think that Target is willing to eat some costs to get people to go to their store more often.
I agree completely with this assessment. I NEVER went to WalMart before I got my bluebird. Now I go all the time and occasionally buy something. Probably not enough to make it worth their while, but maybe comes close??
Target, on the other hand, I probably would actually do some shopping there if I went to load a RedBird. My guess is that this will work out just fine for them.
@eric or… you could try it yourself. what, things only work if they’re spoon fed to you? geesh
@Abby
Spoon fed? Listen missy…you have no idea what you are talking about. I don’t live in a state that has the Redbird card available so I CAN’T test it out or else I would. I am active on FT so I know what the hell I am talking about and certainly am well versed in many techniques. Next time just ignore my post instead of accusing people of being spoon fed.
Also FM can choose not to do this. Bloggers are always interested in trying out new things so I wouldn’t be surprised if FM has already thought about it.
@FM
I was wondering if you were interested in an experiment to see if you can convert one of your AFT cards to the Redbird card. I am sure a lot of people are curious about this too and if Amex will allow that. Ideally I would love to keep both Serve and Redbird card.
I would be interested in hearing people’s experience with that, but…
1. I think that the chance of that working is close to 0%
2. I only have one AFT which is in my name and I’m already in the process of getting Redbird in my name, so I don’t have an easy path to try it anyway.
1. Is Redbird eligible for Small Business Saturday?.
2. Can you make subaccounts with Redbird, & how many?
1. I don’t know
2. Yes. Subaccounts are the same as Serve. I forget how many you can have..
FM: Does the redbird work for Amex/twitter promos?
That’s unknown at this point. I’ll try registering my wife’s card of a sync promo and see what happens
Can I own an American Express for Target and a RedCard at the same time?
Yes, I believe so
“Plus, Serve has the extra benefit of online credit loads.”
You need to re-visit the Serve thread on FT, things changed in the last few days, some people did get hit with cash advance fee. It appears that the end is near.
Yep, thanks. I learned about that and posted shortly after writing and publishing this one
Easy $500 per month with the WF cashback between me and the wife
@ABC – You must be doing it all wrong 🙂 You can up your game.
Do you know if you can reload in a non-participating state? From my impression, you can’t obtain the card from multiple states, but I don’t see any wording on if you can reload on the states not on the list. I can get a card from OH, as I have a valid address there and visit frequently, but am wondering if I could reload in CA for example as I spend time in both. thanks!
The T&Cs specifically say you can load at every Target
Yes, you can reload at any Target in the US
I was curious whether loading with an amex credit card would be counted as purchase. For serve, you can only load with cards other than amex.
Not true – I load Serve from my Old Amex Blue all the time – just don’t get any rewards from it. I’m experimenting to see if Serve counts toward the $6500 threshold since I haven’t been able to find this info anywhere.
Mike B, I’ll be interested to hear how that goes!
I believe that Amex is fine for this. It will be a while before we can prove that points are earned, but I’d be very surprised if not. The transactions appear to be regular Target purchases.
[…] REDcard changes everything […]
Only 15 out of 50 states have the Redcard. Not in some of the big states, CA, TX, FL, NY etc…..
I think credit card loads to Serve are nearing their end. I loaded $300 to Serve using my US Bank Club Carlson visa on October 9, posted on October 10 as a CASH ADVANCE (along with $12 CA fee and no reward points)! A serve load with this same visa on October 3 posted as a purchase, so something changed between the 3rd and the 9th. The MCC codes are different as well- the old MCC was 7278, the October 9 was 6051.
If you are currently loading Serve or BB with gift cards at Wally world, it seems that the Redbird is better only if the credit card you use to load it at Target gives you more than the cc you use to buy the gift cards minus the gift card fees. For example, if you are using the old Blue Cash to buy your gift cards at grocery stores, and paying $5.95 fee per $500 gift card, you are netting 3.87%. So the credit card you use at Target would have to reward you better than 3.87% to beat keeping Serve or BB and loading with gift cards. I don’t know how to get 3.87% as credit card rewards at Target except possibly for Targets that code as grocery stores when using a cc that gives 5% for grocery stores. I assume that the Target cc that gives 5% for Target purchases does not give 5% for Redbird loads. Anyone know? Any other way to get more than 3.87% on credit card Target loads?
One possibility to beat 3.87% would be Amex Gift cards purchased through a shopping portal, if the portals get back to 2% or more, as they were for most of the year, but not since the return from their one month hiatus 2 weeks ago. As a side note, I am predicting AGC portals at 2% or better next week (Columbus Day holiday bonus!)
I hope you’re right (about 2% or better).
Someone mentioned that this wasn’t in CA so it isn’t an option for me. Despite that Im not sure i would close my softcard serve for this. I have a feeling they didn’t intend you to use your CC and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was shut down pretty quickly.
Lots of over the top hyperbole going on here. Changes everything? Huh? I don’t see it that way. Loading with CC isn’t going to get you 5%, so you’re back to trying to get mostly-brain-dead Target cashiers to load vgc. 99% don’t know how to do it and the immediate response is to call the “manager” (who’s almost as clueless, but 110% sure!). And then the manager wants to see the cards and it’s all over.
WM sl