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-money in your Serve account can be withdrawn directly to a linked bank account, which, if done too much, may be seen as risky by Serve, but in moderation should be fine.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 1408621 times)

Offline kayef

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4260 on: October 26, 2015, 02:15:51 PM »

If your address is in NY the fee is waived.
So as long as when I register for the permanent card I put in a ny address, I'll be fine?

Offline bermo

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4261 on: October 26, 2015, 02:16:20 PM »
So as long as when I register for the permanent card I put in a ny address, I'll be fine?
Correct

Offline leaf

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4262 on: October 26, 2015, 02:16:31 PM »
Is there any other utility of charging Amex credit card to serve ($200 x 5 per month) other than 1) meeting spend threshold, 2) avoiding monthly fee on some types of Serve and 3) consolidating bill payment etc.?

Offline kayef

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4263 on: October 26, 2015, 02:17:45 PM »

Offline kayef

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4264 on: October 26, 2015, 02:18:50 PM »

Is there any other utility of charging Amex credit card to serve ($200 x 5 per month) other than 1) meeting spend threshold, 2) avoiding monthly fee on some types of Serve and 3) consolidating bill payment etc.?
it can also be used to make direct deposit into some bank accounts that require it for one reason or another.

Offline MosheD

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4265 on: October 26, 2015, 09:30:16 PM »
Data point:
Clossed my redcard and opened Serve registered to dif address no problem
Closed Borther's RC and couldnt open Serve with new address. Weird. Only pshat I can think of is address can be dif but not email

Offline moshewoodmere01

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4266 on: October 26, 2015, 10:13:02 PM »
it can also be used to make direct deposit into some bank accounts that require it for one reason or another.
Paying bills that can't be paid by cc?
Think away the box.

Offline yochiek93

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4267 on: October 26, 2015, 10:18:04 PM »
Paying bills that can't be paid by cc?
That as well

Offline leaf

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4268 on: October 26, 2015, 11:12:16 PM »
Paying bills that can't be paid by cc?
How is that not included in #3? You don't get points for it (unless it's an Amex cobranded card, which is not the subject of my question), so it's no different than any other bill pay service.  You're going to have to pay that Amex bill somehow...

Offline moshewoodmere01

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4269 on: October 27, 2015, 02:48:37 PM »
How is that not included in #3? You don't get points for it (unless it's an Amex cobranded card, which is not the subject of my question), so it's no different than any other bill pay service.  You're going to have to pay that Amex bill somehow...
Good point. Extra 30 days?
Think away the box.

Offline shoobi

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4270 on: October 27, 2015, 10:00:45 PM »
Can someone PLEEEEASE update the wiki?

Offline Azis Papa

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4271 on: October 27, 2015, 10:46:24 PM »
I am cancelling my RedCard and trying Serve for the first time.  Clearly the WIKI is out of date so I need to ask...  Is the One VIP card the way to go if you are planning on GC loads?  Is there any advantage to buying a Temp card rather than applying on-line?  Like, can they be bought with cc anywhere?  Thanks.

Offline sedge

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4272 on: October 27, 2015, 10:57:36 PM »
IMO VIP is the best product and if that's the route you are taking then do not get a temp card.

Offline yyonah

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4273 on: October 27, 2015, 11:10:09 PM »
I am cancelling my RedCard and trying Serve for the first time.  Clearly the WIKI is out of date so I need to ask...  Is the One VIP card the way to go if you are planning on GC loads?  Is there any advantage to buying a Temp card rather than applying on-line?  Like, can they be bought with cc anywhere?  Thanks.
They can be bought with a credit card at many CVS stores (2 out of the 3 I tried). I'm in NY so there's no monthly fee. Hence, the green Serve is as good as the One VIP (except I don't get hip-hop related perks).

Offline Azis Papa

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4274 on: October 27, 2015, 11:18:48 PM »
They can be bought with a credit card at many CVS stores (2 out of the 3 I tried). I'm in NY so there's no monthly fee. Hence, the green Serve is as good as the One VIP (except I don't get hip-hop related perks).
Interesting. And can the temp card be bought with any cc or just with Amex?  And would it count as a purchase for points? 

Offline yhaller14

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4275 on: October 27, 2015, 11:53:11 PM »
Can someone update the  wiki?
"In the end we only regret the chances we didn't take"

Offline DaveInLA

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Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4276 on: October 27, 2015, 11:55:39 PM »
Someone on FT posted loading OV $500 at DG. This is news to me. Too bad not a lot of DG around here.

Offline David Smith

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4277 on: October 28, 2015, 12:13:27 AM »
Someone on FT posted loading OV $500 at DG. This is news to me. Too bad not a lot of DG around here.
Dollar general?
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 lunatic

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4278 on: October 28, 2015, 12:22:20 AM »
Can someone update the  wiki?

Can someone PLEEEEASE update the wiki?
Go ahead

Offline rileywiles23

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4279 on: October 28, 2015, 12:19:37 PM »
Not that this affects anyone here to much, but I Just got this email,

As of October 28, you will not be able to link a new bank account to your Serve Account to add money. However, you will still be able to transfer money out of your Serve Account to a bank account.

If you currently have a linked bank account, nothing will change - you'll still be able to add money from that account.

You can continue to easily add money through Direct Deposit, Debit Card, American Express Credit and Cash Reloads at thousands of locations.
Life is as good as you make it...