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-money in your Serve account can be withdrawn directly to a linked bank account, which, if done too much, may be seen as risky by Serve, but in moderation should be fine.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 1398407 times)

Offline smaxber

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #860 on: July 30, 2014, 10:39:00 AM »
I believe you are incorrect. You could send money from Serve to Serve not Serve to BB.
I did succesfully as did
I just sent BB to Serve successfully yesterday

Offline ckmk47

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #861 on: July 30, 2014, 10:55:09 AM »
The goal was to move the money from a GC that was bought with a cc to my Serve account.  Then I will use the money in my Serve to pay bills that cannot be paid with a cc.  This is in the category of CASH loading on Serve.
How do you move the money?  In Family Dollar, you bring your Serve and the GCs.  I had $200 GCs.  I was only able to load 4 of them before Serve didn't allow me to load any more.

That's one way but can't you just use a CC?
So this is in addition to the cc limit.
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Offline smaxber

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #862 on: July 30, 2014, 10:56:35 AM »
not if you want 5x a dollar!!
So basically just another way to add more GC.
When at cashier you asked to make separate purchases?

Offline ckmk47

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #863 on: July 30, 2014, 11:00:00 AM »
So basically just another way to add more GC.
When at cashier you asked to make separate purchases?
I didn't actually ask to make it one purchase.  She didn't seem to know how.
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Offline rockstarhockstar

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #864 on: July 30, 2014, 12:40:08 PM »
Buttons we're pressed when the phone was in my packet. Tried deleting but couldn't find how.

Lol!

Offline rockstarhockstar

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #865 on: July 30, 2014, 12:42:21 PM »
It doesn't give you the full higher limits till you activate the card I just loaded $400 on from my computer.

Ok Thank You! I thought I would just have the $1000 limit.

Offline rockstarhockstar

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #866 on: July 30, 2014, 12:46:55 PM »
Yup!


She scans a Vanilla Reload she has behind the counter, you swipe your Serve, you swipe the GC, you confirm no cash back,  input the pin, and out pops the receipt!

Two questions: 1. Is it possible to reload for free either using another GC or load more than $200 at a time in NY? 2. Do you know if 7/11 or CVS would do the same as Family Dollar? TIA

Offline compddd

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #867 on: July 30, 2014, 02:59:18 PM »
Ok maybe I'm not seeing the benefit of Serve over BB here. I know you can do $1500 a month from a CC to Serve, but the Wiki says don't pay the CC used to load Serve, with Serve.

What if I used that same CC that I used to load Serve to buy a bunch of GCs and load them to Serve at WM, and then I need to pay the bill on the CC. I can't use it right or risk shutdown? So how do I get the money out of Serve? I can't write a check to myself like BB. I'm assuming if I just fund and then withdraw cash from MoneyPass I'd get shut down eventually too?

Offline smaxber

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #868 on: July 30, 2014, 03:07:52 PM »
Ok maybe I'm not seeing the benefit of Serve over BB here. I know you can do $1500 a month from a CC to Serve, but the Wiki says don't pay the CC used to load Serve, with Serve.

What if I used that same CC that I used to load Serve to buy a bunch of GCs and load them to Serve at WM, and then I need to pay the bill on the CC. I can't use it right or risk shutdown? So how do I get the money out of Serve? I can't write a check to myself like BB. I'm assuming if I just fund and then withdraw cash from MoneyPass I'd get shut down eventually too?
Make your self a bill payee  and theyll send you a check

Offline ckmk47

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #869 on: July 30, 2014, 03:10:41 PM »
Ok maybe I'm not seeing the benefit of Serve over BB here. I know you can do $1500 a month from a CC to Serve, but the Wiki says don't pay the CC used to load Serve, with Serve.

What if I used that same CC that I used to load Serve to buy a bunch of GCs and load them to Serve at WM, and then I need to pay the bill on the CC. I can't use it right or risk shutdown? So how do I get the money out of Serve? I can't write a check to myself like BB. I'm assuming if I just fund and then withdraw cash from MoneyPass I'd get shut down eventually too?
With serve you link a cc directly to Serve.  Don't pay that cc with serve.  With BB the don't pay is an abundance of caution.
With either card, pay other bills/ expenses with the card and use other money to pay the cc.  or
Make your self a bill payee  and they'll send you a check
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Online etech0

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #870 on: July 30, 2014, 03:11:47 PM »
or you can send the $ to your spouse
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline kangarruu

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #871 on: July 30, 2014, 03:14:46 PM »
Two questions: 1. Is it possible to reload for free either using another GC or load more than $200 at a time in NY? 2. Do you know if 7/11 or CVS would do the same as Family Dollar? TIA

1: You can load up to $500 at once. However, there's a velocity limit that seems to be $1000, though the time frame isn't clear. If you hit the limit, the register will lock up and you'll need to swipe your card again in order to get the funds back. If you don't, you'll need to call Family Dollar and they'll return the funds within a couple of weeks IME. I got burned even doing one load. The way I've been protecting myself is by loading a little under $500, which has been working so far.

2) This is only Family Dollar.

Offline ari2955

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #872 on: July 30, 2014, 04:05:50 PM »
I believe you are incorrect. You could send money from Serve to Serve not Serve to BB.

Just tested $1 to make sure i'm not crazy

It worked!!

Online etech0

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #873 on: July 30, 2014, 04:15:34 PM »
Just tested $1 to make sure i'm not crazy

It worked!!
So you are not crazy. That's good news!
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #874 on: July 30, 2014, 04:37:41 PM »
 >:( >:(

Online etech0

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #875 on: July 30, 2014, 04:40:30 PM »
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline smaxber

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #876 on: July 30, 2014, 05:23:22 PM »
1: You can load up to $500 at once. However, there's a velocity limit that seems to be $1000, though the time frame isn't clear. If you hit the limit, the register will lock up and you'll need to swipe your card again in order to get the funds back. If you don't, you'll need to call Family Dollar and they'll return the funds within a couple of weeks IME. I got burned even doing one load. The way I've been protecting myself is by loading a little under $500, which has been working so far.

2) This is only Family Dollar.
But the fake VR come in multiples of 500? Or you can load as much as you want?
Why do you need to swipe again if it locks up? Shouldn't it automatically not go thru

Offline kangarruu

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #877 on: July 30, 2014, 05:45:35 PM »
But the fake VR come in multiples of 500? Or you can load as much as you want?
Why do you need to swipe again if it locks up? Shouldn't it automatically not go thru

IIRC, the fake VR are $500, but they're reusable. They're even marked to not be taken out of the store. Presumably you can try to load as much as you want, but the only time I've tried two $500 loads the second one locked up the register.

The reason you need to swipe again when it locks up is because Family Dollar's POS is silly. The funds do not automatically go back on the card. If you swipe again it'll be refunded, but if you don't it's a big bother to get it straightened out.

Offline ckmk47

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #878 on: July 30, 2014, 06:03:50 PM »
But the fake VR come in multiples of 500? Or you can load as much as you want?
VR were 'load any amount up to $500'.  These are, too.  Any amount up to $500.
IIRC, the fake VR are $500, but they're reusable. They're even marked to not be taken out of the store. Presumably you can try to load as much as you want, but the only time I've tried two $500 loads the second one locked up the register.

The reason you need to swipe again when it locks up is because Family Dollar's POS is silly. The funds do not automatically go back on the card. If you swipe again it'll be refunded, but if you don't it's a big bother to get it straightened out.
a) You've used $500 GCs, or smaller ones and they 'split tender'?
b)Thanks for that explanation. They had me swipe my GC after it was declined and I didn't get why.
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Offline kangarruu

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Re: Amex Serve.com
« Reply #879 on: July 30, 2014, 06:35:01 PM »
VR were 'load any amount up to $500'.  These are, too.  Any amount up to $500.a) You've used $500 GCs, or smaller ones and they 'split tender'?
b)Thanks for that explanation. They had me swipe my GC after it was declined and I didn't get why.

So far I've been using $500 OneVanillas (and loading a little under $500). I'm waiting for some more Staples gift cards to come in and then I'll see how well split tender works.

It wasn't so hard to get them to release the funds, but it took a lot of time to first figure out where they went, then finding the right person to talk to at Family Dollar corporate, then waiting for the accounting department to verify that the load never went to Serve and wasn't refunded, then for them to process the refund, then wait for the funds to actually post back on the gift card. It's just more hassle than I like, so I'm keeping under $500 at a time.