Old Jan 5, 2017, 4:03 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: deker0
This thread is a continuation of the 2016 Serve master thread located at Amex Serve (2016) [Many shutdowns starting Jan 8, 2016]


5/21/2019 another round of Serve and Bluebird shutdowns.

On January 8, 2016, most Serve cards that were being used for MS were closed by Amex due to "unusual activity". Recurring waves of shutdowns have continued.

There are three version of Serve cards, Blue, Green and Grey. The fees and specifics are listed here:
https://www.serve.com/help/?intlink=us-serve-marketing-home-customer2-incomm2018-freezecardlearnmore&anchor=lost-or-stolen-1

The best Serve version for MS purpose is the "Green" version. It can be loaded at CVS, Rite Aid, DG (cash only) and Walmart, FD stores (cash and debit). There is no loading fee, but there is a $6.95 monthly fee that can't be waived. You could avoid the monthly fee by keeping $0 balance prior to month end statement closing. But this may cause account shut-down. As of end of 2020, there have been changes at the loading side (FD, WM). Not all GCs are accepted. Trial and report back to forum.


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).

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

Loads at Dollar General - Appears to no longer be working with any brand of VCG.

Regular Serve
  • Serve loading via VR/MP (Vanilla Reload/Moneypak) or WM/FD load: $2,500 per card per day; $5,000 total per calendar month each card; $10,000 total each calendar month all Serve cards combined
  • Online Debit Card Load - $200/day and $1,000/month
    • 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 (Vanilla Reload/Moneypak) 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.
Amex stopped taking applications for OneVip at the end of 2017. Cards acquired before then still work.

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 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 Propel (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..)
    • 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."
      • 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!!)
        • 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
          • after the register and login, second error: "We're still processing your application. Please check your email for an update"
            • 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.
              • CSR, told me that my account went to "account security protection department" transfer me to them.
                • at account security protection department, they told me need to call back on my phone number which I registered to verify.
                  • 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.
                    • 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



Print Wikipost

Amex Serve master thread (2017-2023)

Old Apr 18, 2018, 12:46 pm
  #346  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by jasmians
On my temp card I have $500 loaded. I can't register this card to get permanent but it shows me it has balance of $500.
if you can't register for a permanent card, you have no other option but use if for regular spend. You CANNOT process this as debit; for ALL axp prepaids, the PIN is used exclusively for ATM withdrawal.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Apr 18, 2018, 1:19 pm
  #347  
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 463
Originally Posted by chippy111
You hit your 4 swipe limit per transaction:

1st swipe: Your serve card
2nd - 4th swipe: your 3 cards.

I didn't think about the initial swipe of the serve card until this same situation happened to me.
This sounds WIKI worthy.
zmicer88 likes this.
Klemhuzzah is offline  
Old Apr 21, 2018, 1:20 pm
  #348  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: PDX
Programs: Don't think it matters...
Posts: 5,240
Serve One VIP funding by Mastercard GC ?

Hi ,
Does Mastercard GC's issued by US Bank work for funding serve accounts in WM / FD ? Exploring whether using the current Staples promo on MC GC's can be used for this and hence would be nice to know.

Thanx
abhilife2001 is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2018, 1:35 pm
  #349  
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 463
Originally Posted by abhilife2001
Hi ,
Does Mastercard GC's issued by US Bank work for funding serve accounts in WM / FD ? Exploring whether using the current Staples promo on MC GC's can be used for this and hence would be nice to know.

Thanx
Just bought some MC at Staples and took them right to FD to liquidate. Worked fine. I don't know about WM.
Klemhuzzah is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2018, 1:52 pm
  #350  
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: TPA
Programs: British, United,SW, Delta,Iberia,KLM, Qatar, IHG, Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, Radisson, Wyndham,
Posts: 255
Originally Posted by Klemhuzzah
Just bought some MC at Staples and took them right to FD to liquidate. Worked fine. I don't know about WM.
I did exactly the same today and worked great!! I am going to do same the whole week until the offer is gone!!
honores41 is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2018, 5:23 am
  #351  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 200
Originally Posted by honores41
I did exactly the same today and worked great!! I am going to do same the whole week until the offer is gone!!
It's been awhile since I've unloaded a MGC at WM, but you have to hit cancel right away after swiping it to prompt you to the debit/credit screen. If you don't hit cancel right away, it will immediately give you an error saying can not process credit. Again, it's been awhile since I've done this; I don't know if their machines have changed or not. There was a thread somewhere on here talking about unloading MCs
bargainhunter3 is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2018, 5:36 am
  #352  
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: TPA
Programs: British, United,SW, Delta,Iberia,KLM, Qatar, IHG, Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, Radisson, Wyndham,
Posts: 255
Originally Posted by bargainhunter3
It's been awhile since I've unloaded a MGC at WM, but you have to hit cancel right away after swiping it to prompt you to the debit/credit screen. If you don't hit cancel right away, it will immediately give you an error saying can not process credit. Again, it's been awhile since I've done this; I don't know if their machines have changed or not. There was a thread somewhere on here talking about unloading MCs
Amen!!
honores41 is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2018, 7:29 am
  #353  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
Originally Posted by Klemhuzzah
Just bought some MC at Staples and took them right to FD to liquidate. Worked fine. I don't know about WM.
Originally Posted by honores41
I did exactly the same today and worked great!! I am going to do same the whole week until the offer is gone!!
What are the rules for loading Serve cards at FD? Can you do a split payment load or 1 payment swipe per load? Any other limits?
Superorb is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2018, 7:53 am
  #354  
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: TPA
Programs: British, United,SW, Delta,Iberia,KLM, Qatar, IHG, Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, Radisson, Wyndham,
Posts: 255
Originally Posted by Superorb
What are the rules for loading Serve cards at FD? Can you do a split payment load or 1 payment swipe per load? Any other limits?
I do 1 payment swipe per load and cancel transaction to access a sub menu to pick debit.
honores41 is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2018, 10:02 am
  #355  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: PDX
Programs: Don't think it matters...
Posts: 5,240
Originally Posted by honores41
I did exactly the same today and worked great!! I am going to do same the whole week until the offer is gone!!
Originally Posted by Klemhuzzah
Just bought some MC at Staples and took them right to FD to liquidate. Worked fine. I don't know about WM.
So sounds like MC works at FD (though with a slight twist of that cancel button use).. I assume this should work in Dollar Tree also as that is the only shop variant near our location?
abhilife2001 is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2018, 11:20 am
  #356  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Originally Posted by abhilife2001
So sounds like MC works at FD (though with a slight twist of that cancel button use).. I assume this should work in Dollar Tree also as that is the only shop variant near our location?
Yes, MCGCs work at FD and DG as well without doing cancel/change payment trick.

Do NOT bother with Dollar Tree, they don't load cards although I saw some of them sell the Netspend reloadables taking cash only. These reloadables are NOT like VGCs, you have to register them to get full use of functions and you can't put a first time load on them with CC.
Mamibear is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2018, 1:24 pm
  #357  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: PDX
Programs: Don't think it matters...
Posts: 5,240
Originally Posted by Mamibear
Yes, MCGCs work at FD and DG as well without doing cancel/change payment trick.

Do NOT bother with Dollar Tree, they don't load cards although I saw some of them sell the Netspend reloadables taking cash only. These reloadables are NOT like VGCs, you have to register them to get full use of functions and you can't put a first time load on them with CC.
Ok, so Dollar Tree does not work..
wondering whether I should try WM for MC reload using the cancel/change trick.
abhilife2001 is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2018, 2:34 pm
  #358  
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 463
Originally Posted by honores41
I do 1 payment swipe per load and cancel transaction to access a sub menu to pick debit.
I've never needed to "cancel transaction", either for visa or MC gift cards. I just wait until the screen says "swipe" and then I swipe and the machine handles it correctly.
Klemhuzzah is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2018, 7:37 pm
  #359  
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: TPA
Programs: British, United,SW, Delta,Iberia,KLM, Qatar, IHG, Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, Radisson, Wyndham,
Posts: 255
Originally Posted by Klemhuzzah
I've never needed to "cancel transaction", either for visa or MC gift cards. I just wait until the screen says "swipe" and then I swipe and the machine handles it correctly.
SO.... the machine does not ask for you pin?
honores41 is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2018, 10:00 pm
  #360  
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 463
Yeah, I might not have the order correct, but after I swipe the debit card, it asks for a pin, then it asks if I want cashback, then it asks if the amount is correct.

But this is in Ohio, other places may requires a person to hit "cancel transaction". As always, YMMV
Klemhuzzah is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.