I got so mad at wells Fargo about a year ago because they had allowed charges from my x-wife "on my Account" and caused an avalanche of $35 Overdrafts, So I opened the Bluebird Card by American Express. For the Most Part, I like the Bluebird Card, I have Two Teenagers and I opened Family Accounts with their NAmes on their Own Cards. Teaches Teens Money Management! Also, I can instantly Transfer Funds to My Teenagers and I like that a lot. Now, if We can just Get Amex Bluebird to Instantly Transfer the Funds Back to Us, the Cardholders when a Merchant and/or hotel Releases a Hold on our Card or Refunds Monies back via Returned Item or CRedit. I understand that AMEX has to Make Money Someway with this FEE FREE Card, so I really Don't Complain about this one Little Greed FActor, However, as Many others have Stated on this Forum, I really Really Really Needed the Funds Credited Back ASAP on a Target Store Purchase-Refund, and Amex has Not Even Posted Pending on the Refund and it been two Business Days. I understand they Exercise their Entire 5-7 Days Right to Earn Interest across Thousands of Account Holders, But it Absolutely Hurts when I'm a Disabled Single Father that Uses Bluebird as my Main Debit Card for Essentials Such as Gas, Groceries and Bill payments. Well, this Month My Kids are Suffering because of Amex Debit Card Refund Policy. Seems They are Treating this Debit Card as a Credit Card? And Making us Suffer Long- Extremely Long Delays to Get back our Money when a Store Credit and or Refund is processed by a merchant.
Hope the FTC and or Financial Bureau of Consumer Affairs Steps in to Help American Express Correct this 5-7 Day Wait Time they have Chosen to make us Endure and Declare it Unconstitutional!
If FDIC is going to Allow Amex Bluebird to Act like and Be Insured Like a Banking institution, then they Must Be required to Uphold the Same Standards as Banks, i.e. Release the Funds Back immediately such as Banks are Required to Do, when the Card is Used as Debit for the Transaction. Come on Bluebird, you guys should be ashamed of yourselves.
Love your Card, Just Hate this one Little Policy that Most Likely Makes Amex a Fortune and Causes the Least of us Card Holders Heartache and in my Case, this Week, Took Food of My Kids Table.

I have used Bluebird for my two boys for years. Today, I stopped using it after a bad experience. I would not recommend it. I got a new debit card from my bank, which happens when they expire. Since it has a new 3 digit code on the back, I had to remove the old linked debit card and link the new one. The system would not let me do this. I called and spoke to 3 people. The first two kept telling me that was just "how it was. The system chose to not let me link any more debit cards." They could not explain why. They kept saying "nobody did it, the system did it. Nobody knows why, it can't be undone." I finally got through to a supervisors supervisor and was told that it was a fraud prevention measure. "I have been using the account for years, and now I can't link a debit card to it anymore? " I was told, "yes, that is for your own convenience and protection." So, how do I get money on the account? "You go to Walmart and add it."
Standing in line at Walmart to add money to the card? I don't think so. Can it be reversed off my account? "No, it will be forever. You can never link a debit card to this account again." Why? Because the system said so."

Well, I told them what their system can do. I would transfer the money out of this account and close my Blue bird for good. But, guess what? I won't let me get my money, because I do not have a linked bank account! AND, what's more, I can't link a bank account, because the system said I can't.

I only have about $70 dollars in there, but I have a feeling it is going to be a fight to get that money back.

I REALLY DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS CARD. Go to your local bank and get cards that can be transferred between account instead.

Charged gas at Shell, $25.25. AE-Bluebird allows merchants to charge additional amounts for 7 days. I was charged, for no services, an additional $125.00. AE-BB WOULD NOT reverse this cash charge. AE-BB stole $125.00 CASH from me for 7 days. This is a cash card not a credit card! STAY WAY from this card. If you have one cut it up! Walmart has a better cash-debt-card. AE's policy violates FTC policies. This is why so many places don't accept AE!

I got this card especially to transfer money to my son who lives out of state and is sick, so I've been helping him out. Last night i transferred 200.00 onto my card and was going to transfer 200.00 more today. First i think the limit of 200.00 is pretty low and should be higher. What if there was an emergency and someone needed money now. Well today I went to transfer 200.00 more and kept getting an error. So i got on my computer to do and then it said I had already transferred money today. UMMM, NO I DIDNT. So I called to find out what the problem was. Then i find out that it is 200.00 a day in their time zone now my own which is complete bull. I transferred at 9pm my time but of course it was midnight there. The only message you get when you go to transfer is the limit is 200.00 a day. Maybe they should put in there that they go by eastern time. So mad because my son really needed this money by today.

Card has some good qualities but you can't pay for had at the pump other wise it takes almost all your money off if you use it more than once in a month and takes almost a whole day to return to you. Customer service sucks overall have a had a few nice people to deal with. If someone returns money back to you they will post it and then place on hold so you are thinking your money had returned and it hasn't. Most places you go to you will have to run as credit for some reason. I like Chime better I only still have this card is because I don't want to try and change all of my bills that I pay with it

I have had a Bluebird account since 2012 (it is now 2019).
I have never been charged a fee aside from out-of-network ATM fees.
My checks were all free until 2016ish, but I use them so rarely that I still have all of the free ones.
However...
Everything is done online or at Walmart, and if you hate Walmart as much as I do you'll feel me here.
If you want to deposit cash you have to go Walmart. If you want to schedule a cash pickup, you have to go to Walmart.
I am not a fan of limitations. There are many times I am frustrated because I can't simply walk into my bank, fill out a withdrawal slip, and walk out with $2,000 cash.
You just cant. You have to do it through Walmart, or find an ATM and still be limited to $750 a day.
There still are no chips on these cards.
If you have any refunds/returns expected, also expect to have your patience tested for 7-10 business days. Holds are ridiculous, and transfers are just as bad.
There are useful, quick bits of information we are used to (or expect to have access to) about our accounts and I don't think the Bluebird app delivers. You're very limited in what you can do on it, and what information you can see.
I really hate having to call customer service. It's not an awful experience, but it is always foreign based, and helpful MOST of the time. You'll get real customer service at a real bank.
You will run into many situations where a vendor doesn't even accept American Express cards and you're just SOL unless you have PayPal or the time to wait 7 business days for a bill to be paid from your bank account.
My income has changed since 2012, and I deal with bigger transactions now, larger deposits, and larger amounts that need to be moved from account to account or be pulled in cash and this card just doesn't work for any of that anymore.
I'm looking into a local, physical bank but as you can expect that is never easily done when everything has been with another for the past 8 years.
This is a good card if you have a small income, because you will probably never have fees.
If you have a larger income it is just not worth it.
I don't even think they're FDIC, but don't quote me on that.… read more

this is a horrible company. the customer service people lie. I have told at least 30 people who are gonna close their account with them. shady companies like this one. Should not be allowed to be in business.

When charges are declined, the hold on the funds are ridiculous long which 7-10 days. I called and complained about this. Initially they said it is the company put the hold while thinking you won't call and follow up with the company. I did both times and they said the charges were declined and have no control of bank holds, Bluebird do. Bluebird is no help but to say sorry repeatedly and cannot release the funds until waiting time is over! I removed both direct deposits from this card and doing traditional banking from now on. It is NOT that great and stress-free as it seem.

Rating -20! Don't use it! I had a merchant refund my money to paypal they instantly sent it back to Bluebird. Bluebird says it may take 10 days to get my money back. WTF! If you can instantly pay there is no legitimate reason why you can't be instantly given your money back! No need to hold it!!!!

If you make a return they will put holds on your funds for 10 days, customer service cant override or help you at all. Getting store credit is your best option if you cnt wait.https://wallethub.com/d/bluebird-prepaid-card-732c/