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Serve is a brand of pre-paid card from American Express and, while targeted at the large “underbanked” demographic in the US, it has proven to be very useful to those in the miles & points game that like to manufacture spend.
Serve accounts can be loaded with either cash/check, via a debit card or with an Amex Credit card and account holders can use the cards that come with a Serve account for a variety of uses:
- Pay bills
- Make purchases online
- Make purchases in-store
- Withdraw funds at ATMs
- Transfer money to other Serve accounts
Up until now Serve cards were re-loadable at Walmart, CVS, Family Dollar and select 7-Eleven locations but, as of today, American Express has added Rite Aid and Dollar General locations to the list of participating stores.
There are four main types of Serve Cards available right now and while they all do they same thing they do it with varying costs and features.
All cards are free if you sign-up for them online but will set you back $3.95 if you purchase them in a participating store.
American Express Serve
- Monthly Fee: $1 or $0 when you direct deposit $500+ (no fee in TX, NY or VT)
- Cost to load: Up to $3.95
- Maximum load: $2,500/day or $5,000/month
- ATM Withdrawal Fees: $0 at MoneyPass ATMs, $2.95 at non-MoneyPass ATMs
American Express Serve FREE Reloads
- Monthly Fee: $4.95 (no fee in TX, NY or VT)
- Cost to load: $0 (hence the name of the card!)
- Maximum load: $2,500/day or $5,000/month
- ATM Withdrawal Fees: $0 at MoneyPass ATMs, $2.95 at non-MoneyPass ATMs
American Express Serve Cash Back
- Monthly Fee: $5.95 (no fee in TX, NY or VT)
- Cost to load: Up to $3.95
- Maximum load: $2,500/day or $5,000/month
- ATM Withdrawal Fees: $0 at MoneyPass ATMs, $2.95 at non-MoneyPass ATMs
ONE VIP Serve
For some reason (possibly because it’s co-branded) this card doesn’t appear alongside the other three American Express Serve cards on the main Serve webpage…but it does still appear to be live.
- Monthly Fee: $1 or $0 when you direct deposit $500+ or if you load $500 in the month (no fee in TX, NY or VT)
- Cost to load: $0
- Maximum load: $2,500/day or $5,000/month
- ATM Withdrawal Fees: $0 at MoneyPass ATMs, $2.95 at non-MoneyPass ATMs
Benefits
Not only can the Serve Cards be used to manufacture spend but they also qualify for the same Amex Offers that appear in regular American Express Card accounts. The offers can help to offset any monthly or load fees that you may incur when using the cards.
Links
For a side-by-side comparison of 3 of the Serve cards see this American Express page here.
For details of the ONE VIP Serve Card see this American Express page here.
FAQs for the three non-co-branded Serve Cards are on this American Express page here.
