American Express Serve^® Card — Full Review [2023]

Great Card If

• You’re looking for a convenient way to replace your banker without the hassle of a checking account
• You are seeking a fee-friendly prepaid card
• You want an easy way to limit your spending
• You don’t want to carry around a lot of cash

Don’t Get If

• You want to build up your credit
• You want to use a lot of out-of-network ATM locations
• You do a lot of international transactions

Applying and Bonus Cash-Back

While the Serve Card is not a traditional credit card, it is still a valuable tool for your personal finances.

This convenient reloadable card offers free online bill pay and other convenient banking features without all the excessive charges.

It acts just like a debit card from a traditional bank, and you can only use the cash that is stored on the card.

You have access to more than 24,000 MoneyPass ATM locations across the United States.

You also have free access to American Express customer service reps, which is a feature that other prepaid cards don’t offer.

There are 3 different versions of this card:

The Amex Serve Card

The American Express Serve^® FREE Reloads Card

The American Express Serve^® Cash Back Card

Cost of Using the Amex Serve Cards

The basic card is free to use online but costs up to $3.95 at retail locations when reloading the card with cash.

There is no monthly fee for the basic version if you direct deposit $500 or more per month on the card. Otherwise, the monthly fee is $1.00 (or $12 per year).

It is free to use the FREE Reloads Card online ($0), but this card costs $4.95 per month. The benefit of this card is a waived $3.95 reload fee at over 45,000 locations.

Finally, the American Express Serve^® Cash Back Card works like the basic card, except that it earns 1% cash-back for all purchases and costs $5.95 per month.

Amex Serve Card Banking Features

One of the great features of these different versions of the card is the ability to create sub-accounts. You can get a separate prepaid card for each sub-account you open.

In addition, you can send and receive money for free between any members, which is helpful in times when you need to split bills.

A service called Cash Pickup Powered by Ria is available at Walmart, and lets you take out up to $2,500 in cash at one time.

Additional Benefits of Being an Amex Serve Card Member

Two other great features of the card are Amex Offers and Membership Experiences.

Amex Offers is a program that allows you to add “deals” for shopping, dining, and entertainment purchases periodically.

These offers get updated every few weeks. If you like one, simply add it to your card and use it by the expiration date.

Membership Experiences is an entertainment portal that offers access to tickets and events that you might not otherwise have access to. It is always worth a check to see if there is something that catches your eye!

Just like AMEX credit cards and charge cards, the pre-paid debit card also offers access to other benefits like:

• Purchase protection
• Fraud protection
• Roadside assistance

Bottom Line: The Amex Serve card can be a nice alternative to traditional banking without all the fees that go along with it.

Some Items To Consider Before Becoming a Card Member

Remember that because this is a prepaid card, it can’t help you build up your credit.

Because of the card’s prepaid nature, though, it can be a good tool for those who are trying to keep a limit on their spending and/or stick within a budget.

Bottom Line: The Amex Serve card can be a great way to keep within spending limits.

Best Way To Redeem Cash-Back Rewards

The Serve cash back Card collects cash-back that can only be used in the form of credit to your account. Once accumulated, you simply apply it to your account for a direct deposit!

There are no travel partners, but they do partner with MoneyPass ATM for free withdrawal at over 24,000 locations.

How To Really Maximize Cash-Back Rewards

There are many ways that you can benefit from using the Amex Serve card. Here are some ways to help make sure you get the most out of it right from the start:

Tip #1: If you will be adding sub-accounts to your card, it is important to be sure that a parent or guardian is the primary account owner. No one under the age of 18 can be an account owner.

Tip #2: For those who are hoping to build up their credit, this card can’t help there, though it is convenient to use. With that in mind, you may also want to consider opening a credit card in addition to your Serve account. That way, you will be able to start (or continue) building up your credit and your credit score, while at the same time taking advantage of all the many benefits that the card has to offer.