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-money in your Serve account can be withdrawn directly to a linked bank account, which, if done too much, may be seen as risky by Serve, but in moderation should be fine.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 1411101 times)

Offline Aerial Dag

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5300 on: January 08, 2016, 11:24:24 AM »
So even accounts that did not receive the email are not working?

I'm too scared to personally verify that but some people have reported that being true.

Offline PBaruch

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5301 on: January 08, 2016, 11:24:57 AM »
So even accounts that did not receive the email are not working?

There are reports of accounts that did not receive the email to be blocked from loading as well.
What do you do after your dreams come true?

Offline compddd

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5302 on: January 08, 2016, 11:28:34 AM »
Yeah it's over.

Offline DealChaser

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5303 on: January 08, 2016, 11:32:24 AM »
DW's account didn't get email and I was able to load $500 at RA about 15 min ago (thanks Geshmak25 upthread for giving me the idea to rush out now).

Her card has been used same as mine (with more regular withdrawal direct to her bank). One difference as of this morning was that she had a $0 balance and I had $500 in mine.

ETA: My go-to RA shut me down and said cash only; the other RA where there has been more suspicion let it go through.

Offline MarkR

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5304 on: January 08, 2016, 11:34:05 AM »

Offline rileywiles23

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5305 on: January 08, 2016, 11:38:02 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.
My wife did not get the email. I just loaded successfully on my wife's account from a debit card.
Life is as good as you make it...

Offline MarkR

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5306 on: January 08, 2016, 11:46:21 AM »
How were you guys cashing out?
I was using mine to pay tuition and mortgage every month. And electric bill and assorted other bills here and there. Never paid a credit card bill with it, and very rarely (not at all for the last 6+ months) withdrew to bank account.

Never did online loads, only VGC loads at WM.

Offline andy136

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5307 on: January 08, 2016, 11:47:57 AM »
I think they did an audit and coordinated this killing. I manage 5 accounts, all of them got the email at 10:21 this morning. My activities were limited to: adding funds at WM, load from CC, and pay bills. Nothing else.

Offline PBaruch

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5308 on: January 08, 2016, 11:50:38 AM »
Just closed my account and tried to reopen - got a message that they could not approve me for an account.  It seems that if your account was closed they will not approve you for another account.
What do you do after your dreams come true?

Offline mord1

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5309 on: January 08, 2016, 11:52:43 AM »
My 3 serve accounts BB account all got emails,  - I only loaded at walmart and now dollar general, just did bill pay for CCs and never online loads

Offline mord1

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5310 on: January 08, 2016, 11:53:03 AM »
Just closed my account and tried to reopen - got a message that they could not approve me for an account.  It seems that if your account was closed they will not approve you for another account.
I guess time to make new or more friends!

Offline luckyluck

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5311 on: January 08, 2016, 11:53:32 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.

http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=59654.0

Offline justanotherguy

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5312 on: January 08, 2016, 11:57:08 AM »
I never used mine yet so I didn't get cancled, any ideas to stay safe (I have a gift card to upload but I thik its safer to wait a few weeks, what then?

Offline justanotherguy

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5313 on: January 08, 2016, 11:59:18 AM »
I never used mine yet so I didn't get cancled, any ideas to stay safe (I have a gift card to upload but I thik its safer to wait a few weeks, what then?

well, I guess not uploading same amount each time and maybe not to upload the full GC amount...anything else?

how about the checks that I make out? what should or shouldn't I do?

Offline Zalc

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5314 on: January 08, 2016, 12:02:54 PM »
How were you guys cashing out?
Green serve
Loaded mostly via linked Amexes to hit spend
Loaded one or times at RA
Only cashed out via withdrawal to bank.

No email yet...

I think I'm not going to touch it again for a while, maybe they will relax in a few days...

Offline aeman1

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5315 on: January 08, 2016, 12:07:04 PM »
Open in wife's name

Offline Freddie

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5316 on: January 08, 2016, 12:10:09 PM »
So let's sum up...

Are there TWO different issues going on? A) accounts having all loading capabilities shutdown and B) RA not accepting DCs?

Please clarify.

Offline BarryLincoln

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5317 on: January 08, 2016, 12:11:23 PM »
Someone going to update the wiki?  Or are there still holdouts?

Offline David Smith

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5318 on: January 08, 2016, 12:18:12 PM »
Quote
d. Suspension of Use; Cancellation; Closure.
We, in our sole discretion, may limit your use of, suspend or terminate your privileges with respect to your Account (including your Reserve), Sub-Account, Card and/or Sub-Account Card with or without cause or notice, other than any notice required by Applicable Law, including in the event we believe there has been a breach in security or there has been unauthorized activity involving your Account or you have engaged in activity that is fraudulent or inappropriate (e.g., manufacture activity that is inconsistent with the intended use of the Account) or violates the terms of this User Agreement. We will only close your Account if there are no funds remaining in your Account (including your Reserve) or Sub-Account, unless you specifically instruct us to close your Account or Sub-Account with funds remaining, in which case, any remaining funds will be escheated to the applicable state in accordance with Applicable Law. Closure of your Account will prohibit your access to the Service.
Was this part always there? I don't remember it.
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 JosephM

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5319 on: January 08, 2016, 12:21:49 PM »
Just tried to load a card that didn't received the shut down notice at RA and it said payment approved on my side but didn't go through on the register. Was anyone able to load at RA today?