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.

Old Oct 15, 2014, 12:34 am
  #7336  
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,267
Loaded $200 10/6 on Club Carlson US Bank Visa via Serve. No fee

Loaded $500 10/10 on same card same way. It took until 10/14 to post and it is accompanied by a $20 Cash Equivalent Fee.
beachfan is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 5:27 am
  #7337  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LAX
Programs: DL-Plat, UA-Plat 2MM, AA-PlatPro, B6-Mosaic 3, AY-Plat, HY-Globalist, MR-LT Plat, HH-Gold
Posts: 1,230
Ugh, think I made a mistake signing up my partner for SoftServe. Went through all the right steps via the phone app, but I also ordered a sub account from my own account a few days later. The sub account card arrived first and I just activated that card on the SoftServe account. It allowed me to do it and is now showing the standard Serve limits. Didn't even notice that it didn't have the SoftCard logo on the card. Do I have any options to fix this? Will Serve remove the card from the account and allow the SoftCard to be activated when it arrives?
daslax is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 5:28 am
  #7338  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: USA
Programs: Chase Ultimate, Amex, Delta, AA, BA Avios, United, US Airways, Marriott, Hilton
Posts: 260
marriott business is still good for me.

Originally Posted by scuzzynutty
Anyone know if you can load Serve without it being a Cash Advance fee:

1. Wells Fargo Propel Amex credit card (I saw 2 posts from a few months ago, but wanted to find out the latest)

2. Citi AA BUSINESS card (I saw in the Wiki that the personal card is charged CA fee)

3. Chase Marriott BUSINESS card (no mention of Marriott anywhere in this thread)

Thanks.
Marriot business works for me!!!
pstravels is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 6:18 am
  #7339  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Florida
Posts: 274
FIA Amex Serve loads coding as purchase as of yesterday morning.
DrForce is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 6:33 am
  #7340  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 226
Originally Posted by daslax
Ugh, think I made a mistake signing up my partner for SoftServe. Went through all the right steps via the phone app, but I also ordered a sub account from my own account a few days later. The sub account card arrived first and I just activated that card on the SoftServe account. It allowed me to do it and is now showing the standard Serve limits. Didn't even notice that it didn't have the SoftCard logo on the card. Do I have any options to fix this? Will Serve remove the card from the account and allow the SoftCard to be activated when it arrives?
Ouch. Not sure what your options are, but keep us updated. By the way, the load limits displayed on my SoftServe account are the normal Serve limits, but I'm allowed to load up to the $500 per day. Try it and find out.
dboston1 is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 7:49 am
  #7341  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 28
so is the trend at the moment, Visa is problematic and Mastercard looks to be somewhat working, but with changed transaction coding? And chase is still safe?
abbazappaplant is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 7:52 am
  #7342  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 445
I cannot get my Barclay card added, I've tried every combination I know of the address on one or two lines and it just keeps giving me an error. I checked the address against my Barclay statement and they match, it just doesn't want to work. Any suggestions?
dagaetch is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 8:01 am
  #7343  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott, AAdvantage, United, Club Carlson
Posts: 1,687
Can someone explain this for me?

Serve loading via VR/MP or WM/FD load: $2,500/day and $5,000 total per calendar month

I use a credit card to buy VR/MP or WM/FD? (what are those? where can I buy using CC?)
BostonFlyer1624 is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 8:04 am
  #7344  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by BostonFlyer1624
Can someone explain this for me?

Serve loading via VR/MP or WM/FD load: $2,500/day and $5,000 total per calendar month

I use a credit card to buy VR/MP or WM/FD? (what are those? where can I buy using CC?)
check the wiki, you'll find the answers there.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 11:25 am
  #7345  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 14
Originally Posted by Mamibear
check the wiki, you'll find the answers there.
Sorry to disagree, but... I disagree. I found VR in the wiki (Vanilla Reload, BostonFlyer1624), but MP is just called out as "Mileage Plus - United's name for their frequent flyer program", which makes no sense in this context. Through guesswork I suspect it means MoneyPak.

WM/FD aren't in there at all, but I think they refer to WallMart / Family Dollar, places where you can (or could?) buy loadable cards.

It grinds my gears when people just say "check the wiki, dummy!" but the wiki doesn't have most of these acronyms people toss around. I'd update it, but I'm new here, so what do I know.

Originally Posted by abbazappaplant
so is the trend at the moment, Visa is problematic and Mastercard looks to be somewhat working, but with changed transaction coding? And chase is still safe?
Can't speak to the last part about Chase, but yes, the other aspects you've called out as "the trend" seem to hold.
Mirnada is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 12:32 pm
  #7346  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by Mirnada
Sorry to disagree, but... I disagree. I found VR in the wiki (Vanilla Reload, BostonFlyer1624), but MP is just called out as "Mileage Plus - United's name for their frequent flyer program", which makes no sense in this context. Through guesswork I suspect it means MoneyPak.

WM/FD aren't in there at all, but I think they refer to WallMart / Family Dollar, places where you can (or could?) buy loadable cards.

It grinds my gears when people just say "check the wiki, dummy!" but the wiki doesn't have most of these acronyms people toss around. I'd update it, but I'm new here, so what do I know.


Can't speak to the last part about Chase, but yes, the other aspects you've called out as "the trend" seem to hold.
congrats! seems like you got the answers. it wasn't that hard, right? if one keeps reading, most of the acronyms will make sense to them sooner or later. For those who are as determined as you to learn and find out, it won't be difficult. Keep it up.

most of what's written in the wiki answers most people's questions. other questions are answered by further reading wikis in other threads. this is based on my experience that I can share and I know patience and persistence helps a lot.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 12:51 pm
  #7347  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ Diamond/*G, IHG Diamond Amb, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,238
Should we try complaining to SoftCard about this cash advance fee? Because they must be having issues getting their product off the ground given they offered free Jamba Juices to their users for about 6 months earlier this year and late last year. They advertise their product as being able to use any credit card with American Express Serve, but who's going to use it if they will be hit with a cash advance fee to load the card?
1353513636 is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 1:00 pm
  #7348  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by 1353513636
Should we try complaining to SoftCard about this cash advance fee? Because they must be having issues getting their product off the ground given they offered free Jamba Juices to their users for about 6 months earlier this year and late last year. They advertise their product as being able to use any credit card with American Express Serve, but who's going to use it if they will be hit with a cash advance fee to load the card?
you have a point but I don't think it'll prosper. There's many ways to add money to Softserve card, not just via CC load so it's not SC's problem if amex or individual CCs charge a CA fee to load Serve. They'll likely say there's other options you can choose from. My2C.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 1:01 pm
  #7349  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CA
Posts: 188
I just got my Ink bold. Does it now allow serve loads?
somy is offline  
Old Oct 15, 2014, 1:45 pm
  #7350  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 174
Originally Posted by somy
I just got my Ink bold. Does it now allow serve loads?
Does Chase treat Serve transactions as a credit card load or as a cash advance? Hmmm...I wonder where one would find that information. Or if I had a question about an Ink card, I wonder what search term I would use in this thread?

Last edited by fletch512; Oct 15, 2014 at 1:51 pm
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