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-money in your Serve account can be withdrawn directly to a linked bank account, which, if done too much, may be seen as risky by Serve, but in moderation should be fine.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 1411605 times)

Offline Welder

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4160 on: October 21, 2015, 01:10:06 PM »

True, when signing up for the green, it says over 45,000 locations, but once actually apply it changes to only show you 27,000 (same as one VIP)

What I'm asking is, are there locations where you can load with the green but not the VIP?

Are any of those locations useful for GC cash/debit loads?
+1. I have the same question. I opted for the green, bc I live in NY anyhow.
"We need more welders and less philosophers" — Marco Rubio

Offline coralsnake

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4161 on: October 21, 2015, 01:16:57 PM »
Oy vey. Family dollar burnt? Ouch.
No, was just saying- it couldve been worse.
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Offline sedge

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4162 on: October 21, 2015, 01:18:07 PM »

True, when signing up for the green, it says over 45,000 locations, but once actually apply it changes to only show you 27,000 (same as one VIP)

What I'm asking is, are there locations where you can load with the green but not the VIP?

Are any of those locations useful for GC cash/debit loads?

I have had both products..Green and VIP. I only load GCs at WM and FD. I was unable to load GCs at RA or 711 in SoCal. Neither WM or FD charge a load fee for either product.

I notice no difference in the two products except for the monthly fee. Green=$4.95/mo. Not waived.

VIP=$1/mo. Waived once $500 or more is loaded.

The only issue I ever had loading at Family Dollar was that some cashiers or managers limit the load to $500 a day.

 I have loaded $2,500 each on 3 different cards consecutively with the same cashier at Walmart in one day. 5x $500 on 3 cards.

I max out my $5,000 load limit on 3 different cards each month in two days. $15,000 each month. I have one more card arriving this week which will allow me 20000 each month.

VIP is my preferred product.

Offline yochiek93

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4163 on: October 21, 2015, 01:24:25 PM »
I have had both products..Green and VIP.

VIP is my preferred product.
Is that because of the mo. Fee?

Offline Freddie

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4164 on: October 21, 2015, 01:27:41 PM »
At least the $$ is still on you're GCs

I sure hope that's the case. Still nervous about that. I had a little debacle last night after swiping three $300 GCs and getting approved and then the transaction shutting down on the fourth swipe for $103.74.

Offline David Smith

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4165 on: October 21, 2015, 01:31:34 PM »
I sure hope that's the case. Still nervous about that. I had a little debacle last night after swiping three $300 GCs and getting approved and then the transaction shutting down on the fourth swipe for $103.74.
You don't register your cards with gowallet? I always do that right after i buy them, in case anything happens.
Who do you think you are fooling? You think you are going to pull a quick one on your Creator? Good luck with that.
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Offline sedge

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4166 on: October 21, 2015, 01:39:39 PM »
Is that because of the mo. Fee?

Yes.

And multiple Serves are possible if you get family, friends, employees, etc to apply. Only one per SSN.

Offline yochiek93

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4167 on: October 21, 2015, 01:40:56 PM »
Yes.

And multiple Serves are possible if you get family, friends, employees, etc to apply. Only one per SSN.
I'm from NY which do you think is better

Offline Freddie

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4168 on: October 21, 2015, 01:50:43 PM »
You don't register your cards with gowallet? I always do that right after i buy them, in case anything happens.
Please enlighten me. What's gowallet and how does it protect me?

Offline David Smith

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4169 on: October 21, 2015, 01:56:07 PM »
Please enlighten me. What's gowallet and how does it protect me?
Gowallet is basically a site/app you can register your vgc's on. It allows you to register a billing address, and view all of the cards transactions and balances. If you lose the card, you can cancel it through them and get a new one shipped to you free. It doesn't really protect you, but i find it helpful to see the current balances, transaction statuses, and it helps me not be terrified of losing a stack of $500 bills. It's also helpful if a transaction doesn't go through, to see if the money was debited or not. That's something you want to know on the spot, to be able to refund the money if it was.
Who do you think you are fooling? You think you are going to pull a quick one on your Creator? Good luck with that.
JTZ

Offline yakrot

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4170 on: October 21, 2015, 01:59:11 PM »
Gowallet is basically a site/app you can register your vgc's on. It allows you to register a billing address, and view all of the cards transactions and balances. If you lose the card, you can cancel it through them and get a new one shipped to you free. It doesn't really protect you, but i find it helpful to see the current balances, transaction statuses, and it helps me not be terrified of losing a stack of $500 bills. It's also helpful if a transaction doesn't go through, to see if the money was debited or not. That's something you want to know on the spot, to be able to refund the money if it was.
Never knew this thanks

Offline Freddie

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4171 on: October 21, 2015, 01:59:54 PM »
very cool. thanks.

Offline yochiek93

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4172 on: October 21, 2015, 02:05:56 PM »
Wow sounds great

Offline sedge

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4173 on: October 21, 2015, 02:25:02 PM »
I'm from NY which do you think is better

No fee for either is my understanding so either.

Offline kayef

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4174 on: October 21, 2015, 02:30:27 PM »

Gowallet is basically a site/app you can register your vgc's on. It allows you to register a billing address, and view all of the cards transactions and balances. If you lose the card, you can cancel it through them and get a new one shipped to you free. It doesn't really protect you, but i find it helpful to see the current balances, transaction statuses, and it helps me not be terrified of losing a stack of $500 bills. It's also helpful if a transaction doesn't go through, to see if the money was debited or not. That's something you want to know on the spot, to be able to refund the money if it was.
Doesn't work for vanilla.

Offline Freddie

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4175 on: October 21, 2015, 02:32:57 PM »
Doesn't work for vanilla.
Yep, I just saw that myself. But at least it works for the metabank cards which is what I had my little debacle with last night.

Offline leaf

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4176 on: October 21, 2015, 02:45:16 PM »



The only issue I ever had loading at Family Dollar was that some cashiers or managers limit the load to $500 a day.


$500 per day PER PERSON or PER STORE?  I.e. do they shut down everyone's loads once the store has loaded a total of $500 for the day, as some have reported?

Offline yochiek93

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4177 on: October 21, 2015, 02:47:06 PM »

$500 per day PER PERSON or PER STORE?  I.e. do they shut down everyone's loads once the store has loaded a total of $500 for the day, as some have reported?
what is that supposed to even mean?

Offline sedge

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4178 on: October 21, 2015, 02:47:56 PM »

$500 per day PER PERSON or PER STORE?  I.e. do they shut down everyone's loads once the store has loaded a total of $500 for the day, as some have reported?

Per person at each store per day. I have driven to another Family Dollar in the same day and loaded another $500. YMMV

However, at the same store that only let me load $500 in one day, has also on other days depending on who's at the cashier let me load $2,000. It is a store policy but it is not hard coded into the register. It just depends on who is at the register and what type of report you might have with them. At least that is my experience in my area.

Offline Iz

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4179 on: October 21, 2015, 02:49:11 PM »
what is that supposed to even mean?
It means that the store can not load more than $500 per day. Now, either they will not let anyone else load (which would be relatively good), or they do let, and your money goes into a black hole...
Sedge is right that there is no limit per person, so it has no bearing on a different store.