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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-money in your Serve account can be withdrawn directly to a linked bank account, which, if done too much, may be seen as risky by Serve, but in moderation should be fine.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 1410015 times)

Offline mimb

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4300 on: October 28, 2015, 07:37:59 PM »
Is the card in your name or theirs?

Thanks!

Offline Iz

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4301 on: October 28, 2015, 07:50:16 PM »

Offline justaregularguy

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4302 on: October 28, 2015, 08:16:33 PM »
weird trend is going on: my mother just got a serve card and tried twice to load at FD both times they made a 3.95 load fee. so instead she used my card which I got way before this load fee business started and it loaded fine w no fees. anyone else seeing this?
nothings impossible- the word itself says Im possible

Offline sam i am

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4303 on: October 28, 2015, 08:35:35 PM »
weird trend is going on: my mother just got a serve card and tried twice to load at FD both times they made a 3.95 load fee. so instead she used my card which I got way before this load fee business started and it loaded fine w no fees. anyone else seeing this?
She must have signed up for the new blue serve which has a fee for every load. She can cancel and get green which has monthly fee, but waived for NY residents, or one vip or try to find an old serve at cvs or other store.

Offline yochiek93

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4304 on: October 28, 2015, 09:54:29 PM »
weird trend is going on: my mother just got a serve card and tried twice to load at FD both times they made a 3.95 load fee. so instead she used my card which I got way before this load fee business started and it loaded fine w no fees. anyone else seeing this?
And just a warning
Read about FD there are reports of problems

Offline leaf

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4305 on: October 28, 2015, 11:57:41 PM »
FTFY. Somebody has to add an AU.

Or that ;)
AFAIK it's very much YMMV with AUs for Serve.  Lately they often want to check and see a photo of both your ID and the cc. With AU they match, so you can sometimes get by. But I've also heard them demanding only primary cardholder. 

Offline eli1571

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4306 on: October 29, 2015, 11:05:40 AM »
Just got this email from Serve


Hello Eli

We want to let you know about some changes to the terms and conditions of your American Express Serve ® Account:

• Funding & Transfers 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.

• Early Direct Deposit Now you can get access to your money up to two days faster* with Direct Deposit. You can automatically add all or part of your paycheck, government benefits and federal tax refunds to your American Express Serve Account.

Offline RefuaFan

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4307 on: October 29, 2015, 11:41:21 AM »
Just got this email from Serve


Hello Eli

We want to let you know about some changes to the terms and conditions of your American Express Serve ® Account:

• Funding & Transfers 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.

• Early Direct Deposit Now you can get access to your money up to two days faster* with Direct Deposit. You can automatically add all or part of your paycheck, government benefits and federal tax refunds to your American Express Serve Account.

Look a couple of pages back for discussion on this. TL;DR version: Doesn't affect our crowd. Unless you're someone who's too lazy to hand write a check and mail it, and wanted to use Serve to do it instead.

Offline RefuaFan

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4308 on: October 29, 2015, 04:44:41 PM »
So does the "cancel and hit debit" for MC still apply? Can they be loaded at a KATE, or just registers?

Offline Aerial Dag

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4309 on: November 02, 2015, 10:54:35 AM »
I just tried to load my softcard with my chase saphire and was informed that the transaction was declined. Called up Chase and they said that the charge attempted to post as a CA but my CA limit was lower than the charge amount so they rejected it. I know that Chase sometimes goes as a CA only to change to a regular charge but I've been loading this way for years with no changes to my account.

Anyone else having issues loading softcard with Chase??

Offline foseph

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4310 on: November 02, 2015, 11:05:58 AM »
I just tried to load my softcard with my chase saphire and was informed that the transaction was declined. Called up Chase and they said that the charge attempted to post as a CA but my CA limit was lower than the charge amount so they rejected it. I know that Chase sometimes goes as a CA only to change to a regular charge but I've been loading this way for years with no changes to my account.

Anyone else having issues loading softcard with Chase??
just did my 2nd for the month with Ink plus and no issue. it goes to CA and then moves to the reg charge later. will keep an eye on it to see. fyi my CA limit is well over 1500 for the motnh so wouldnt have an issue with that

Offline Aerial Dag

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4311 on: November 02, 2015, 11:09:07 AM »
just did my 2nd for the month with Ink plus and no issue. it goes to CA and then moves to the reg charge later. will keep an eye on it to see. fyi my CA limit is well over 1500 for the motnh so wouldnt have an issue with that

Hmm interesting. Thanks for the info. I'll try my freedom tonight.

Offline foseph

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4312 on: November 02, 2015, 11:10:53 AM »
Hmm interesting. Thanks for the info. I'll try my freedom tonight.
ur gonna switch cards or is that on a dif acct?

Offline Aerial Dag

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4313 on: November 02, 2015, 11:12:48 AM »
ur gonna switch cards or is that on a dif acct?

Saphire is my wife's Chase account. Freedom is mine.
Just spoke to my wife and she reminded me that she lowered her Chase CA a few weeks ago in anticipation of a potential CA charge. So that answers that...

Offline D93

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4314 on: November 02, 2015, 12:37:37 PM »
I just tried to load my softcard with my chase saphire and was informed that the transaction was declined. Called up Chase and they said that the charge attempted to post as a CA but my CA limit was lower than the charge amount so they rejected it. I know that Chase sometimes goes as a CA only to change to a regular charge but I've been loading this way for years with no changes to my account.

Anyone else having issues loading softcard with Chase??
You need to have a CA limit in order for it to go through.

Offline Aerial Dag

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4315 on: November 02, 2015, 12:38:38 PM »
You need to have a CA limit in order for it to go through.

yeah, see above. didn't realize my wife lowered her CA

Offline yoyo414

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4316 on: November 02, 2015, 12:41:58 PM »
Hmm interesting. Thanks for the info. I'll try my freedom tonight.
Kind of confused I thought you can't load serve with credit card???

Offline Josef.koney

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4317 on: November 02, 2015, 12:49:13 PM »
Kind of confused I thought you can't load serve with credit card???
If I have softcard u could.

Offline yyonah

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4318 on: November 02, 2015, 09:11:59 PM »
Question about Kate: I know Metabank issued GCs are fine. What about US Bank issued GCs? That's what available at a Kroger's I scoped out. Both MC and Visa are issued by US Bank.

Offline sedge

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #4319 on: November 02, 2015, 11:31:46 PM »
Question about Kate: I know Metabank issued GCs are fine. What about US Bank issued GCs? That's what available at a Kroger's I scoped out. Both MC and Visa are issued by US Bank.

Both will work but VGC works much better at WM. No need to hit the cancel button.