Bluebird Prepaid Card Review: Free Services, Perks
Bluebird Prepaid Debit Card
The bottom line
- No monthly or transaction fees, and several free ways to add money to the card.
- Extensive, free ATM network.
- Comes with valuable perks and services from American Express.
Here are more details about Bluebird’s fees and services.
General fees
- Free if you open account online or via mobile.
- More than 24,000 free MoneyPass ATMs.
- Purchases are protected against accidental harm and theft for up to ninety days.
- Customer service available 24/7.
- Includes benefits like emergency roadside assistance, shopping and entertainment offers.
- Cards on the American Express network are less widely accepted by merchants than those on the Visa and MasterCard networks.
Bluebird offers an astounding array of free services. You can open an account online or via a mobile device, write preauthorized checks, make bill payments, manage accounts and more. If you’re careful, you can use Bluebird without paying any fees. There are ways to blast, spend and withdraw cash for free.
Purchases and withdrawals
- Bluebird can be used anywhere that American Express is accepted.
- No transaction fees.
- No way to get cash back with a debit purchase at merchants.
- Out-of-network ATM fee of $Two.50.
Bluebird’s no-bounce check-writing privileges stand out. To write a check, log in to your account and inject the amount. If you have enough funds, the amount will be instantly deducted and you’ll get a code to write on the check. You can use the Bluebird card at any place that accepts American Express, and you can withdraw cash at MoneyPass ATMs for free.
One disadvantage: You can’t get cash back with purchases. You can withdraw cash at Wal-Mart stores, but you have to pay a fee.
You can withdraw up to $750 per day from ATMs. For larger sums, you can withdraw up to $900 in cash at a Wal-Mart, for a $Three to $6 fee.
Reloads
- $0 to add cash at Wal-Mart registers.
- $0 to add money through a linked debit card.
- $0 for mobile check capture by Ingo Money — can take ten days to clear unless you pay a fee for same-day.
- Can’t link a bank account to Bluebird to directly transfer money.
At a Wal-Mart register, you can add cash in amounts up to $1,999 for free — and the money will be available instantaneously. You can set up direct deposit of paychecks or tax refunds for free. If you have a debit card for a bank account or a debit/payroll card, you can link that to Bluebird to add funds online or via the Bluebird app. If you’re at a Wal-Mart register, you can also add funds from a debit card for free.
You can flow checks worth up to $Two,500 on the card via the Bluebird mobile app. There is no fee, but checks take up to ten business days to clear unless you pay for same-day service.
Other services
- Families can share one Bluebird account.
- Unlike many prepaid cards, Bluebird has check-writing privileges.
- Free checks.
- Free online or mobile bill pay.
- Five free ways to check your balance.
- None to speak of.
Families can share one Bluebird account. The primary member can open and fund up to four subaccounts, each with its own card and spending thresholds.
If you’re saving toward a specific objective, you can set that money aside in a separate account with a name like “Bahamas” or “new car.” You can transfer the money back to your main account at any time. Bluebird keeps your money in a custodial account at an FDIC-insured bank, so your balance is covered for up to $250,000 if that bank should fail.
Many free services
Research more before you leap: Here are some other economical prepaid card options.
Jeanne Lee is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a private finance website. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @jlee_jeanne.
Updated Nov. 16, 2016.
Ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s overall rating is a weighted average of each category: general account fees, transactions and funds access, reloads and other services. Factors we consider, depending on the category, include fees, ATM access, reload options, breadth of merchant acceptance, account features and boundaries, user-facing tech and customer service. Several Nerds contribute to prepaid debit card ratings to ensure consistency and accuracy.
— Among the very best
— Very good; only minor caveats for most customers
— Good; issues that might make a difference to some customers
— Fair; make sure strengths and weaknesses are a good match for you
— Poor; proceed with excellent caution
(or below) — Best to avoid
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