Walmart stores vary so much. The previous store only allow $500 per load and its customer center won't allow debit/GC load. But the one I use now allows like $3,000 loading at customer service and I loaded 2 x $500 at cashier.

I just do not want to over-do it and speed up the shut-downs.

For me its cashier dependent and some will flat out be nasty about it

Trying to confirm: the limit of 4 swipes at WM includes swiping the Serve card, correct? So the best-case scenario is loading 3 VGCs in a single transaction?

I was trying to load 4 VGCs yesterday and initiated a transaction and then realized the potential error after swiping my first VGC. Fortunately I had a true debit card with me so I swiped 2x VGC then used my debit card to complete the transaction.

Yes, swiping the Serve card counts as a swipe, so you can load 3 VGCs max.

What are the benefits of multiple swipes? I normally buy $500 GCs and do not do multiple. I can just ask the same cashier to do it twice.

Almost had a close call today. Went to my regular Walmart Supercenter and usually hit up both the customer service center to load and then to money center right after. I told the CSR at the customer service center I was loading my serve card, she asked how much, I said $500. She told me to swipe my serve card at the terminal and I tried but it didn't read the card, I tried again but no luck. She took my card and swiped it on her side and it worked. I confirmed the amount and tried to swipe my Simon VGC but once again the terminal didn't read, she asked for the card and saw it was a gift card, a yellow jacket was standing right behind her and she asked "can he load his card with this?" the yellow jacket guy was like "yeah if there's a pin it should be fine". I told her there was a pin, I entered it and boom all done. Gotta remember to avoid this Walmart til they fix the card terminal, nice yellow jacket manager tho.

Located in the middle of the US where the weather is always bipolar.

At least your CSR was good enough to ask. Other CSR's may have made a decision on their own to shut you down-despite any store policy stating otherwise.

At all the places where I load my Serve and Bluebird, the CSR swipes the Serve/Bluebird card and I swipe the GCs. I have never had a single problem. But good DP to remember.

What are good ways to move money out of Serve? Particularly interested in low-risk ways that won't lead to shut-down. Any ways I should avoid? I don't want to use Serve to pay off my Chase or Amex cards because the thread suggests that is high-risk, but Chase is where most of my MS happens. I don't have very much in the way of organic spend. I can pay Discover, but that's only $1500-$2000 every quarter. If I have them make out a check to me, is there a good/bad amount? TIA.

I find this amusing.
Look at the typical "Serve" customer that this account is meant for. He/she deposits into it a paycheck of about $500 to $1500 every 2 weeks and pays about 4-5 bills out of it (rent, utilities, car payment maybe, partial payment on 1 credit card and maybe something else). Usually at the end of the period, there is close to nothing left until the next deposit.

Now look at Klemhuzzah's account. He deposits the max dollars allowed each month using several different large deposits of thousands of dollars each. He then pays credit cards only thousands of dollars each month and takes the account to zero numerous times before revitalizing it with new thousand dollar deposits. Somewhat different than the first scenario, no?
Bottom line...there is no "safe". Do it until you get caught and when you do, realize that the jig is up.

And we wonder why we stand out like bonfires in the night :eek::confused:

I was afraid this would be the answer.
FWIW, I still small potatoes. I haven't deposited anywhere near the max each month. Instead I have lots of usually $200 deposits, about 3-5 a week. Still stands out like a sore thumb. But I still imagine that some ways are lower risk than others.

Hello, long time lurker first time poster.
I've just started using BB and Serve to liquidate VGC's at my local WM. Have done a lot of reading here and on the Reddit page about avoiding shutdown.

What do you put in the box asking why you are closing your account?

And in response to the taking money out question,
I just pull cash out of moneypass ATMs.

Cannot confirm myself, but only have read this from previous posters.
If your intent is to open a Serve account, abuse it for about a month and then close it (a la Mamibear), be forewarned that apparently Amex has prevented people from reopening new accounts after they have closed their account more than 2 times. So this means to me that you are effectively banning yourself from Serve if you try that technique.
I could be completely wrong on this. It would be helpful if someone who knows better either confirms or denies the above. ;)

If you do not know, or not certain, why do you say that? Better to keep it shut and read. Or test it and be certain. That helps us all.