Update: This card has been discontinued.
Manufactured spending is the practice of accumulating frequently flier miles and points without spending excessive amounts of money. In this page we will look at how to use T-Mobile & Reloadits to manufacture credit card spend.
You should always do your own research and only do amounts that you are comfortable with. Accounts are often shut down without warning, making it impossible to immediately access your funds. Start with a small amount so that you know it works and build slowly from there.
Contents
T-Mobile & Reloadit
Earlier this year T-Mobile introduced the T-Mobile® Visa® Prepaid Card. This card came with a few features that make it perfect for manufactured spending:
- Card can be purchased for free at all T-Mobile stores (even if you purchased elsewhere the cost will be refunded). Find your closest T-Mobile store
- Monthly account service of $5 is refunded if you load more than $500 per month (no account service fee for wireless subscribers)
- Reloadit fees of $3-$3.95 are refunded for reloads of over $300
- No fees for direct deposit or ATM withdrawals for in network ATMs (you can withdraw a maximum of $500 per day)
How To Turn This Into A Free Manufactured Spend Opportunity
- Get your T-Mobile prepaid card from a T-Mobile store: $0
- Go to a retailer that accepts credit card payment for reloadit cards and purchase a reload of over $300, the fee of $3.95 will be refunded by T-Mobile
- Use your T-Mobile account for expenses that you can’t normally use a credit card for. If you have additional funds you can withdraw these from an in network ATM for free. You can also do BillPays up to at least $5,000. You can also transfer to your bank account.
What Do Reloadits Look Like?
There are two different versions of the reloadit cards, the new version which doesn’t contain the language “cash only” in the top right corner and the old card which does contain that wording. Examples below:
This is what the new reloadit cards look like. These do not say “cash only” on them. These are the ones you’re looking for
This is what the old reloadit cards look like. In the top right hand corner they say “Cash only” you don’t want these ones as the cashier is less likely to process them with a credit card. Image credit: mooper, Flyertalk.
At the moment, the new cards only appear to be showing up in California. You may have success purchasing the older cards with credit card, but if you’re in a state with the new cards it’s recommended to attempt to purchase those instead.
Where Can You Purchase Reloadits?
Below we’ve got a list of stores that sell reloadits and whether they accept credit card payment or not. We also suggest using the reloadit store locator to check all of the stores near you that stock them. If you find another store that accepts credit card payments, let us know so we can add it below.
By doing so you draw less attention to this manufactured spend technique and make it more likely for it to continue to be open to all. You should also never call to ask, as in most cases they’ll say no even if it is possible. This also draws unwanted attention.
Here are some other locations that sell reloadit cards and whether they accept cash or credit card payments:
- Safeway (also called Pavillions & Vons): Most Safeways will accept credit card payment.  [Found in: AK, AZ, CA, CO, DC DE, HI, ID, MD, MT, NE, NM, NV, OR, SD, VA, WA, WY]. Find your closest safeway/pavillions/vons location
- T-Mobile: Their registers are hardcoded to not accept credit card payments, so even if you get a cashier willing to sell you the reloadit card on credit card they will not be able to process it.
- Home Depot: Varies from location to location, try for yourself and report in the comments below. Find your closest home depot store. [Country-wide]
- Stop & Shop: Most will accept credit card payment.  [Northeastern United States only: CT, MA, NJ, NY, RI]. Find your closest store.
- Harris Teeter: Most will accept credit card payment. [Only found in: DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, TN, VA]. Find your closest store.
- Winni-Dixie: Varies from location to location, try for yourself and report in the comments below. [Only found in FL]. Find your closest Winni-Dixie store.
- Casey’s General Store: Most will accept credit card payment. Â [Only found in the midwest: IA, IL, IN, MO, SD, MN, KS, NE] Â Find your closest Casey’s store.
- Hy-Vee: Most will accept credit card payment. [Only found in the midwest: IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, SD, WI]. Find your closest Hy-Vee store.
- Giant Eagle: Will accept cash or debit card only, will also accept Visa/Mastercard giftcards. [PA, MD, OH, WV]Â Find your closest store
- Walgreens: Hard coded to only accept cash.
- Albertsons: Hard not to only accept cash.
- Getgo: Will accept cash or debit card only, will also accept Visa/Mastercard giftcards. [PA, MD, OH, WV]Â Find your closest store.
- Wawa: Will accept credit cards, but usually only have $50 or $100 cards. Remember, the fee is not refunded if you reload less than $300.  [Only found on the East Coast: NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA, FL]. Find your closest store
- Meijer: Will accept cash or debit card only, also possible to purchase with Visa giftcards. [OH, KY, IN, IL, MI only]Â Find your closest store
- Starter Bros: Varies store to store, cashier to cashier some will accept credit cards. [CA only]Â Find your closest store.
Reloadit packs usually come with a $3.95 fee, but T-Mobile will refund this if you load more than $300. Making this method fee free.
Where Will I Find The Cards In These Stores?
- Gift card rack
- Check out aisles
- Customer service desk
Most stores that sell reloadit cards require manager approval if you load more than $500. By loading less, you can get on with your transaction and arouse less suspicious. If you require manager approval it is unlikely they will give it, as the risk of them getting in trouble is too high. Remember, the fee is refunded as long as you load more than $300.
Limits
- You can load a maximum of $2,500 per day onto your prepaid account
- Maximum value of your card is $10,000 (e.g you cannot have more than $10,000 on your card at any one time)
- Each card can be loaded with either up to $500 or up to $950 depending on the card, the fee of $3.95 is the same regardless (and remember T-Mobile will credit you this fee)
If the store your in accepts credit card payments for reloadits, it’s best to still leave these cards alone as most cashiers will either refuse to process them with a credit card or get their manager over. This draws unwanted attention.
F.A.Q’s
Will T-Mobile shut down my account if I do this?Â
T-Mobile may shut down your account if you do this, there are several reports of this happening. Most people that have been shut down have been putting at least $5,000 per month in spend through their account.
Is there a hard pull on my credit report when I apply for the T-Mobile prepaid card?
No, this card is designed for people with bad credit and as such they don’t do a hard pull on your credit file.
Is this card fee free for pay as you go/prepaid customers?
It should be free for all wireless customers, double check at your local T-Mobile shop to make sure.
How quickly will T-Mobile refund the $3.95 fee?
T-Mobile will generally refund the fee the following day. For example, if you purchase the card on a Monday – you’ll receive the refund on the Tuesday.
Where does the $3.95 fee get refunded to?Â
It gets refunded to the T-Mobile prepaid visa account
Do you get the $3.95 fee refund even if you’re not a T-Mobile customer?
Yes, as long as the reload is above $300.
How long does it take to process a BillPay?
T-Mobile states that Bill Pay can take up to 15 days, but most people report that it’s much quicker than that, around 5 days (Bluebird is usually 2 days as a point of reference).
Hat tip to my Girlfriend for finding a Safeway that sells reloadit cards with a credit card & flyertalk for the rest.