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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-money in your Serve account can be withdrawn directly to a linked bank account, which, if done too much, may be seen as risky by Serve, but in moderation should be fine.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 1399185 times)

Offline loveddeals

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #620 on: July 21, 2014, 10:35:20 AM »
Oh ok, thanks.

I hit $5000 on my BB this month and already paid my bill. My account will be cleared tomorrow. I am thinking of loading another $5000 on BB in the first couple of days of August, pay my bill and then close BB. Hopefully, by August 7 when payments have cleared. At that time, close BB and open Serve. If everything goes fine, then I will get my Serve card in mail by mid August or so. Then load another 5K on Serve. Is it going to be so easy to do 10K MS in August :) ??

One more question for now:

Wife and I will eventually have our own Serve cards sometime next month. Can we add each other as an AU on each other's account, and also add our child to both accounts? This will be just for AMEX offers, as otherwise there is no extra benefit (from ms side, I think).

Serve requires your SSN. Amex used to require a 30-day wait between closing Bluebird and opening Serve. Applying with an incorrect SSN was a way around the 30-day wait. There have recently been reports that Amex no longer enforces a 30-day wait, so it makes sense to apply with the correct SSN first in the hopes that it will go through without the whole rigamarole.

Offline chamdena

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #621 on: July 21, 2014, 11:08:40 AM »
Bottom line: is there any advantage to bb over serve if you live in NY? I see more advantages to Serve...

Offline ckmk47

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #622 on: July 21, 2014, 11:12:12 AM »
Bottom line: is there any advantage to bb over serve if you live in NY? I see more advantages to Serve...
$1/ mon inactivity fee.
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Offline etech0

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #623 on: July 21, 2014, 11:12:35 AM »
I see more advantages to Serve...
Me too. Only advantage BB has is the checks, but I'm not sure how big of a deal it really is
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline Super Speed

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #624 on: July 21, 2014, 11:23:24 AM »
Me too. Only advantage BB has is the checks, but I'm not sure how big of a deal it really is
I ordered the checks over a year ago and never even took it out of the package!


Offline ckmk47

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #625 on: July 21, 2014, 11:25:09 AM »
Thanks to lovedeals for asking questions that clarify Serve.

This one was not answered completely yet.

2. I understand that $5000 can be loaded onto Serve at WM per month, with daily limit of 2500.
a) Is there additional limit of $1000 from CC and 1000 from dc, for a total monthly limit of $7000?
b) I think I read somewhere that $1000 from dc is only for people with ISIS account. Is that correct? If true and if I dont have ISIS, then my monthly limit will be $6000 only, correct?

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Offline AnonymousUser

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #626 on: July 21, 2014, 11:36:45 AM »
Thanks to lovedeals for asking questions that clarify Serve.

This one was not answered completely yet.
2. A. I understand that $5000 can be loaded onto Serve at WM per month, with daily limit of 2500. Is there additional limit of $1000 from CC and 1000 from dc, for a total monthly limit of $7000.
B. I think I read somewhere that $1000 from dc is only for people with ISIS account. Is that correct or I am confusing something else with Serve? If true and if I dont have ISIS, then my monthly limit will be $6000 only, correct?
A. Correct.
B. Incorrect. IINM, the only difference is that ISIS allows 3 loads of 500 from CC per month.

Offline kangarruu

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #627 on: July 21, 2014, 12:00:45 PM »
$1/ mon inactivity fee.

Not in NY.

Offline ckmk47

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #628 on: July 21, 2014, 12:46:35 PM »
Not in NY.
Good news for me!  I just signed up to Serve.
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Offline AnonymousUser

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #629 on: July 21, 2014, 01:35:15 PM »
$1/ mon inactivity fee.
Why on earth would you not have any activity? Loading from a CC is free and easy.

Offline etech0

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #630 on: July 21, 2014, 01:55:39 PM »
Why on earth would you not have any activity? Loading from a CC is free and easy.
+1
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline ckmk47

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #631 on: July 21, 2014, 02:58:47 PM »
Why on earth would you not have any activity? Loading from a CC is free and easy.
Dan made a comment in response to a question.  He's been recommending the BB on the main site and not the Serve.  Dan responded that although DDFers won't have a problem, many on the MainSite wouldn't keep up with their serve duties and would incur a monthly inactivity fee.
There have been months that I rush to use AP before the month is out, so I wouldn't be fully confident that I would fulfil all my Serve obligations.
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Offline etech0

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #632 on: July 21, 2014, 03:04:38 PM »
Dan made a comment in response to a question.  He's been recommending the BB on the main site and not the Serve.  Dan responded that although DDFers won't have a problem, many on the MainSite wouldn't keep up with their serve duties and would incur a monthly inactivity fee.
There have been months that I rush to use AP before the month is out, so I wouldn't be fully confident that I would fulfil all my Serve obligations.
So worse comes to worse you lose a dollar, say oops, and be more careful next month.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline Dan

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #633 on: July 21, 2014, 03:05:06 PM »
My BB is now closed. Feels weird.
Just waiting on my ISIS SIM now.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #634 on: July 21, 2014, 03:05:32 PM »

My BB is now closed. Feels weird.
Just waiting on my ISIS SIM now.
Proud of you! :)

Offline Dan

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #635 on: July 21, 2014, 03:05:51 PM »
So worse comes to worse you lose a dollar, say oops, and be more careful next month.
My average reader isn't going to stay on top of it like a DDF'er.
But if you're in a fee-free state it seems that checks are the only difference.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline etech0

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #636 on: July 21, 2014, 03:06:59 PM »
I sent a check from my spouse's serve to me at my work address. It just came, in an envelope together with a check from one of our regular donors.

I always wondered why her checks look funny!

Manager was quite perplexed when she opened the envelope.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline joey123

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #637 on: July 21, 2014, 03:07:06 PM »
My average reader isn't going to stay on top of it like a DDF'er.
But if you're in a fee-free state it seems that checks are the only difference.

Yes. I think I am going to switch over to Serve soon as well.
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Offline ckmk47

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #638 on: July 21, 2014, 03:07:37 PM »
So worse comes to worse you lose a dollar, say oops, and be more careful next month.
:D
For the record, I have a Serve.
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Offline smaxber

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #639 on: July 21, 2014, 03:08:40 PM »
I sent a check from my spouse's serve to me at my work address. It just came, in an envelope together with a check from one of our regular donors.

I always wondered why her checks look funny!

Manager was quite perplexed when she opened the envelope.

So you can still send checks with serve? how long does it take to arrive?