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-money in your Serve account can be withdrawn directly to a linked bank account, which, if done too much, may be seen as risky by Serve, but in moderation should be fine.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 1398462 times)

Offline lechatchileh ariber

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5580 on: January 14, 2016, 06:48:47 PM »
What should factor in to making the  decision to; hit it hard because I may get shut down with the next group, or to take it slow and hope that I don't get shut down?
(I think that that sentence may be way too grammatically incorrect)
I don't sin, I give myself opportunities to repent.

Offline kayef

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5581 on: January 14, 2016, 06:51:49 PM »

Do the old serve and bluebird work at RA?
serve does. Don't know about bluebird.

Offline srulky

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5582 on: January 14, 2016, 08:47:25 PM »
What should factor in to making the  decision to; hit it hard because I may get shut down with the next group, or to take it slow and hope that I don't get shut down?
(I think that that sentence may be way too grammatically incorrect)
id say with the randomness of the shutdown...hit as hard as you can while you got it...

Offline yochiek93

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5583 on: January 14, 2016, 08:48:30 PM »
id say with the randomness of the shutdown...hit as hard as you can while you got it...
Did you read this?
Great blog post on what you should do if you haven't been shut down:

http://www.travelcodex.com/2016/01/best-way-to-load-amex-bluebird-serve-survivors/

Offline srulky

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5584 on: January 14, 2016, 08:55:50 PM »
I dont see whats so great about the blog post. he obviously has no clue about what the truth is. many people hit MS hard on both cards and had one shut down but not the other. some did no MS and had both shut down. its nothing more than a fluff piece with nothing substantial to add to the conversation.

Unlike our fearless leader - Dan - who only talks when he has something to actually say!!

Offline yochiek93

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5585 on: January 14, 2016, 08:57:12 PM »
I dont see whats so great about the blog post. he obviously has no clue about what the truth is. many people hit MS hard on both cards and had one shut down but not the other. some did no MS and had both shut down. its nothing more than a fluff piece with nothing substantial to add to the conversation. Unlike Dan who only talks when he has something to actually say!!
It's more just do what you were doing till now

Offline lechatchileh ariber

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5586 on: January 14, 2016, 11:34:07 PM »
Did you read this?
Based on the way people over here responded, I figured it wouldn't be worth reading.
I don't sin, I give myself opportunities to repent.

Offline David Smith

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5587 on: January 14, 2016, 11:35:55 PM »
Based on the way people over here responded, I figured it wouldn't be worth reading.
Correct. Doesn't say anything useful that you don't know already.
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 lechatchileh ariber

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5588 on: January 14, 2016, 11:37:31 PM »
id say with the randomness of the shutdown...hit as hard as you can while you got it...
Thanks.
And I'm going to guess that based on the lack of knowledge as to what's actually going on I may as well withdraw the funds to my bank account.
I don't sin, I give myself opportunities to repent.

Offline David Smith

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5589 on: January 14, 2016, 11:40:59 PM »
Thanks.
And I'm going to guess that based on the lack of knowledge as to what's actually going on I may as well withdraw the funds to my bank account.
Supposedly that's an FR trigger, though nobody really knows anything.
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 lechatchileh ariber

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5590 on: January 14, 2016, 11:42:13 PM »
Supposedly that's an FR trigger, though nobody really knows anything.
Just to be sure, you mean to say that to withdraw from serve to a third party bank may trigger an fr?
I don't sin, I give myself opportunities to repent.

Offline David Smith

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5591 on: January 14, 2016, 11:45:21 PM »
Just to be sure, you mean to say that to withdraw from serve to a third party bank may trigger an fr?
They say loading online with a credit card and withdrawing it straight to a bank can be an FR trigger, as it looks like you're giving yourself cash advances.
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 lechatchileh ariber

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5592 on: January 14, 2016, 11:48:33 PM »
They say loading online with a credit card and withdrawing it straight to a bank can be an FR trigger, as it looks like you're giving yourself cash advances.
So bill pay is the better option?
(Obviously not the card connected to the account)
I don't sin, I give myself opportunities to repent.

Offline username

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5593 on: January 14, 2016, 11:48:52 PM »
were any redcards shut down?
Yes.
Make sure that you close any dormant accounts before they close you.
^^^

Offline CS91

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5594 on: January 14, 2016, 11:52:01 PM »
They say loading online with a credit card and withdrawing it straight to a bank can be an FR trigger, as it looks like you're giving yourself cash advances.
I've done that a bunch of times and haven't been shut down (yet). I personally think that they just haven't gone through everyone's account yet and eventually they'll close the rest of us.

Offline David Smith

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5595 on: January 14, 2016, 11:52:30 PM »
So bill pay is the better option?
(Obviously not the card connected to the account)
That's what they say.
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 David Smith

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5596 on: January 14, 2016, 11:54:19 PM »
I've done that a bunch of times and haven't been shut down (yet). I personally think that they just haven't gone through everyone's account yet and eventually they'll close the rest of us.
I said FR, not shut down. Nobody has experience with what triggers these shut downs, as there isn't much precedent and not much pattern.
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 lechatchileh ariber

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5597 on: January 14, 2016, 11:55:12 PM »
I've done that a bunch of times and haven't been shut down (yet). I personally think that they just haven't gone through everyone's account yet and eventually they'll close the rest of us.
By "the rest of us" I'm guessing you mean to say they they are going through and trying to leave open those using serve for its designed purpose only?
I don't sin, I give myself opportunities to repent.

Offline CS91

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5598 on: January 14, 2016, 11:56:59 PM »
I said FR, not shut down. Nobody has experience with what triggers these shut downs, as there isn't much precedent and not much pattern.
My bad. But still, why would that cause a FR? From the CC's point of view, you just loaded. How would they know that you immediately withdrew the $? You're saying that the cc dept and the Serve dept are collaborating?

By "the rest of us" I'm guessing you mean to say they they are going through and trying to leave open those using serve for its designed purpose only?
Probably. Why close people who are making them money?

Offline lechatchileh ariber

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Re: Amexserve/Softcard
« Reply #5599 on: January 14, 2016, 11:58:08 PM »
That's what they say.
So in short, serve and amex cc's are under one system, which takes note of where money comes in from and where it goes to?
I don't sin, I give myself opportunities to repent.