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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 Jun 28, 2015, 12:04 pm
  #1651  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 11
Originally Posted by Crusading Angel
I don't know the answer to the second half of your question. However, I can tell you that Serve is not useless. At least for the online credit card for Amex can still help you with Amex sign up bonuses. You can also get $240 a year if you load with a Fidelity Amex that gives 2% cashback. (.02 x 1000 = $20 a month). Not to mention you can use the Paypal debit card to get .01 x 1000 to make it $30 a month or $360 a year. Totally worth it if you ask me. A few clicks with your finger and you make an easy $360. Not to mention the extra amount you can make if you decide to go load gift cards at walmart or what not.

I avoid walmart though.... I manufactured spend enough through my eBay business ahaha.

Fidelity Amex gives points? Is it the only AMex card that still give points with serve reload? And how did you get 30$ a month instead of 10$ with paypal debit (.01x1000 = 10?). But if you load 2k a month thru credit and debit... thats 24k a year on serve.. what do you do with all that in a prepaid account..?

How does Fidelity work? I just took a look at their website it looks like you only get 2% with transfers to fidelity account. Not sure how that makes it a 2% cashback on everything??

Last edited by anbuitachi; Jun 28, 2015 at 12:17 pm
anbuitachi is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 3:43 pm
  #1652  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,112
Originally Posted by anbuitachi
Fidelity Amex gives points? Is it the only AMex card that still give points with serve reload? And how did you get 30$ a month instead of 10$ with paypal debit (.01x1000 = 10?). But if you load 2k a month thru credit and debit... thats 24k a year on serve.. what do you do with all that in a prepaid account..?

How does Fidelity work? I just took a look at their website it looks like you only get 2% with transfers to fidelity account. Not sure how that makes it a 2% cashback on everything??
You first stated that you didn't have time to go through 100+ pages to find your answers, and that's okay. That is a lot and probably too much to expect of a person. But then you ask these kinds of questions and... I don't know. There's a sense of entitlement/presumptuousness that I'm getting that you just want things told to you without doing [much] work.

There are other third party Amex cards that give points. They're in the wiki. Even if you didn't have time to read the entire thread, you should've been able to at least do that.

It's $30 a month total. Reread the previous post. You'd get $20 from the Fidelity card per month in addition to $10 from PayPal.

You get a full 2% back if you redeem it into an eligible Fidelity account. A lot of those accounts are free to open and maintain, and you could easily transfer the money out of there if you choose.
Phantom707 is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 3:55 pm
  #1653  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Iowa
Posts: 122
Originally Posted by Phantom707
It's $30 a month total. Reread the previous post. You'd get $20 from the Fidelity card per month in addition to $10 from PayPal.
Can I ask why the wiki says Paypal does not work?

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.

It then goes on to say that initial transactions may work but you will be flagged eventually. My PP debit card is grandfathered at 1.5% but do I really want to risk shutdown for a lousy $15? (I have already been warned by them once for using a different disallowed prepaid.)

Or is this simply a case of it works only if you already had the PP debit card configured long ago, and/or only with SoftServe? If either of those is the case, it makes little sense to tell folks obviously brand new to Serve that they can get $30-35/mo.
airstairfear is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 4:57 pm
  #1654  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,673
Originally Posted by airstairfear
Can I ask why the wiki says Paypal does not work?

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.

It then goes on to say that initial transactions may work but you will be flagged eventually. My PP debit card is grandfathered at 1.5% but do I really want to risk shutdown for a lousy $15? (I have already been warned by them once for using a different disallowed prepaid.)

Or is this simply a case of it works only if you already had the PP debit card configured long ago, and/or only with SoftServe? If either of those is the case, it makes little sense to tell folks obviously brand new to Serve that they can get $30-35/mo.
I think the wiki is referring to the reloadable paypal prepaid mastercard. I have linked my paypal business debit card to my serve account and used it for a long time without any problems. (although Paypal may shut you down if you are loading your paypal account with mycash cards and then draining your paypal account by loading to Serve using the debit card)

Last edited by ChrisFlyer66; Jun 28, 2015 at 7:57 pm
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 5:17 pm
  #1655  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 11
Originally Posted by Phantom707
You first stated that you didn't have time to go through 100+ pages to find your answers, and that's okay. That is a lot and probably too much to expect of a person. But then you ask these kinds of questions and... I don't know. There's a sense of entitlement/presumptuousness that I'm getting that you just want things told to you without doing [much] work.

There are other third party Amex cards that give points. They're in the wiki. Even if you didn't have time to read the entire thread, you should've been able to at least do that.

It's $30 a month total. Reread the previous post. You'd get $20 from the Fidelity card per month in addition to $10 from PayPal.

You get a full 2% back if you redeem it into an eligible Fidelity account. A lot of those accounts are free to open and maintain, and you could easily transfer the money out of there if you choose.
Sorry I did read the Wiki. I even reread it just now, but I dont see it mentioning other cards give points. I just see "Treated as purchase, but doesn't earn points/miles: American Express issued (Counts toward minimum spend" . Otherwise it does list a bunch of AMEX card you can load, but wiki doesn't mention points regarding them. And I wasn't sure how updated the wiki is since it is still talking about other non amex cards earning points. Unless it is directly at softcard

but thanks for the response
anbuitachi is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 5:47 pm
  #1656  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,112
Originally Posted by anbuitachi
Sorry I did read the Wiki. I even reread it just now, but I dont see it mentioning other cards give points. I just see "Treated as purchase, but doesn't earn points/miles: American Express issued (Counts toward minimum spend" . Otherwise it does list a bunch of AMEX card you can load, but wiki doesn't mention points regarding them. And I wasn't sure how updated the wiki is since it is still talking about other non amex cards earning points. Unless it is directly at softcard

but thanks for the response
Okay, fair enough. The wiki is a bit ambiguous. To my knowledge, all of the reported third-party Amex cards in the wiki are all that exist, and they all treat Serve loads as purchases (so they would earn points; I think some of them don't earn points in general, though).

When speaking of non-Amex cards earning points, it most likely is talking about Softcard. There are still a lot of us left .
Phantom707 is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 7:35 pm
  #1657  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 11
Originally Posted by ChrisFlyer66
I think the wiki is referring to the reloadable paypal prepaid mastercard. I have linked the the paypal business debit card to my serve account and used it for a long time without any problems. (although Paypal may shut you down if you are loading your paypal account with mycash cards and then draining your paypal account by loading to Serve using the debit card)

So with the business PP debit card, using it to reload serve, does it work only if you have balance in Paypal, or can it withdraw from the linked bank/CC if out of paypal fund?

And once you load 2k per month w CC and Fidelity, what is the safest (other than spending) way to cycle the money w/o serve shutting your account? Do they care if you just send a check to yourself or transfer to bank? Or use it to pay off the credit card you used to load it?? (not even sure how to do this)
anbuitachi is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 8:09 pm
  #1658  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,673
Originally Posted by anbuitachi
So with the business PP debit card, using it to reload serve, does it work only if you have balance in Paypal, or can it withdraw from the linked bank/CC if out of paypal fund?
Paypal can draw a limited amount of money from your bank account. I don't know the limit.

Originally Posted by anbuitachi
And once you load 2k per month w CC and Fidelity, what is the safest (other than spending) way to cycle the money w/o serve shutting your account? Do they care if you just send a check to yourself or transfer to bank? Or use it to pay off the credit card you used to load it?? (not even sure how to do this)
Paying off the credit card you used to load it is likely to get you shut down. Don't do it. Transferring to your bank account is safer I think. I drain my balance by paying other bills including OTHER credit card bills.
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 8:29 pm
  #1659  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Iowa
Posts: 122
Originally Posted by anbuitachi
So with the business PP debit card, using it to reload serve, does it work only if you have balance in Paypal, or can it withdraw from the linked bank/CC if out of paypal fund?
It can draw from SmartConnect if you have one of those accounts. This used to be real handy for Evolve. Not so handy anymore, but not having to pay off SmartConnect for 50+ days is worth something compared to having it get sucked out of your bank account immediately.

A more bold alternative is using PPMC cards to then pay your Smart Connect balance. One person here reported that the PP compliance department said this was in fact allowed. I will not be trying it though... I need my PP account too much.
airstairfear is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 10:01 pm
  #1660  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 29
Originally Posted by ChrisFlyer66
Paypal can draw a limited amount of money from your bank account. I don't know the limit.
I had added my PPDMC months ago and have sporadically tried to load serve with it online, but it never works. I have no $ in my PP account, but it is supposed to pull from my bank account. No idea why it won't work.
cbe20e is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 10:08 pm
  #1661  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,112
Originally Posted by ChrisFlyer66
Paypal can draw a limited amount of money from your bank account. I don't know the limit.



Paying off the credit card you used to load it is likely to get you shut down. Don't do it. Transferring to your bank account is safer I think. I drain my balance by paying other bills including OTHER credit card bills.
I have scoured the posts here and elsewhere, and I can't find a single post saying that someone was shut down by Serve for doing this. It may look suspicious to your credit card company, but Amex hasn't shut anyone down for paying off the loading credit card.

I have heard of people being shut down for this because it makes Amex think that you're just getting a fee free cash advance.

On an unrelated note, I need to rant a little.

I got a relative to signup for a Serve account to let me use, but he apparently got angry at me for how many emails he was getting so he freaking banned me from the account. He may have changed the password, email, or something else, but in the message he sent me, he threatened to cancel the account. This is after I've literally used the account three times (albeit to load and unload multiple $200 Staples cards, but still). The ABSOLUTE SHITIEST part is that I had just bill paid one of my cards for $800, and I have no idea if it'll go through since the account might be CANCELLED. Freaking damn it.
Phantom707 is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 10:09 pm
  #1662  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,112
Originally Posted by cbe20e
I had added my PPDMC months ago and have sporadically tried to load serve with it online, but it never works. I have no $ in my PP account, but it is supposed to pull from my bank account. No idea why it won't work.
It won't work if it pulls from your bank account. It just won't for some reason.
Phantom707 is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 10:49 pm
  #1663  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 70
Originally Posted by valedecem
Yup, this - preferably multiplied over a handful of serve cards. I'm using it as a creative way to fund my Roth IRA.
How do you do it with multiple cards. I'm assuming that you had relatives help you get more cards, but how is it possible to load the cards if it has their names on it? I thought that Serve only allowed you to load with cards that had same name as the owner of the account O.o
Crusading Angel is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2015, 11:11 pm
  #1664  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,673
Originally Posted by Phantom707
I have scoured the posts here and elsewhere, and I can't find a single post saying that someone was shut down by Serve for doing this. It may look suspicious to your credit card company, but Amex hasn't shut anyone down for paying off the loading credit card.
It might have been Bluebird rather than Serve, but i have heard of people getting blocked from all online loading after accidentally paying off the credit card they used for online loading.
ChrisFlyer66 is offline  
Old Jun 29, 2015, 12:19 am
  #1665  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,754
Originally Posted by ChrisFlyer66
It might have been Bluebird rather than Serve, but i have heard of people getting blocked from all online loading after accidentally paying off the credit card they used for online loading.
Seriously doubt it. Where did you hear this?

BB does not allow credit card load period.

Many people pay off their loading cards directly from Serve, yours truly included. Nothing happens.
Happy is offline  


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