William LipovskyChances are you’ve heard someone, a friend, a sitcom character, maybe yourself, say something along the lines of “I’ll have to sell my blood to pay my rent/student loan/car payment this month!” This is usually considered hyperbole to mean you’re running out of cash and can’t wait for payday. If you’re looking to donate your plasma for compensation at CSL Plasma, we’re here to help you figure out how to use the reloadable debit card they give you, such as checking your balance, replacing it if necessary, how rewards work, and how points work.
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How to Use a CSL Plasma Debit Card
You can use your CSL debit card the same as any other debit card to make point of sale purchases or to withdraw cash from an ATM. There are some things you need to keep in mind, however:
- Your cash balance does not expire, however if you do not use your card at all for 90 days you will begin to be charged an inactivity fee of $2.95 per month. So, if you go too long you will see your balance significantly reduced.
- The Blue Card is affiliated with the Allpoint ATM network so card holders will not be charged a fee for using Allpoint ATMs. The Red Card however is not aligned with Allpoint or any other network. You will be charged $1.50 per transaction plus whatever fee the ATM’s owner charges you.
Because of the high ATM fees CSL’s Red Card, the customer service department recommends using the “cash back” option when you make a retail purchase in a store if you need cash from your account. The charge for making a debit card purchase, with or without cash back, is only 35 cents.
How to Check Your Balance
Since the card is prepaid, you will need to keep track of your balance. You can do a CSL Plasma card balance check and/or locate an ATM at the CSLPlasma.com reloadable prepaid cards page.
Money can only be loaded onto your CSL debit card by CSL after each plasma donation. It is not possible to load your own funds from any other source onto your card.
How to Get a Replacement Card
If you do lose your card, CSL will give you a replacement card for free the first time. But, after that you will be charged $5.95 for any additional replacements. So, keep your card in a safe place!
Additionally, CSL will offer a free replacement card if you make a donation and your original card has expired. You can check the expiration date printed on the front of the card to know how long it’s good for. You won’t be charged to get a new card if CSL needs to load more money and the old card is no longer valid.
Here are the phone numbers to call if your card is lost or stolen:
CSL Plasma Card Number for the Red Card – 1-866-CSL-0200
CSL Plasma Card Number for the Blue Card – 1-877-855-7201
How iGive Rewards Work
In addition to the money credited to your debit card, you can earn points through CSL’s donor rewards program, known as “iGive Rewards.” Through it, you will earn points for plasma donations, for completing surveys, and through special promotions offered through your specific CSL center. You can sign up for iGive Rewards through the CSL website or through a kiosk at your CSL center. You will need the last four digits of your donor number, which you will receive when you register with CSL, as well as your last name and date of birth.
Your points are redeemable for rewards such as gift cards and passes to area attractions. Be aware, however, that points expire if you go 30 days or longer without making a plasma donation or if you do not log into your account at least once every 180 days.
Can I Put My Points on My Rewards Card?
Yes, but they do not have a very high cash value. There is no information on dollar amounts available on CSL’s website. A call to a CSL location in Philadelphia (215-554-6845) revealed that to redeem for cash credit you will have to achieve “Bronze,” “Silver,” or “Gold” status, which are categories assigned to the very high point earners, and even at these top levels you can only redeem for about one dollar per 100 points. The customer service agent also revealed that you only earn one point for every plasma donation and an additional one point per survey. So, you will not be seeing much extra cash compensation through the rewards program.
In Summary
The best way to check your balance is through CSL’s links, mentioned above, and you can get a replacement card for free if your current one is expired. Otherwise, you’ll have to call the above numbers if it’s lost or stolen. You can’t load money from any other source onto this card, and cashing out your rewards points is not the best idea, though it is offered to high-tier donors. For more information about CSL Plasma donation, see our article: How Much Does CSL Plasma Pay per Donation? These Are the Rates…
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Kait Scirri
The CSL VISA MANAGER websight says it can no longer be found, (Aug. 2017) Is it temporarily down or gone? How do we check our balance?
Hi Cynthia,
I think CSL’s just moved things around on their website. Try going here and selecting the link for either the blue or the red card.
How do i check whats the next date i can donate ?
Name,
The maximum frequency with which you can donate plasma is once in a two-day period and no more than twice in a seven-day period. I hope this helps!
I have a red (moneypass) CSL card. I am not accessed any withdrawal amount from the Moneypass ATM but I am charged $1.50 for each transaction coming from CSL. You really do not get $50.00 for each plasma donation but you really get $48.50 from CSL.
You can ‘reduce’ the amount you get from taking ‘cash’ from your CSL card by simply using your CSL card ANYWHERE and getting ‘cash back’. You will only be accessed .30 to do this.
If you want to pay nothing for using your ‘own money’ you can simply use your CSL card ‘on line’ and pay anyone of your monthly bills with your CSL card, i.e, your ATT bill. There is NO CHARGE for you to do this. PASS THIS ON!!!!!! YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING TO USE YOUR OWN MONEY.
Hi there,
That’s a great tip! Thank you for sharing with our readers so others can get the most out of their CSL cards!
I need to change my pin on my card and some number are missing on the bank for change my pin number on my card
Hi, Curtis!
Usually, you can change PIN via the website, if you’re having trouble with that because some numbers are missing, trying calling Cardholder Services at (866) 692-9282. If you have a Red card, you can reach the Visa Prepaid Clearinghouse Service at (844) 263-2111, (M-F) 9:00-5:00 ET. If none of these are able to help you reset your pin, there’s also an option to contact CSL Plasma directly with this online form. Good luck!
Hi I went to an Allpoint ATM to withdraw money off my card it didn’t show a charge when I withdrew but when I went on the website afterwards and checked they did charge me later for the transaction from what I understand there’s supposed to be no charge for that please explain thank you.
Hi Denise,
Is it possible you have the CSL Red Card? While the Blue Card is affiliated with Allpoint ATMs, the Red Card is not affiliated with any ATM network, so a fee will always be charged no matter which ATM you use to make a withdrawal. If you do have the Blue Card and you were charged a fee for an Allpoint withdrawal, you may wish to get in touch with the card issuer to find out more about the charge. The CSL Plasma website provides this page with contact information for each available type of CSL donor card. I hope this helps!
Good Morning, my name is Pamela, and I am a donor. I’m trying to check my balance via online, however, I can’t remember my pin. Would you send me instructions on how to resolve this issue. Thank You/.
Hi Pamela,
According to the CSL Plasma Prepaid Debit Card page of the Bank of America website, you can reset your PIN via the website or by calling Cardholder Services at (866) 692-9282. If you have a Red card, you can reach the Visa Prepaid Clearinghouse Service at (844) 263-2111, (M-F) 9:00-5:00 ET. If you have any further problems, you can also reach CSL Plasma directly through the Contact Us form on the CSL website. I hope this helps!
Hi can i reloas my csl plasma card
Hi Lamia,
The next time you go into your local CSL center to donate plasma, a staff member will be able to reload your CSL Plasma card. This can even be done remotely, so if you don’t bring your reloadable card with you to your appointment, CSL can add the funds electronically without the actual card being present. I hope the article is helpful and let me know if you have any more questions!
I am trying to register my card online so I can receive the text messages regarding balance information but my card isn’t like either one of the pictures shown. I’ve tried both places also and have not been able to get my card set up.
Hi Linda,
Sorry to hear about the trouble you’ve had with your CSL card! I would recommend visiting the My VISA Management page on the CSL website. Once you log in with your card number and PIN, you’ll be able to manage your account and set up your text alert preferences. You can also use the customer service phone numbers on that page if you need any further assistance.
You can get a new card if your old card is outdated per the yr. But, anytime after that if you lose your card the plasma center will issue a new one and after that one you have to pay for the replacement card.
Hi Charlene,
That’s great information, thanks for writing in! I’ve updated the post to include your input.
I can’t donate any more. How can I use my Igive rewards up if I only have just over 200 points? I shouldn’t lose these.
Hi Chrisanna,
Has it been 30 days since your last donation? If not, you can still use the rewards. If it has been more than 30 days, you can use this page to tell them your unique situation.
I need a new csl card
Hi Robert,
CSL will give you a free replacement card if it’s the first time the card has gone missing. After the first time, it’s $5.95 fee. Simply go to your CSL Plasma center to get a replacement.