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Note: As of 10/13/15 the Target REDcard (REDbird) can only be loaded with cash in-store at Target. Gift cards and/or debit cards no longer work to load REDcard. For more info, see: Here is the REDbird memo, “Cash is the only tender guests can use”
Note: On January 8, 2016 American Express sent out a notice to a large number of Bluebird & Serve cardholders informing them that loading capabilities on their accounts had been terminated. For more information, see: Amex kills Bluebird and Serve for manufactured spend
Early this month, I described my plans for switching one of my REDbird cards to Serve. If I only had one or two REDbird cards, I wouldn’t have considered switching. My local Target is as REDbird friendly as ever, and the ability to easily reload with Vanilla Visa gift cards has been huge (safety tip: not all Target stores are as accommodating).
In my case, though, I was managing seven REDbird cards. I like to max out the full $5,000 in reloads allowed each month with each card, so seven REDbird cards meant that I was spending a lot of time at Target. By switching one card to Serve, I could reduce my time at Target (by 14%). Plus, Serve qualifies for Amex Offers and Small Business Saturday. With one Serve card, I can create 4 subaccounts so that I’ll have five Amex cards that qualify for these offers!
Smooth Sailing
In my previous post on this topic, I laid out my switching plans, as follows:
My plan is to fully load my REDbird card this week and fully liquidate the funds before switching. This way, I should be able to load my new Serve card later in the month. My rough plans are:
- Load $2,500 to REDbird in one day ($2,500 is the daily load limit). In the same day, initiate an ACH bill payment for the full amount on the card.
- Load $2,500 to REDbird the next day. Use REDbird’s Send Money feature to send the $2500 balance to another one of the cards I manage.
- Once the bill payment is complete, I’ll cancel my REDbird card. REDbird offers a “Close Account” button at the bottom of the Profile screen.
- Next, I’ll signup for a new Serve card online. Based on a number of reader accounts it seems that you must use the same email address to register Serve as was used with REDbird. So, I’ll try that.
And, surprisingly, everything went smoothly. The actual process and timing was as follows:
- Sept 2: I loaded $2500 to my REDbird card.
- Sept 2: I initiated a bill payment for the full balance on the card.
- Sept 4: I loaded another $2500 to my card.
- Sept 7: I checked to see if my bill payment had cleared. It had.
- Sept 7: I unloaded the final $2,500 by sending money to my wife’s REDbird account via the Send Money feature.
- Sept 7: I canceled my REDbird card by clicking the “Close Account” button at the bottom of the Profile screen.
- Sept 7: I applied for the One VIP version of Serve online. See: Complete guide to the many flavors of Serve. Which is Best? My application was instantly approved.
- Sept 14: My new Serve card arrived
Back to Walmart
It had been a long time since I had last set foot in my area Walmart store. Fortunately, a lot has changed for the better:
- The store has been completely renovated.
- The Money Center has been separated out from Customer Service.
- The automated kiosk (which is oddly positioned near customer service rather than the Money Center) still works, but it is now completely quiet. It used to loudly announce the amount of each load to everyone within a zip code or two.
I easily loaded up my Serve card at the kiosk. I also spent quality time at the non-automated Money Center getting reacquainted with Walmart staff. They were actually quite pleasant.
Next up
The process of switching from REDbird to Serve went so smoothly that I plan to switch another card next month. Then, by adding subaccounts, I’ll have a total of 10 new Amex cards that qualify for Amex Offers and Small Business Saturday (which occurs on the Saturday after Thanksgiving). Last year, each registered Amex card was worth $30 in free spend at local merchants on Small Business Saturday. Assuming it works the same this year (we don’t yet have the details), my switch of two cards to Serve will give me a total of $300 in free spend!
See Also
- Complete guide to Bluebird, REDcard, and Serve
- Complete guide to loading Bluebird or Serve at a Walmart MoneyCenter Express Kiosk
- Managing multiples: Bluebird, REDbird, Serve
- Complete guide to the many flavors of Serve. Which is Best?
- How to increase credit card spend
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Can someone show me a recent write-up on the process? I have successfully MS w/ redbird but am now looking to do it w/ Serve.
1. Are there GC I should use/avoid?
2. what is the max amount I can do in 1 transaction?
3. what are the daily & monthly limits?
4. ATM machine or customer service?
Thanks in advance,
gaspipe
There’s many such guides, I wrote one, you can find it at NoonRadar.com/blogs/news/70839235-closing-redbird-to-sign-up-for-serve-or-bluebird-step-by-step-guide
TY NoonRadar, you helped me out by getting a redbird a while back. I have the old school Serve card. My goal is to goto a Simmon’s Mall and buy one or two $1k GC from them. Can I then goto Walmart and load them. Which is the most efficient process using $1k GC?
I am a bit confused on what credit cards can be used to load Serve online and receive points/miles?
I use the FIA AMEX to load mine. Works great. I also have bank account with Fidelity so the 2% is redeemed directly into that account. I turn around and take that 2% and pay extra principal on my mortgage out of that same account.
Only Amex cards issued by banks other than Amex earn points. Fidelity Investment Rewards Amex is probably the best option. Also consider US Bank FlexPerks Amex
With great sadness I went to Walmart today……there was no Kate so I went to the Customer Service cashier and asked to load my Serve which I did for 2 separate 500 transactions……..two questions: 1. Could have have done a single 500 load at a normal cashier? 2. How many loads could/would I have been able to do at the Customer cashier stand (these were all VGC…………??
See you at Newport Beach………….
1. Yes
2. Depends on the store/manager/employee. Some limit to $2,000 total, for example. Others don’t have specific limits.
Back in Feb. 2015, there’s an incident and thers’s article on Miles to Memories Blog about it, “Latest With Loading Gift Cards at Walmart – Worrisome But Mixed Reports”
http://milestomemories.boardingarea.com/gift-card-load-bluebird-serve/
After the demise of RedBirds, I convered back to AMEX Serve and was waiting for my new card. Other members told me they had no issues to load PIN Enabled VGC/MGC onto BlueBird/Serve in WM or WM Neighborhood at cash register or KATE. I am a little confused now. I live in Bay Area and I saw lots of “No Go for GCs” comments these readers had left on the blog in the past 6 months. Please advise. Thanks.
About two hours ago, I bought a $25.00 card (US Bank) at Kroger and immediately went to the Walmart Kate and successfully loaded one of my Serve cards from the US Bank card. The transaction was smooth with no hiccups and this was in Roswell, GA. Although I don’t load my Serve very often with the US Bank debit cards, I am thinking of doing this more via the Wells Fargo 5% Grocery card (i.e. buy $500 US Bank cards and immediately load them onto Serve).
It seems like serve has punted the whole blue vs green vs silver thing, and gone back to the original product. Their website has no mention of other serve flavors, just the original one, with the original fee structure.
I only seem to find the other serve flavors by clicking on direct links to ‘sign up’ from various blog posts.
Never mind, go to the ‘help’ page and then all the other serve flavors are there with their own fee charts, which contradict the fee structure shown on the main page… I digress… Just going to get One VIP and be done with it.
UGGGH. I initiated a withdrawal of what was left in my account last night (like $30). Still hasn’t cleared so I can’t close my account!
well the email worked. i had to change the phone number 😛 go figure
[…] the exact Profile details in you REDbird account. FrequentMiler recommends opening the new account with exact profile details of the old one, especially the same […]
Just cancelled my Redbird. 10 minutes later I submitted my One VIP application and was declined because I have an existing Redbird account. I’m assuming it takes a little time for the system to clear out the old account? Anyone have experience on how long they waited after cancelling Redbird before they were approved for a new Serve card?
yeah got the same problem here.
I’ve been able to apply for Serve immediately after cancelling REDbird. Some questions for you:
1) Did you make sure that all bill payments had cleared before closing REDbird?
2) Did you make sure that your identity info (email and phone, for example) on the Serve app were exactly the same as on your REDbird account?
I thought it has to be a DIFFERENT email
Planning to switch back from redbird to serve, any issue with buying the temp serve card from CVS with credit card? And then register online to get the permanent card ?
I guess I need to switch my Redbird for a Bluebird card now. But If I can’t use Vanilla gift cards/debit cards to load the Bluebird card at Walmart, then how do I load it?
I’ve never had any problem loading Bluebird / Serve with the US Bank-backed cards I can buy at Kroger. Never tried the Vanilla cards. Note that always load via KATE (look that up if you don’t know what it is).
Given the dead Redbird situation, I plan to switch to Serve as well. Does it matter if my husband sets up his own account or should it be a sub account of mine? Does it matter? Thanks!
[…] Recently I wrote about my experience switching one of my REDbird cards to Serve. Please see: The switch: REDbird to Serve. You’ll find what amounts to a step by step guide in the section titled “Smooth Sailing”. […]
[…] The switch: REDbird to Serve […]
Well, with no SBS this year, I guess that changes things with regards to this post!
LOL. Yes it does change an important detail! I still think I’ll switch one more card over though.
Amex offers seem to have gotten a lot stingier as of late as well. Let’s hope it’s a temporary lull and not a long-term trend!
After the CC loading for Redbird stopped, I switched to Serve and haven’t looked back. I’ve ended up with three Serve cards and three Fidelity 2% CC’s that I use to fund each card. Making $60.00 back per month for minimal effort is worth it (loading $200.00 / day * 3 cards is a pain but it doesn’t take very long). I’ve always wanted to pay my mortgage with a CC and this solution works for me.