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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-money in your Serve account can be withdrawn directly to a linked bank account, which, if done too much, may be seen as risky by Serve, but in moderation should be fine.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 1411612 times)

Offline shwarmabob

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5280 on: January 08, 2016, 11:03:54 AM »
Another one bites the dust  ::)
Just after making it easier with RA
roller coaster

Offline Redbull3

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5281 on: January 08, 2016, 11:04:06 AM »
For those that didnt get the email:

Did you try loading your card online?
Even an account that didnt get the email gives the error “We’re sorry – due to unusual usage patterns on your account, loading funds to your account has been disabled.” when I tried to load $20 from an Amex.
Oh no.

Offline luckyluck

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5282 on: January 08, 2016, 11:06:13 AM »
The accounts I didn't load with CC are still open

Same here. Did anyone who never used online reloads get shutdown?

Offline A3

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5283 on: January 08, 2016, 11:06:27 AM »
Hmm...
Two accounts i manage were shut down,


DW and I never had one ourselves... (Only Bluebird a while back)


Time to sign up for the first time now?

Offline A3

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5284 on: January 08, 2016, 11:07:50 AM »
Same here. Did anyone who never used online reloads get shutdown?

Do Reloadits count as online reloads?

If not then no.. I never did.

Offline Mocha

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5285 on: January 08, 2016, 11:08:49 AM »
Same here. Did anyone who never used online reloads get shutdown?
me, though it was BB. So seems to be amex going after other things.

Offline shwarmabob

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5286 on: January 08, 2016, 11:10:06 AM »
Same here. Did anyone who never used online reloads get shutdown?
Yes, one of the card. DW's is still open. Never used online reload on either one

Offline steventravel

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5287 on: January 08, 2016, 11:11:07 AM »
Yes, in Walmart. Denied before I got the email.

What message or code did you receive?  I loaded last night.

Offline steventravel

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5288 on: January 08, 2016, 11:11:55 AM »
Same here. Did anyone who never used online reloads get shutdown?

Yep I never did online Loads.

Offline compddd

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5289 on: January 08, 2016, 11:12:23 AM »
I'm guessing this will increase the value of points since a lot less people are going to be able to meet spend now on thresholds and MS?

Offline srulky

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5290 on: January 08, 2016, 11:13:08 AM »
Dont know if this has anything to do with the current crackdown, but tried applying for a new Serve VIP One this week and it would not go through.... it was exactly the same info as the RedCard I had just closed.

Also only got the email on the one card which I had used in Jan, the other card which I had not yet used this month did not get shut down (yet) even though I used it last month for unloading VGC.

Offline joeberg

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5291 on: January 08, 2016, 11:13:37 AM »
What message or code did you receive?  I loaded last night.
Didn't see the code. I loaded last night as well.

Offline Aerial Dag

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5292 on: January 08, 2016, 11:14:56 AM »
Dont know if this has anything to do with the current crackdown, but tried applying for a new Serve VIP One this week and it would not go through.... it was exactly the same info as the RedCard I had just closed.

Also only got the email on the one card which I had used in Jan, the other card which I had not yet used this month did not get shut down (yet) even though I used it last month for unloading VGC.

Interesting... I was trying to register a new Green Serve card these past few days and it wouldn't go through either. Person never had a Amex prepaid card before. Called up Serve and they couldn't find a reason for it. Said to just try again in a few days. I wonder if they blocked new user sign ups.

Offline yudel

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5293 on: January 08, 2016, 11:17:19 AM »
I loaded successfully in WM this morning at 9:20 (central) and then was denied when I tried to load more at 9:35 :(
My mazel I just bought 3.5k this morning...any other way to cash out? 😨

Offline Mocha

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5294 on: January 08, 2016, 11:19:17 AM »
I loaded successfully in WM this morning at 9:20 (central) and then was denied when I tried to load more at 9:35 :(
My mazel I just bought 3.5k this morning...any other way to cash out? 😨
Looking for the same. Really don't mind spending some extra $$ as long as MS can go on.

Seems like using a GC for a MO is very rarely allowed and definitely not like 5-10k at a time.

Offline ShlockDoc

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5295 on: January 08, 2016, 11:19:51 AM »
Same here. Did anyone who never used online reloads get shutdown?

Never loaded online but maxed out numerous accounts every month.  None have received shutdown notices (yet).

Offline Jm1248

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5296 on: January 08, 2016, 11:20:12 AM »
Got emails for mine and dw account this morn

Offline steventravel

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5297 on: January 08, 2016, 11:21:27 AM »
I loaded successfully in WM this morning at 9:20 (central) and then was denied when I tried to load more at 9:35 :(
My mazel I just bought 3.5k this morning...any other way to cash out? 😨

Thank you for the precise datapoint, this saves me from running out right now and testing out their security software.  Did you get a specific message from machine or Walmart employee?

Offline ariIs

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5298 on: January 08, 2016, 11:22:01 AM »
My guess is that Amex is not doing so well these days (lost Costco and Fidelity contracts recently) and now decided to look into cutting costs.
We're obviously the least profitable demographic for them, so they're cutting the money losing accounts on serve (eg. not enough purchases, too much loads and bill pay).
I wouldn't be surprised if they start cracking down on MS for CC signup bonuses soon.

Offline BarryLincoln

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5299 on: January 08, 2016, 11:23:07 AM »
So even accounts that did not receive the email are not working?