We reported that the Serve Cash Back card has started appearing in stores in the temporary version. Today, Amex officially rolls out the card.
The card is now available to be ordered online. Of course, you can only get the card if you don’t have one of the other variations of the card, which include Bluebird and REDbird.
The key benefit of the card is the 1% cashback, which isn’t too great considering you can get a credit card which earns 2% back on all purchases.
It would still be useful if the benefits of the card were as good as the others. But they’re not. This card has a non-waivable monthly fee of $5.95 (doesn’t apply to those living in NY, TX, VT). It also has a reload fee of up to $3.95 when loading at Walmart and other stores.
Essentially, the three standard version of Serve – Blue, Green, Silver – each come with advantages and disadvantages:
- GreenServe has a non-waivable monthly fee of $4.95. On the flip side, you get free reloads.
- BlueServe can get it’s monthly fee waived, but it charges for reloads.
- SilverServe fails on both of those ends (monthly fee and reload fee), but it gets 1% cashback.
Unless you’re using the card for lots of regular purchases, it would make more sense to get one of the other versions of the cards, see our updated post Six Different Flavor of Serve and How to Remain Fee-Free. The OneVIP version seems to be the best currently for most. (For residents of NY, TX or VT, GreenServe is just as good.)
Any of the serve cards that have come out, has the option of funding with ANY credit card, online like the OLD/ORIGINAL serve card they had (which they now restricted to funding only with Amex credit card).
If not, what is benefit of having any of the current newer serve cards?
“It also has a reload fee of up to $3.95 when loading at Walmart and other stores.
even if I live in TX with no maintenance fees on this card, this card doesn’t appeal to me with the 3.95 reload fees when I’ve already paid fees on my gebit cards that I’m loading.
Since this is amex card, this card will always run as credit (like BB/Serve/RB), never debit even with PIN which is only for atm withdrawals.
Is it still a debit card? 1% could be useful in places that don’t accept CCs but do accept debit. Like food coops.
Serve runs as a Amex credit card, not as a debit card.
Would this be good for AMEX Offers? I mainly use this to pay bills after I transfer the debit funds from my Paypal Business Debit (1% cash back!). I also use this card for AMEX offers, so would it make sense to convert? I had this when Softcard was still available, so I’m not sure if the reload is still capped at $1,500 or $1,000 for others.
If you live in NY, TX, VT, link an FIA Amex and set it as backup funding source for purchase, this essentially makes it a 3% everything card
This would only be true if making purchases in this manner would allow you to go over the $1,000 monthly credit card limit (because otherwise, you can max out the same $1,000 on a different Serve card and use a 2% card for purchases). Do you know if this would work? If I had a zero balance in the Serve account and linked a FIA AMEX- could I go on a spree and spend say 10k in a month, getting 2% on FIA and 1% on Serve? If yes, this might be worth something, even if I didn’t live in NY TX or VT…
Well, to share a data point with you: I maxed $1,000 load at the beginning of this month and billed paid $999 leaving only 1 dollar there. Then, I wanted to use the Amex Offer in Serve to purchase something worth about $51 at Boxed.com so I modified the FIA Amex card as a “back up funding source.” The purchase went through.
That’s right, purchases using ‘backup funding” do not have a limit.
So, the question would be can you do this multiple times, or does it work only when you have something left in your SERVE account and you overshoot it.
Afterwards, I would assume you have nothing left in your serve account. Could you then use the Serve card as a backup funding source multiple times?
if so, an you live in the three enumerated states, you would get, as Hayashi suggests, 3% back, or 1% back and whatever rewards you funding card provided.
Sorry, I meant to write, could you submit your SERVE card with $0 and still be able to purchase items since you have a back up funding source such as the linked credit card? or is there a limit on just how much you can charge with $0 or a small amount left on your Serve card?
Doesn’t seem worthwhile. I’ll stick with my Old Serve account.
FWIW. it is for online and in store purchases However,
“Earn 1% Cash Back on purchases (less returns/credits) rounded to the nearest dollar, added to your Account after you use your Card….
Cash Back can be redeemed and used only for future purchases made with your Card and cannot be redeemed for cash or otherwise exchanged for value.
Subaccounts are not eligible to earn Cash Back.
ATM transactions, fees and Serve Online Bill Pay are not purchases and do not earn Cash Back. For full terms and restrictions, see the Cash Back User Agreement.”