Topic Wiki

Open Serve: Do 1 of the following:
1) Buy a temporary card. (free in cvs in NJ won’t take cc)($3.95 fee), or
2) Open online. They’ll send you a card. (free)
Note that you COULD have more than one of these: Bluebird (BB), Redcard and serve. 

Loading Serve: Serve does not have any fees to load money.
a) At CVS, 7-11, and Rite Aid ONLY CASH can be loaded.
b) At Walmart GCs …uh Debit Cards (besides Vanilla cards) can be loaded onto Serve just like onto BB. Load limit: $2500/day up to $5000/month
c) At Family Dollar max $499.99/Day, not hard coded, YMMV, Cash or Debit/Gift Card.
WARNING: There are reports of debit cards being drained at FD, and not loading onto Serve, so FD is not recommended.
d) An Amex CC of the serve cardholder can be linked and used to fund your Serve ONLINE. Load limit: $200 per day/$1000 per month
Amex cc loads are not considered cash advance. They DO NOT earn points, or count towards a spending threshold.
e) Debit Cards linked to Serve: $200/day up to 1000/month ONLINE.  But only a permanent DC with your name on it. (NOT GCs)

So your total loading limit per month, if using all 3 methods is $7K.

-Serve has a $1 monthly inactivity fee (waived in VA, NY and TX) that is waived if you use Direct Deposit OR add $500.
-If Serve has a bonus for using direct deposit, use AP.

Using the funds on Serve:
-Free ATM use/withdrawal at MoneyPass ATMs. $2 elsewhere.
-Serve has a Bill Pay feature – same as BB.  You tell them who to pay, and they send a check for you.  You can pay up to 5k of unregistered billers, but 10K of registered ones (registered= those on their bill pay list). Pay your Credit Cards bills as well as many other bills or any person!
WARNING: Do not use the bill pay feature to pay the Credit Card that is linked for online loads.
-money in your Serve account can be withdrawn directly to a linked bank account, which, if done too much, may be seen as risky by Serve, but in moderation should be fine.
Withdraw to your bank https://secure.serve.com/Actions/WithdrawMoney

Make sure the name, address and phone number on your profile match your credit card billing address, or you may get declined.  When linking your credit card at serve.com, the website will only show you the address on your profile, but not the phone number, so this is easy to overlook.  Go to profile, and check/update your phone number there.

Error likely with the Serve account:
When you create a new account and add a credit card, you will be allowed to do the first transaction. After that, your account will probably go into system lockdown until you verify some information. Likely error message for this case is "Risk declined operation" when you try to add money on to the account. You will need to send in (online, fax or mail) a photo ID and a copy of your credit card or statement. Upload your documents here -
https://secure.serve.com/User/SecureFileUpload. Then Call up AMEX Account Protection Services at 1-800-555-4318 and tell them you uploaded the documents and ask them to verify it for you.
« Last edited by Iz on August 18, 2016, 10:36:02 AM »

Author Topic: Amexserve/Softcard  (Read 1398981 times)

Offline dpk4588

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1880 on: October 07, 2014, 12:05:32 PM »
Yes. When it's pending it posts as a CA (so you'll need available CA limit), but once the charge is posted it changes to a purchase. So you shouldn't end up with CA fees.
That's kinda annoying. I'll have to call Chase to raise my CA limit. I had previously lowered it when people weren't clear or whether or not Serve was coming in as a CA or not. I hope its as easy to raise it as it was to lower it.
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Offline etech0

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1881 on: October 07, 2014, 12:06:25 PM »
That's kinda annoying. I'll have to call Chase to raise my CA limit. I had previously lowered it when people weren't clear or whether or not Serve was coming in as a CA or not. I hope its as easy to raise it as it was to lower it.
And I worry about ending up with CA fees somewhere else. I'm considering switching Serve to a non-chase CC for this reason.
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Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1882 on: October 07, 2014, 12:06:31 PM »
Our wiki

"d) Debit Cards linked to Serve: $200/day up to 1000/month ON LINE.  BUT only a permanent DC with your name on it. (NOT GCs)"

saw this today on  Frequent Miler-- My question  OK to load gift cards?


PAT says:   
October 6, 2014 at 9:29 am   

CAN I USE A SIMON MALL GIFT CARD/DEBIT TO LOAD SERVE AS DEBIT CARD?–AND STAY OUT OF TROUBLE?
Reply   

    FrequentMiler says:   
    October 6, 2014 at 3:47 pm   

    Yes
    Reply   
        PAT says:   
        October 7, 2014 at 2:38 am   

        I saw this om WIKI on F.T. –Are they wrong? and I can use SIMON MALL and visa G.C. — AND not get account flagged –THANKS

        “Online Debit Card Loads
        For online debit load, only use of bank-issued cards is allowed. The use of pre-paid debit cards (Netspend, Paypower, Univision, Paypal, etc.) and VGC/MGC/AGCs is not allowed. While initial transactions may work, your account will eventually be flagged.”
        Reply   ---none
Let me translate for the highly educated folks here. FM says it is OK to use a GC load. Wiki says not to. SPLP is asking is it OK to load with a GC.

@SPLP - Seeing you are from Greece would I be correct that English is not your first language?
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Offline etech0

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1883 on: October 07, 2014, 12:10:24 PM »
Let me translate for the highly educated folks here. FM says it is OK to use a GC load. Wiki says not to. SPLP is asking is it OK to load with a GC.

@SPLP - Seeing you are from Greece would I be correct that English is not your first language?
Maybe FM meant at walmart?
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Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1884 on: October 07, 2014, 12:12:42 PM »
Maybe FM meant at walmart?
We would have to wait for FM's reply to know for sure.
I just found a new supply of forks!

Offline dpk4588

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1885 on: October 07, 2014, 12:20:50 PM »
And I worry about ending up with CA fees somewhere else. I'm considering switching Serve to a non-chase CC for this reason.
Have you loaded serve with a CC in the last few days and not been charged any CA fees?
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Offline etech0

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1886 on: October 07, 2014, 12:23:55 PM »
Have you loaded serve with a CC in the last few days and not been charged any CA fees?
I haven't loaded this month yet - I was waiting to see what happened.
What I wrote above is a summary of the posts from those who tried it, who may CMIIW.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1887 on: October 07, 2014, 12:32:03 PM »
This stuff about the CA is like the blind leading the blind. Is anyone actually trying to figure out what is going on?
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Offline dpk4588

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1888 on: October 07, 2014, 12:33:09 PM »
FOLLOW UP
10/4 posted not AS CA
Do you have an available CA line? When it was pending was there any indication that it was a CA?
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
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Offline D93

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1889 on: October 07, 2014, 12:33:44 PM »
This stuff about the CA is like the blind leading the blind. Is anyone actually trying to figure out what is going on?
nothing to figure out, it pends as CA and posts as purchase

Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1890 on: October 07, 2014, 12:36:12 PM »
it pends as CA and posts as purchase
I stated that from day one. The question is why?
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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1891 on: October 07, 2014, 12:40:50 PM »
I stated that from day one. The question is why?
I don't see how we could figure that out without talking to Serve or Chase.
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Offline D93

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1892 on: October 07, 2014, 12:41:13 PM »
I stated that from day one. The question is why?
Gotcha. But I honestly don't care, as long as It posts as purchase and I get my $1500/month of MS!

Offline dpk4588

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1893 on: October 07, 2014, 12:41:48 PM »
I stated that from day one. The question is why?
And will it at some point switch to posting as a CA. That's everyone's fear. At least its mine. The 500 UR i get from this isn't worth the CA fee and interest.
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Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1894 on: October 07, 2014, 12:45:17 PM »
Gotcha. But I honestly don't care, as long as It posts as purchase and I get my $1500/month of MS!
If you plan on using cards from other issuers you should care.

Since you are one of the few that have a grasp on what is going on can you look at your purchases? Look at what category they are classified last month and after 10/2 this month.
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Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1895 on: October 07, 2014, 12:46:59 PM »
And will it at some point switch to posting as a CA. That's everyone's fear. At least its mine. The 500 UR i get from this isn't worth the CA fee and interest.
For Chase there is no reason to believe it will at this time. Things in this game change by the minute so no way to know what is going to happen in the next hour.
I just found a new supply of forks!

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1896 on: October 07, 2014, 12:50:09 PM »
it pends as CA and posts as purchase
How do you see that its pending as a CA? This is all I see. In fact my available for CA amount didn't even go down (maybe that doesn't change till it posts but I would assume it would work like the regular credit line where it even reflects pending purchases/CA)
« Last Edit: October 07, 2014, 12:59:33 PM by dpk4588 »
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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1897 on: October 07, 2014, 01:14:42 PM »
If you plan on using cards from other issuers you should care.

Since you are one of the few that have a grasp on what is going on can you look at your purchases? Look at what category they are classified last month and after 10/2 this month.

Same category, except now there is also a "Transaction Number"

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1898 on: October 07, 2014, 01:40:01 PM »
Since you are one of the few that have a grasp on what is going on can you look at your purchases? Look at what category they are classified last month and after 10/2 this month.
Everything's the same on my end.
Same category, except now there is also a "Transaction Number"
Don't see one on my SP.

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #1899 on: October 07, 2014, 01:40:47 PM »
Same category, except now there is also a "Transaction Number"
Which card is this?
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