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Old Oct 25, 2013, 11:21 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: JAXBA
Read the wiki before posting a question.
It's a literacy test that's easy to pass.

This is the Serve thread. Post questions or information concerning other topics in the appropriate threads elsewhere in this forum.

For additional information on using prepaid debit cards, see PIN available now for Visa/MC prepaid debit cards.

Mentions of Softcard (formerly ISIS) are purely incidental to setting up and using Serve/Softcard. Softcard does not hold money, and you cannot load to it.


You cannot make an ACH pull from Serve. The direct deposit account and routing numbers are for deposits only.

https://www.serve.com/#/add-cash

If your card doesn't say "debit" on the front, it isn't a debit card.


Loads at 7-11 and CVS are cash only. Debit cards are NOT allowed.

Loads at Walmart have been confirmed with debit cards. Self checkout does not work for loading Serve. Many Walmart stores are enforcing a rule against the use of prepaid debit cards when loading, even though the register and the MCE do not enforce. Do not make your prepaid debit cards visible. Show them a bank debit card if asked, then discreetly use your prepaid card when asked to swipe. Otherwise, you may be asked by management to never visit the MC (Walmart Money Center) again to load.

Debit loading at Family Dollar appears to be limited to $500 per day per store total (not per person or per account). Whoever gets there first gets the load for the day. Troubleshooting loading problems at FD


Normal Serve
  • Serve loading via VR/MP or WM/FD load: $2,500/day and $5,000 total per calendar month
  • Online Debit Card Load - $200/day and $1,000/month (NOT a gift card with a PIN that some people call a "Debit card")
  • Online Credit Card Load - $200/day and $1,000/month
  • Checking/Savings Account - $2,000/month
  • Checks - $2,000/day and $10,000/month
  • ATM Withdrawals - $750/day and $2,000/month

You can combine the three methods above and load a total of $7k/month to a single Serve account for miles/points earning purposes, but beware that you're also subject to a $10,000/month add money limit which also includes check deposits, ACH transfers, and Serve transfers.

Serve/Softcard Check if your phone/network is compatible
  • Serve loading via VR/MP or WM/FD load: $2,500/day and $5,000 total per calendar month
  • Online Debit Card Load - $500/day and $1,500/month (NOT a gift card with a PIN that some people call a "Debit card")
  • Online Credit Card Load - $500/day and $1,500/month
  • Checking/Savings Account - $2,000/month
  • Checks - $2,000/day and $10,000/month
  • ATM Withdrawals - $750/day and $2,000/month

You can combine the three methods above and load a total of $8k/month to a single Serve account for miles/points earning purposes, but beware that you're also subject to a $10,000/month add money limit which also includes check deposits, ACH transfers, and Serve transfers.

The SD card in the iPhone case used for Softcard is account specific. Once an account has been registered to a card, it cannot be used for another.

Temp Serve
You can only load a maximum of $500/day, $1000/month on a temporary card. Once you get your permanent card, then you can load more. The initial $500 when you purchase the temp card doesn't count against the $5,000/month load limit.


Online Credit Card Loads
Only one card can be linked at a time.

As of 10/09/14, coding of credit card loads changed. In general, Mastercard and American Express cards post as before; see below for information on point earning. Visa cards transact as a cash advance and, therefore, require available CA limit; although most cards post as a purchase.

The Chase Ink Bold is a charge card and has no cash advance ability.

Treated as purchase, earns cashback/points/miles:
  • Bank of America (FIA) (MasterCard, American Express)
  • Barclaycard (Mastercard, Visa)
  • Capital One (Mastercard, Visa)
  • Chase (MasterCard, Visa)
  • Citi (MasterCard, American Express)
  • Discover

Treated as purchase, but doesn't earn points/miles:
  • American Express (May count toward minimum spend)

Posts as a cash advance:
For online CC/DC loads, the name on the Serve account is supposed to match the name of the primary or joint cardholder. So using someone else's CC/DB card to load a Serve account is not allowed.

Several people have reported no problems with loading with an AU card in the Serve account holder's name. Increase your chances by making sure the AUs social security number is on file with the Credit Card. YMMV.

When adding a new card you will usually need to call Serve Account security (1-800-555-4318) for verification of the new card on the second load try. This verification usually requires uploading of a photo of your ID and the credit card. You may pre-emptively avoid the error by going to the above website, logging in, and uploading a scan of a photo ID and the card you are trying to add. You may call back to expedite approval.


Online Debit Card Loads
For online debit load, only use of bank-issued cards is allowed. The use of pre-paid debit cards (Netspend, Paypower, Univision, Paypal*, etc.) and VGC/MGC/AGCs is not allowed. While initial transactions may work, your account will eventually be flagged.


Switching to Serve or Serve/Softcard
Helpful instruction post, latest. Thanks raeneye.

Also see this thread: Switching from Serve to BlueBird - 31 day wait???

Switching to Serve/Softcard
  1. Call up Bluebird or Serve and close account. Make sure your account is at $0.00 before calling. Just close it, don't ask for a temp Serve or anything. CSR will say account is now closed and you have 30 days to change your mind should you decide to re-open it.
  2. Download the Softcard mobile app from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. If you're an iPhone user you have to buy the NFC CashWrap case from your carrier store.
  3. Launch Softcard Mobile App and create Softcard account. You'll be asked if you want to open a Serve account; Yes you do. Start the registration through Softcard mobile app for a Serve account, once you are finished you will be told you will receive an Email from Amex with your account approval. I waited a few hours and called Serve customer service like the wiki says and completed the registration.
  4. Once I got off the phone with Serve I received an email from Serve where I verified my account and email; at this point Amex Serve is open.
  5. Launch Softcard Mobile app again click add new
  6. Activate card with Softcard and select Amex Serve. Follow the instructions & you're good to add. Once this is complete a Serve Card will populate in Softcard. Must activate physical card to get full load limits. Check account status and it automatically credits to your serve account based on who you signed up with. (Verizon - $25, T-Mobile - $50, AT&T - $30 (For AT&T: Get $15 w/activation. Earn additional $15 w/account replenishment))

Switching from BB to Serve
  1. Login to BB account, bring account balance to Zero, (By Bill Pay, Send money, etc..)
  2. Call BB, tell them that you want to open a serve account and close your current BB account. after they check everything they will say something like: "Your account will be permanently closed after 31 days, you can reopen it within 31 day if you change your mind, and you can apply for your new Serve account now, just make sure use the exact same register info from BB."
  3. at this point BB is closed. next morning, goto CVS and get a temporary Serve card (only with cash), load $500, ($2.95 waived, Yeah!!)
  4. get back home, register temporary Serve online, First error: "phone number already registered, please try a different number" could be the my BB's ghost account still showing up on their system, could be my info is not match my BB's registration? i'm not really sure at this point. What I did is keep the same number but change from Cell phone to home phone. and registration went through
  5. after the register and login, second error: "We're still processing your application. Please check your email for an update"
  6. I have see people on the thread reported waiting for weeks for the same message, So, I pickup the phone and called them, ask them to speed up the process.
  7. CSR, told me that my account went to "account security protection department" transfer me to them.
  8. at account security protection department, they told me need to call back on my phone number which I registered to verify.
  9. after the call back of verification, CSR told me that my new Serve account is active now, email address verification will be send with in 5 minutes, permanent card will be received within 7-10 days.
  10. CSR also told me the I can load and spend on the temporary card, but not bill pay.

The number to call to approve your registration after closing Bluebird: Serve Account security 1-800-555-4318



Loading with debit card at Walmart register
Loads at register over $500 will sometimes trigger ID requirement. There is a limit of four swipes per transaction; this means your card plus three payments.

Training a WM cashier:
  • If the WM cashier doesn't know how to load the card, advise them to enter "70" then press "action code".
  • If you are using a temp card that doesn't have your name on it, you can swipe the card from your side of the terminal. The WM rep never has to touch any of your cards. The screen will say "enter account." That is your prompt to slide the card.
  • The terminal will ask the WM employee if you are loading in multiples of $2000. Advise them to enter "no."
  • Avoid saying gift card. Always refer to your card as a debit card.

Error Messages:
DEBIT NOT AVAILABLE
Received when I used a card I thought I had activated but hadn't.

DEBIT NOT APPROVED
Received when the card's monthly load limit had been reached.

TENDER NOT ALLOWED
Card was incorrectly read, or wrong PIN entered.

HOST TIMEOUT
Connection problems. The GC may be drained but the transaction should reverse itself, and funds will become available again. Try again later.


Using Serve
For online bill pay
  • You can pay the credit card that you used to buy VRs/GCs
  • Error 1302 means that you have 1 pending payment the same amount as the one you just submitted. For example, 1000 bill pay to sapphire preferred from Friday and then on Saturday you submit another bill pay for 1000 to sapphire preferred, you will get this error.
  • Tip: if using online bill pay to the same place multiple times, vary your amounts by $0.01 to make it easier to track since your confirmation number does not match the tracking number on your credit card statement



For bank transfers
Under Settings --> Funding & Transfers --> Bank & Cards --> U.S. Bank Account, you can add your bank info and transfer funds from your Serve card directly to your bank. The bank account must be verified, either by the standard "deposit 2 small sums into your account, such as $0.23 & $0.42" method, or doing an "instant verification" by actually logging into your bank account while still logged into Serve.
===

People with an apartment address can find helpful information quoted in post #8530
Print Wikipost

Serve - Another Paypal/Amazon Payments.

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Old Mar 11, 2014, 10:39 pm
  #1876  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
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For everyone that has been getting the phone carrier sign up bonus after switching from BB, are you signing up through Isis or signing up online/temp card and then registering with Isis? I would do the latter but I feel like then you miss out on the extra $500/month online load.
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Mar 11, 2014, 10:42 pm
  #1877  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: OC/LAX
Posts: 376
Originally Posted by cdancer20
For everyone that has been getting the phone carrier sign up bonus after switching from BB, are you signing up through Isis or signing up online/temp card and then registering with Isis? I would do the latter but I feel like then you miss out on the extra $500/month online load.
You need to sign up through ISIS to get the carrier bonus and the extra limits.

Interestingly, my Serve card even says ISIS on it, not sure if it does if you don't sign up through it.
aceofcards is offline  
Old Mar 11, 2014, 11:08 pm
  #1878  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 340
I already have serve now. To have the higher loading limit and some isis offers, do I have to cancel my serve account and then reopen it again? Or maybe I could just buy a case then I could have the higher limit? I do not care the signup bonus. Thank you for any advise.
ericliujian is offline  
Old Mar 11, 2014, 11:13 pm
  #1879  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
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Originally Posted by aceofcards
You need to sign up through ISIS to get the carrier bonus and the extra limits.

Interestingly, my Serve card even says ISIS on it, not sure if it does if you don't sign up through it.
Thanks. My fear was just that Isis would not let you sign up if it still sees the BB phone number in the system.
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Mar 11, 2014, 11:16 pm
  #1880  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: OC/LAX
Posts: 376
Originally Posted by cdancer20
Thanks. My fear was just that Isis would not let you sign up if it still sees the BB phone number in the system.
What I did to get around that was to change my phone type to "Home" even though it's a cell phone and then once it went through I later went back into my account settings and changed it back to Mobile.
aceofcards is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2014, 12:17 am
  #1881  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by Domat
You have to do it separate. You can't even add gum or anything else with the serve load.
I did two reload, two pp cash, two vr,and others in one transaction at the request of cvs staff.
wuchie is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2014, 12:34 am
  #1882  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1
do we have data points for higher load limits if you have opened serve with ISIS?

anyone able to load more than $200/day or more than $1000 a month with a cc online
billyster is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2014, 5:38 am
  #1883  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
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Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by aceofcards
What I did to get around that was to change my phone type to "Home" even though it's a cell phone and then once it went through I later went back into my account settings and changed it back to Mobile.
I must be missing something. I'm not able to get through signing up through Isis. Anytime I try, it takes me to an error page that says I already have a BB account.

Last edited by cdancer20; Mar 12, 2014 at 6:11 am
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2014, 7:51 am
  #1884  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: MSN
Posts: 203
Originally Posted by GTFan
Direct Deposit does not necessarily mean payroll even though that's what they say you need to do, it's basically any ACH push (from my experience with multiple checking account bonuses paid). So if you setup Serve as an external account for AP or PP then transfer 2x$250 to it, you'll get the bonus.
I successfully did this.

Day 1 I sent a $250 AP to my wife, which "she" withdrew to Serve. I got an email saying it posted to Serve at about 2:25am the morning of Day 2. Later on the morning of Day 2, I sent another $250 AP to my wife, which was withdrawn to Serve. I got an email saying it posted to Serve at about 2:25am on the morning of Day 3. When I woke up at about 6:00am on Day 3, I checked Serve and saw that the $50 bonus had been posted.

I perhaps could have done both withdraws/direct deposits on the same day, but I just felt like giving it a day in between.

The big surprise to me is that the AP took less than 24 hours to post to Serve. When I withdraw AP to WF, it takes 2-3 days to post.
aw82 is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2014, 9:15 am
  #1885  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by aw82
I successfully did this.

Day 1 I sent a $250 AP to my wife, which "she" withdrew to Serve. I got an email saying it posted to Serve at about 2:25am the morning of Day 2. Later on the morning of Day 2, I sent another $250 AP to my wife, which was withdrawn to Serve. I got an email saying it posted to Serve at about 2:25am on the morning of Day 3. When I woke up at about 6:00am on Day 3, I checked Serve and saw that the $50 bonus had been posted.

I perhaps could have done both withdraws/direct deposits on the same day, but I just felt like giving it a day in between.

The big surprise to me is that the AP took less than 24 hours to post to Serve. When I withdraw AP to WF, it takes 2-3 days to post.
AP to BOA takes less than 24 hours as well. I guess WF is just slow lol.
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2014, 9:19 am
  #1886  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by aceofcards
What I did to get around that was to change my phone type to "Home" even though it's a cell phone and then once it went through I later went back into my account settings and changed it back to Mobile.
How long between closing your BB and registering for Serve did you take?
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2014, 9:24 am
  #1887  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: JFK
Programs: *$ Gold :)
Posts: 1,061
Originally Posted by aw82
...which "she" withdrew to Serve.
This counts towards 10 linked to AP bank accounts lifetime limit, I understand. So think twice, I guess.
pier11 is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2014, 9:29 am
  #1888  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 2
Trying to meet my required spending on my US Bank flexperks travel rewards card. Has anyone had any experience with loading serve with a US bank card?
furgason5 is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2014, 9:33 am
  #1889  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: MSN
Posts: 203
Originally Posted by pier11
This counts towards 10 linked to AP bank accounts lifetime limit, I understand. So think twice, I guess.
Interesting, I didn't realize there was a lifetime limit. At this point I'm more likely to withdraw to Serve than WF due to the slow transfers to WF.

Besides, although I might go through 10 bank accounts in 30 years, I doubt AP will still be what it is in 30 years.
aw82 is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2014, 9:41 am
  #1890  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AA, SPG, MR, UR, Cash Back!
Posts: 606
Can someone please put together the data points for Isis in the wiki please. Its $70 for the iPhone 5s case at Verizon, I'm failing to see how the switch make sense.
Fuerza is offline  


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