Amex serve?

[Open123]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

And while paying the card back might seem non-kosher (and apparently against T&C) it really doesn't make too much sense.  You pay $X from Serve to the landscaper, and use another $X from your bank account to pay Serve.   If you did it the other way, what really changes?

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Right, it's just semantics.

I've used Serve for a couple of years now, and have never had any issues.  They used to allow loading with GCs, but no more.  Once, they allowed up to 3 CCs on file, but now, you can only have one.

I've done this often.  For example, I'll load with Fid Amex for 2%, and use it to pay my other CCs sans Amex or Chase (aside from reaping sign-up bonuses, I usually like to keep the perk abuse to these two to a minimum).  So, I've used Serve to pay US Bank, Barclay, Citi and Discover without any issues what so ever.

[longtimelurker]

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@Open123 wrote:

2.  I don't believe in paying third parties a fee just to process a bill pay.  If Serve is MS, so is the latter, but MS with a fee to a third party.  It's stupid.  Don't do it.

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I agree if you mean ChargeSmart and things like that.  But my Walmart/WU comment is when people are bringing cash to pay their bills for a small fee, because they don't have bank accounts or credit cards.    That's not MS, it's either explotation or capitalism at its best, depending on your idealogy!

[LeonSandcastle]

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longtimelurker wrote:

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LeonSandcastle wrote:

The way I see it, if Serve allows you to load $1500 a month by CC, that's legitimate.  

If I can use it to pay a few bills with CC funds I couldn't normally, great, why not get some points, but to me at least, buying GCs and loading them at stores and such isn't worth the effort.  If I have to go out of my way and waste 20 minutes of my time to get $5 worth of points, I don't consider that time well spent.  

I was on the phone with BarclayCard today going over my recent transactions due something else, and they were looking right at my $500 Serve loads, didn't say a word about it.  Of course, there was no exact corresponding payment because I use the Serve bill pay to pay other bills, like my car loans, landscaper, shopping at Costco, etc. not to pay my card back.  THAT would seem a little non-kosher.  

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I agree about buying cards to get $5 of points would not be time well spent.   Which is why people use 5x cards and purchase $5000 at a time!   Which again may not be worth it for all, but can be.

And while paying the card back might seem non-kosher (and apparently against T&C) it really doesn't make too much sense.  You pay $X from Serve to the landscaper, and use another $X from your bank account to pay Serve.   If you did it the other way, what really changes?

 That's a great point.  To me, it's a matter of intent.  If I loaded Serve just to pay the credit card bill back, that would seem like blatently taking advantage of a system.  Yes, I agree, the end result is the same, I guess it just all depends on what we each feel good about.

[Open123]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@Open123 wrote:

2.  I don't believe in paying third parties a fee just to process a bill pay.  If Serve is MS, so is the latter, but MS with a fee to a third party.  It's stupid.  Don't do it.

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I agree if you mean ChargeSmart and things like that.  But my Walmart/WU comment is when people are bringing cash to pay their bills for a small fee, because they don't have bank accounts or credit cards.    That's not MS, it's either explotation or capitalism at its best, depending on your idealogy!

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Yes, I mean chargesmart and the ilk, who charge a hefty fee to send a check--MS for a fee.

Right, all of these products were created to capitalize...er...help the unbanked.  They try to prey...er...provide a viable option for the unbanked (where do they get these euphemisms?), then cry foul when we prey...er...capitalize on the efficacies of these very products they've created.

Anyone who thinks it's unethical to profit from these guys are either (1) delusional, (2) misinformed, or (3) own stock or related to someone who founded these outfits.

PS - This is why arbitrage is essential to a competitive market.  Anyone or company who tries to price discriminate will be brought back to equilibrium by supply and demand.  Some call it abuse, I call it arbitrage.  Are we supposed to stand by and let these guys rake it in without closing the spread?

[mongstradamus]

Its an interesting conversation about the morality of using cc to fund serve. If its clearly listed on the serve site that they allow it I don't see why CC would shut you down for it. They must have agreed that its in an range that is acceptable. 

I use my isis serve account to pay car loan and electricity bill , Usually load with Cap one to get the 1.5%. Also i think its an easy way to meet min spend bonus. 

[CreditJim]

I've been using Serve for a couple of months now. I fund it using my Barclaycard and use it to make my car payment. I don't consider this to be manufactured spending at all. I'm not making up, or manufacturing, any spending, I'm simply spending what I have to spend anyway on a bill. I can legitimately load my Serve account, with which I choose to pay this bill, with a credit card. I don't see anything wrong in that personally, and my conscience is clear.

[red259]

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@Open123 wrote:

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@Open123 wrote:

2.  I don't believe in paying third parties a fee just to process a bill pay.  If Serve is MS, so is the latter, but MS with a fee to a third party.  It's stupid.  Don't do it.

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I agree if you mean ChargeSmart and things like that.  But my Walmart/WU comment is when people are bringing cash to pay their bills for a small fee, because they don't have bank accounts or credit cards.    That's not MS, it's either explotation or capitalism at its best, depending on your idealogy!

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Yes, I mean chargesmart and the ilk, who charge a hefty fee to send a check--MS for a fee.

Right, all of these products were created to capitalize...er...help the unbanked.  They try to prey...er...provide a viable option for the unbanked (where do they get these euphemisms?), then cry foul when we prey...er...capitalize on the efficacies of these very products they've created.

Anyone who thinks it's unethical to profit from these guys are either (1) delusional, (2) misinformed, or (3) own stock or related to someone who founded these outfits.

PS - This is why arbitrage is essential to a competitive market.  Anyone or company who tries to price discriminate will be brought back to equilibrium by supply and demand.  Some call it abuse, I call it arbitrage.  Are we supposed to stand by and let these guys rake it in without closing the spread?

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+1 If someone is going around feeling bad for the credit card companies they need to get their head examined. These companies have taken advantage of the public for decades in the name of turning a profit and often they target the most helpless in society. Seriously read up about the history of the financial industry and you will see they only change their policies due to regulations being passed or as the result of lawsuits against them. 

[Open123]

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@mongstradamus wrote:

Its an interesting conversation about the morality of using cc to fund serve. 

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When the moment has arrived that we seriously consider "morality" and "ethics" with a bunch of Banks who lobbied Congress to overturn century old usury laws is the day we've entered the Twilight Zone.

[mongstradamus]

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@Open123 wrote:

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@mongstradamus wrote:

Its an interesting conversation about the morality of using cc to fund serve. 

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When the moment has arrived that we seriously consider "morality" and "ethics" with a bunch of Banks who lobbied Congress to overturn century old usury laws is the day we've entered the Twilight Zone.

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I understand where you are coming from since all these large corporations only care about the bottom dollar, they could care less about little peons like myself. 

[Open123]

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@CreditJim wrote:

I've been using Serve for a couple of months now. I fund it using my Barclaycard and use it to make my car payment. I don't consider this to be manufactured spending at all. I'm not making up, or manufacturing, any spending, I'm simply spending what I have to spend anyway on a bill. I can legitimately load my Serve account, with which I choose to pay this bill, with a credit card. I don't see anything wrong in that personally, and my conscience is clear.

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Even if you were just to make a profit, you don't owe anyone an explanation.  Violate no laws, pay your taxes, and everything you make, you rightfully deserve.  

This is America guys!  Based on general principle, we're supposed to make a profit.