Amex & Visa Serve Master Thread (2024 onwards)
Feb 23, 2024, 5:51 am
#62
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 13
I've now had 2 "invalid merchant" declined serve loads using meta staples vgc at one regular FD on consecutive days, and 1"do not honor" at another regular FD same cards. My previous 2 $500 loads at this second FD had been fine. A $500 staples vgc meta load at a 3rd FD went through no issue today. Wondering what the rules are on this....if its dead or sporadic or if theres any recourse w serve to intervene with FD. Seems like an FD specific phenomenon here
Feb 23, 2024, 6:02 am
#63
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 13
Lots of fails this week for me at FD loading VGCs to Serve and BB. SS VGCs (Metabank) and Pathward Vanillas giving a "Do not honor" message when attempting to load even low amounts. Call the number for both cards and was given the usual "increased fraud safety measures" speech. Requested new cards be sent as they wouldn't even work for low dollar amounts at other merchants.
100% good to go with $1K and $500 Sutton VGCs from Simon as well as Blackhawk $500 VGCs from Staples for loading for now. The Suttons also worked fine at WM for card loading to One and Discover.
100% good to go with $1K and $500 Sutton VGCs from Simon as well as Blackhawk $500 VGCs from Staples for loading for now. The Suttons also worked fine at WM for card loading to One and Discover.
Also, any dps of successful load at a store that gave a "do not honor" previously?
Feb 23, 2024, 6:10 am
#64
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 13
Feb 23, 2024, 11:18 am
#65
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 6
DP from my first try in NorCal. Tried to use $500 BHN-Pathward VGC (bought at Wegman's in NYC) at WM Money Center to load $475. Inserted Serve card, swiped VGC, entered PIN, CSR told me "Debit not available". Bought $10 Tacobell with the VGC and it worked. Do people generally stay away from BHN VGCs?
Feb 23, 2024, 3:10 pm
#66
Join Date: May 2023
Posts: 16
Whenever I get the errors "do not honor" or "invalid merchant", I just ask the cashier if someone came in to load a card not long ago? the last 2 times I got that error message, cashier said yes. I just thanked them and came back later and it works no problems.
Feb 23, 2024, 9:30 pm
#67
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 47
which vgc are you using?
Feb 24, 2024, 4:21 pm
#69
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 29
i wonder what is the lock out period. Tried to load again at same FD with same card 15 min later and got invalid merchant at the end of the transaction.
Last edited by flyzeus; Feb 24, 2024 at 4:36 pm
Feb 25, 2024, 5:22 am
#70
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 144
Best to give it an hour. We tried to figure it out when this was first introduced about 5 - 6? years ago. We could never nail it down exactly, but know it's somewhere between 22 and 45 minutes.
Feb 27, 2024, 5:07 am
#74
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 418
Serve Bill Pay and customer service.
I had a 200 dollar credit card payment on February 20th to Commenity Bank(Bread Cashback card) go missing. Commenity isn't part of the electronic payment system. I made 3-4 different calls to Serve customer service, each one answered by someone who sounded Indian. That itself isn't a problem. The fact that the answers I was getting were so terrible that I hung up the phone each time there. was an issue. One rep said I was giving the wrong security code on the back of the card(I wasn't). One said the system was slow and left me in limbo for like 10 minutes before I hung up. The last one said I needed to wait 5-7 days, because I guess, a week isn't long enough to wait???? I might just mail my complaint and request for a stop payment in, so I don't have to deal with these phone issues anymore. Has anyone used snail mail for a complaint?
Last edited by CLELOSER; Feb 27, 2024 at 9:17 am