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Serve - Another Paypal/Amazon payments (2015)

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Old Jan 10, 2015, 8:55 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: ericdabbs
The previous megathread is here.

Read the wiki before posting a question.
It's a literacy test that's easy to pass.


As of April 16, 2015 regular Serve cards will only accept American Express network cards for online credit card loads.
Softcard Serve accounts are apparently grandfathered in the old system and continue to work as before, being able to load Mastercard, Visa, and Discover (see below).


Serve loads count towards minimum spend on AmEx-issued cards, including SPG.

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.


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

Regular 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 [B]
  • Online Credit Card Load (AmEx only) - $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.

Softcard Serve
Softcard has shutdown and there is no longer any way to apply for this version.
  • 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
  • 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.

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.

OneVip Card: (Mucho gracias, AndrewTheMan)
This card is essentially just like the regular, fee-free, "old" serve. You may reload this card up to $2,500/day; $1,000/transaction at Walmart (not impacted by Blue Bird daily limit change). Have not tested FD or anywhere else. KATE takes this no problems..
You can use this to load the FIDO AMEX up to 1k a month.

Limits for online debit card and credit card loads reset at 9 PM PST/12 AM EST

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

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.

A few report no problems 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.

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. One person with a Serve/Softcard account reported being sent to the main Serve number for this process.

https://www.serve.com/help/#add-money-5

Regular Serve Credit Card Loading

Regular Serve can only load from American Express network cards. In addition to those issued directly by American Express, this includes the following:
  • AAA Rewards AmEx
  • Alitalia AmEx
  • Bank of America Accelerated Rewards AmEx
  • Bank of America Asiana Airlines AmEx
  • Bank of Hawaii AmEx Card with MyBankoh Rewards
  • Bloomingdale's AmEx
  • Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select AmEx
  • Citi Dividend AmEx (not obtainable unless specifically requested)
  • Citi Thank You Preferred AmEx (not obtainable unless specifically requested)
  • Dillard's AmEx
  • FNBO AmEx
  • FNBO Graphite AmEx
  • FNBO Platinum AmEx
  • Macy's AmEx
  • Penfed Premium Travel Rewards AmEx
  • SavingStar AmEx
  • Travelocity AmEx
  • US Bank Flexperks AmEx
  • USAA Cash Rewards/Rewards Plus AmEx
  • Wells Fargo Propel World/365 AmEx

Softcard Serve Credit Card Loading

If you are fortunate enough to be grandfathered into a Softcard Serve Account, you can also load other credit cards beside American Express cards. Softcard Serve is not available to new applicants anymore so you'll need to get one of the other Serve options if you don't already have one. In general, Mastercard and American Express cards post as purchases. Visa cards transact as a cash advance and, therefore, require available CA limit; although most cards post as a purchase.

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
  • Wells Fargo (American Express)

Treated as purchase, but doesn't earn points/miles:
  • American Express issued (Counts toward minimum spend -- see post #434) but does not earn points. Example: For the Delta Amex card, Serve counts towards min spend DL miles sign-up bonus, but that spend and subsequent trials of spend on Serve will not earn points. Don't do it, man!

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

A few report being unable to add the Chase IHG MC.

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
Helpful instruction post, latest. Thanks raeneye.

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

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.

Switching from Redbird is presumably similar. See the RedCard thread for more information.

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 #7
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Serve - Another Paypal/Amazon payments (2015)

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Old Feb 4, 2015, 1:03 am
  #331  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
Originally Posted by Happy
So it works just like the VR worked for BB in the old days? If so, then it is a much better alternative.

Since PayPower is often out of stock and now there is no stinky wordings on the RI in my grocery store, I might try to buy 1 and see if it is hardcoded at the grocery store's register.
Yes they work just like VR in the old days.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2015, 7:52 am
  #332  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by booyaa
With VRs and MPs going away, I still don't understand why one would get Serve over the Target RedCard other than the online credit loads. Even with the online credit loads for Serve, it is only max 12k a year but significantly more hassle to load Debit/GCs at WM (3 cards per transaction) or FD ($500 a day), compared to loading Debit/GCs at Target plus capability of loading with CC too at Target.
For me, it's only for the Amex Offers. If nothing else, Small Business Saturday is amazing! Otherwise, I would be switching all of my accts to Redcard. Plus not everyone has access to getting Redcards and don't trust buying them from a stranger on the internet.
cdancer20 is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2015, 9:28 am
  #333  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 14
I have loaded $2000 reloadit to serve. I called serve CS. Rep told me reloadit still works with serve for 2015.
byu26 is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2015, 10:44 am
  #334  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 427
Originally Posted by cdancer20
For me, it's only for the Amex Offers. If nothing else, Small Business Saturday is amazing! Otherwise, I would be switching all of my accts to Redcard. Plus not everyone has access to getting Redcards and don't trust buying them from a stranger on the internet.
Yeah... If Redcard worked in NC, I would have switched already, at least one or my accounts anyway. Amex offers are nice, though, it makes up some of the difference for not being able to load directly at Target fee-free.
bigugly is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2015, 3:59 pm
  #335  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,872
Any one tried loading your Serve account with the new Citi Double cash card recently? Did you get hit with CA? Received the cashbacks?
Thanks
Blueskyheaven is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2015, 5:36 pm
  #336  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: BOS .. but soon SFO
Programs: UA PLAT, TK GLD, Hilton Diamond, IC PLAT, SPG GLD, Marriott GLD
Posts: 1,528
I've got an interesting situation

- 3 ATT iphones. Bought cashwrap case, signed up for ISIS serve @ ATT, returned case after serve permanent card received

- loaded $1500/month on all 3 accounts for 2 years

- Switched to 12/14 Tmobile. They don't offer Softcard, even with the special SIM card.

- Loaded 1.5k @ $500/day on each account Jan 2015. Loaded $1k on each card via $500 daily loads in Feb.

I logged in to do my last $500 load and get an error message "That transaction will cause you to exceed your daily limit. "

Tried to load $200, same error. I did receive 3 emails telling me that my softcard was deactivated and that they would remove my SERVE card from the ISIS wallet app, but that was in Jan.

I will try again tomorrow because I did do that last load late last night and I'm hoping they switched it to a rolling 24 hour load instead of some time around midnight

thoughts?
stupidzbu is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2015, 5:51 pm
  #337  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
Originally Posted by stupidzbu
I've got an interesting situation

- 3 ATT iphones. Bought cashwrap case, signed up for ISIS serve @ ATT, returned case after serve permanent card received

- loaded $1500/month on all 3 accounts for 2 years

- Switched to 12/14 Tmobile. They don't offer Softcard, even with the special SIM card.

- Loaded 1.5k @ $500/day on each account Jan 2015. Loaded $1k on each card via $500 daily loads in Feb.

I logged in to do my last $500 load and get an error message "That transaction will cause you to exceed your daily limit. "

Tried to load $200, same error. I did receive 3 emails telling me that my softcard was deactivated and that they would remove my SERVE card from the ISIS wallet app, but that was in Jan.

I will try again tomorrow because I did do that last load late last night and I'm hoping they switched it to a rolling 24 hour load instead of some time around midnight

thoughts?
All limits reset at 12 AM EST (9 PM PST). You have been doing this for 2 years and you still don't know this? If you loaded $500 at 8:50 PM PST, you can reload another $500 at 9:01 PM PST. Most likely you loaded past 12 AM EST which counts as the next day and then tried to reload later on that day which is not allowed.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2015, 6:12 pm
  #338  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: BOS .. but soon SFO
Programs: UA PLAT, TK GLD, Hilton Diamond, IC PLAT, SPG GLD, Marriott GLD
Posts: 1,528
Originally Posted by ericdabbs
All limits reset at 12 AM EST (9 PM PST). You have been doing this for 2 years and you still don't know this? If you loaded $500 at 8:50 PM PST, you can reload another $500 at 9:01 PM PST. Most likely you loaded past 12 AM EST which counts as the next day and then tried to reload later on that day which is not allowed.
no, i had no idea about that. I loaded the cards at 20:30 PST, so that makes sense. I guess I will try again tomorrow.
stupidzbu is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2015, 6:24 pm
  #339  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
Originally Posted by stupidzbu
no, i had no idea about that. I loaded the cards at 20:30 PST, so that makes sense. I guess I will try again tomorrow.
Wait you must mean 21:30 PST (9:30 PST). 20:30 PST is 8:30 PM.
ericdabbs is offline  
Old Feb 4, 2015, 6:55 pm
  #340  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Florida
Posts: 274
Originally Posted by Blueskyheaven
Any one tried loading your Serve account with the new Citi Double cash card recently? Did you get hit with CA? Received the cashbacks?
Thanks
Post #324.
DrForce is offline  
Old Feb 5, 2015, 4:24 am
  #341  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: FRA
Programs: MR, DL, MM, HH
Posts: 57
I am still having trouble AMEX confirming my account. I loaded once $200 and now I can't load a second time or get the $200 out. They keep sending secure e-mails to upload 100000 items. Then I upload and they cancel the transaction.
bgalakazam is offline  
Old Feb 5, 2015, 6:25 am
  #342  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 565
Originally Posted by bgalakazam
I am still having trouble AMEX confirming my account. I loaded once $200 and now I can't load a second time or get the $200 out. They keep sending secure e-mails to upload 100000 items. Then I upload and they cancel the transaction.
Have you called them?
Lumpylump76 is offline  
Old Feb 5, 2015, 9:16 am
  #343  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 148
Has anyone tried loading the Serve card directly @ walgreens?

The moneypaks, as of right now, are no longer for sale anywhere, and moneypak website now brings me to this:
https://www.attheregister.com/locations

while the good news is that both cvs and walgreens are listed on there, i don't see Serve listed as one of the re loadable cards. I stopped by Walgreens a few days ago and they didn't know what i was talking about - although i didn't have my serve card with me to actually give a load a try.

anyone have any more info on this, or better yet had success of lading serve at walgreens directly?
Iridium7777 is offline  
Old Feb 5, 2015, 10:36 am
  #344  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 161
Send Multiple Cards at one time

As most have discovered, their security verification is an incredible hassle (Must be expensive for them too, such that they will probably have to do something, either change the rules, or stop accepting credit cards, or drop the product entirely).

It appears that one can put a number of credit cards and documents on one scan, or fax. It might pay to put all the cards one might use together (2% cards and ones you need to spend a certain amount on) and send once. Then on a later phone call one can ask them to look at the previous fax for the new card.

Multiple identifications might be useful, since I have had them complain that faxes were too dark to read. If driver's license is unreadable, possibly a passport might be.
ed765 is offline  
Old Feb 5, 2015, 10:42 am
  #345  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by ed765
As most have discovered, their security verification is an incredible hassle (Must be expensive for them too, such that they will probably have to do something, either change the rules, or stop accepting credit cards, or drop the product entirely).

It appears that one can put a number of credit cards and documents on one scan, or fax. It might pay to put all the cards one might use together (2% cards and ones you need to spend a certain amount on) and send once. Then on a later phone call one can ask them to look at the previous fax for the new card.

Multiple identifications might be useful, since I have had them complain that faxes were too dark to read. If driver's license is unreadable, possibly a passport might be.
No reason to do faxes. Just use your cell phone to take pictures of the cards and upload. Quick and simple. However your advice is still good.
cdancer20 is offline  


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