Earlier in the month Bluebird announced that they would be removing charges for using a debit card for loading funds to the card. If you had a debit card that earned miles or cash back then you would have been able to earn rewards when loading Bluebird online. Initially four debit cards could be linked to one single account.
I received an email this morning from American Express noting changes to the Bluebird Card. Effective as of November 12, 2013, customers of Bluebird Accounts will no longer be able to link four debit cards to their account. Only one debit card will be allowed for each Bluebird account. And, as a reminder, AMEX notes that the debit card must be in the cardholder’s name in order to be successfully linked.
I am assuming this will resolve the question once and for all as to whether debit/gift cards will be able to be used to load Bluebirds… and apparently, since the card must be in the cardholder’s name, gift cards will no longer be a viable option to try.