AMEX Serve and linking a credit card...

Exonumist · ‎09-10-2014

Just spent the last half an hour trying to link my Platinum to Serve to help a bit with the sign up bonus spending. I kept getting an error so i called Serve and was told that my Platinum is not a "real" credit card. Apparantly real cards have 16 digits. I politely ended the call and figured out on my own that it was because my billing address on all my cards is a PO box. Serve only lets you use a street address. I tried to call and change it, but they wouldn't let me so I changed the address on my Platinum and it linked perfectly. Now I'm just waiting for a fraud alert phone call from AMEX since there are ten pending charges, one for $200 and nine for $1. lol

Long story short make sure the billing addresses match.

B335is · ‎09-10-2014

Amex is a real stickler for all the details to line up on the Serve and Bluebird cards. If everything matches and they verify you, it's usually smooth sailing.

SisterGirl · ‎09-10-2014

@Exonumist wrote:
Just spent the last half an hour trying to link my Platinum to Serve to help a bit with the sign up bonus spending. I kept getting an error so i called Serve and was told that my Platinum is not a "real" credit card. Apparantly real cards have 16 digits. I politely ended the call and figured out on my own that it was because my billing address on all my cards is a PO box. Serve only lets you use a street address. I tried to call and change it, but they wouldn't let me so I changed the address on my Platinum and it linked perfectly. Now I'm just waiting for a fraud alert phone call from AMEX since there are ten pending charges, one for $200 and nine for $1. lol

Long story short make sure the billing addresses match.

Are they insane ? I've had my Serve since the program began & always used my Amex green charge as the fund source. Ask them about their own 15 digit account #s (LOL).

SisterGirl

Exonumist · ‎09-10-2014

@SisterGirl wrote:
@Exonumist wrote:
Just spent the last half an hour trying to link my Platinum to Serve to help a bit with the sign up bonus spending. I kept getting an error so i called Serve and was told that my Platinum is not a "real" credit card. Apparantly real cards have 16 digits. I politely ended the call and figured out on my own that it was because my billing address on all my cards is a PO box. Serve only lets you use a street address. I tried to call and change it, but they wouldn't let me so I changed the address on my Platinum and it linked perfectly. Now I'm just waiting for a fraud alert phone call from AMEX since there are ten pending charges, one for $200 and nine for $1. lol

Long story short make sure the billing addresses match.
Are they insane ? I've had my Serve since the program began & always used my Amex green charge as the fund source. Ask them about their own 15 digit account #s (LOL).

SisterGirl

Oh I know... I tried to explain that all AMEX cards are 15 digits and she insisted that the "real cards" are 16 and they have 3 digit security codes. All I could was laugh silently... Oh well... Aside from being just wrong she was very nice. So that's a plus.

csryang · ‎09-10-2014

@Exonumist wrote:
Just spent the last half an hour trying to link my Platinum to Serve to help a bit with the sign up bonus spending. I kept getting an error so i called Serve and was told that my Platinum is not a "real" credit card. Apparantly real cards have 16 digits. I politely ended the call and figured out on my own that it was because my billing address on all my cards is a PO box. Serve only lets you use a street address. I tried to call and change it, but they wouldn't let me so I changed the address on my Platinum and it linked perfectly. Now I'm just waiting for a fraud alert phone call from AMEX since there are ten pending charges, one for $200 and nine for $1. lol

Long story short make sure the billing addresses match.

Linking Amex credit card to Amex Serve might or might not count toward minimum spend, so... watch out!

Also, there's a $200/day credit load limit!

see this link for details: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1199432-serve-another-paypal-amazon-payments.h...

SisterGirl · ‎09-11-2014

@Exonumist wrote:
@SisterGirl wrote:
@Exonumist wrote:
Just spent the last half an hour trying to link my Platinum to Serve to help a bit with the sign up bonus spending. I kept getting an error so i called Serve and was told that my Platinum is not a "real" credit card. Apparantly real cards have 16 digits. I politely ended the call and figured out on my own that it was because my billing address on all my cards is a PO box. Serve only lets you use a street address. I tried to call and change it, but they wouldn't let me so I changed the address on my Platinum and it linked perfectly. Now I'm just waiting for a fraud alert phone call from AMEX since there are ten pending charges, one for $200 and nine for $1. lol

Long story short make sure the billing addresses match.
Are they insane ? I've had my Serve since the program began & always used my Amex green charge as the fund source. Ask them about their own 15 digit account #s (LOL).

SisterGirl
Oh I know... I tried to explain that all AMEX cards are 15 digits and she insisted that the "real cards" are 16 and they have 3 digit security codes. All I could was laugh silently... Oh well... Aside from being just wrong she was very nice. So that's a plus.

Bless her heart ! I didn't know I was paying or "playing" with a fake card....she needs to get real !!!!!! You just gotta love her for what she don't know & I hope it all works out for you in the end.

SisterGirl

SisterGirl · ‎09-11-2014

@csryang wrote:
@Exonumist wrote:
Just spent the last half an hour trying to link my Platinum to Serve to help a bit with the sign up bonus spending. I kept getting an error so i called Serve and was told that my Platinum is not a "real" credit card. Apparantly real cards have 16 digits. I politely ended the call and figured out on my own that it was because my billing address on all my cards is a PO box. Serve only lets you use a street address. I tried to call and change it, but they wouldn't let me so I changed the address on my Platinum and it linked perfectly. Now I'm just waiting for a fraud alert phone call from AMEX since there are ten pending charges, one for $200 and nine for $1. lol

Long story short make sure the billing addresses match.
Linking Amex credit card to Amex Serve might or might not count toward minimum spend, so... watch out!
Also, there's a $200/day credit load limit!

see this link for details: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1199432-serve-another-paypal-amazon-payments.h...

Yes, but I personally don't use AMEX for that reason....too many BETTER options under my belt !

SisterGirl

nathanmac · ‎09-11-2014

@Exonumist wrote:
Just spent the last half an hour trying to link my Platinum to Serve to help a bit with the sign up bonus spending. I kept getting an error so i called Serve and was told that my Platinum is not a "real" credit card. Apparantly real cards have 16 digits. I politely ended the call and figured out on my own that it was because my billing address on all my cards is a PO box. Serve only lets you use a street address. I tried to call and change it, but they wouldn't let me so I changed the address on my Platinum and it linked perfectly. Now I'm just waiting for a fraud alert phone call from AMEX since there are ten pending charges, one for $200 and nine for $1. lol

Long story short make sure the billing addresses match.

I would be concerned about this type of spending as qualifying to earn the bonus. According to flyertalk serve loads don't earn rewards or count towards the meeting the minimum number of required purchases and the everyday card. Since you’re dealing with two amex products they are very aware of what happens on both accounts. I'm not stating that serve loads won't count but that I would so some research to see if it does specifically for the platinum card before I would count on it.

Anonymous · ‎09-11-2014

@nathanmac wrote:
@Exonumist wrote:
Just spent the last half an hour trying to link my Platinum to Serve to help a bit with the sign up bonus spending. I kept getting an error so i called Serve and was told that my Platinum is not a "real" credit card. Apparantly real cards have 16 digits. I politely ended the call and figured out on my own that it was because my billing address on all my cards is a PO box. Serve only lets you use a street address. I tried to call and change it, but they wouldn't let me so I changed the address on my Platinum and it linked perfectly. Now I'm just waiting for a fraud alert phone call from AMEX since there are ten pending charges, one for $200 and nine for $1. lol

Long story short make sure the billing addresses match.
I would be concerned about this type of spending as qualifying to earn the bonus. According to flyertalk serve loads don't earn rewards or count towards the meeting the minimum number of required purchases and the everyday card. Since you’re dealing with two amex products they are very aware of what happens on both accounts. I'm not stating that serve loads won't count but that I would so some research to see if it does specifically for the platinum card before I would count on it.

I think the prevailing opinion regarding AMEX cards and Serve is that the money amounts don't earn any kind of points, but they do qualify for minimum spend requirements, so using Serve with AMEX is only good during the promo period. Otherwise, it's useless. If it were me, I wouldn't risk using Serve to meet spend on an AMEX anyway. As has been pointed out, they're both AMEX, so they know what's up.

Exonumist · ‎09-11-2014

I have done research and it should count. It might not. I'll find out pretty fast. I would meet the spend without Serve no problem, but I'd rather use other cards for some of the purchase categories that I'm using the Amex for. I only have another $500 or so and a month and a half left. Heck I could just use it for my gas for 3 weeks and I'd be done. I'm not worried about about FR. It would be irritating, but no big deal. Honestly I don't think putting around $600-800 through Serve is going to throw up any kind of red flag. I'm utilizing their products the way that they have designed them. What's the big deal? I think people are way too worried about FR. I've used my older Amex at strip clubs, liquor stores, attorneys, etc.Basically everywhere that people say you shouldn't and I haven't heard a thing. Heck I even did a PC after I got my sign up bonus on that card. Anyways, I'll let you guys know if it did count in a few days.