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Direct Deposit Date 3/22 with American Express Serve - Anyone Received Theirs?

This is my first time filing and I'm getting really nervous about my refund. WMR shows that I have a direct deposit date of 3/22 to my American Express Serve card, but I haven't received anything yet. I'm really counting on this money for some medical bills that are coming due. Has anyone with the same DDD and Serve card gotten their refund yet? Should I be worried? How long does it usually take for Serve to process the deposit after the DDD? I've been checking my account every hour...

Alana Willis

Here's what's happening with your Serve deposit: 1. The IRS has scheduled your deposit for 3/22, but this is just when they release the funds 2. Financial institutions typically receive the funds within 1-2 business days after the DDD 3. Serve specifically can take up to 5 business days to process deposits after receiving them 4. The IRS system operates on business days, so weekends don't count in processing time 5. Most people with Serve see deposits 1-3 days after their DDD, but this varies I'd recommend waiting until at least 3 full business days after your DDD before getting too concerned.

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Tyler Murphy

Wait, so does this mean we should expect delays with all prepaid cards? I've been waiting since Friday for mine to hit my Serve card too. Why would they give us a specific date if they don't actually deposit it then?

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15d

Sara Unger

I had the exact same DDD (3/22) with Serve last year. My deposit actually showed up the next day around 10am. But the year before it took 3 days! Serve is really inconsistent with how they process these deposits. One thing I learned - their customer service is useless until the money actually posts. They won't tell you anything about pending deposits.

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14d

Butch Sledgehammer

Thanks for breaking this down so clearly. I've been stressing about my deposit too, but this helps me understand the timeline better.

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12d

Sara Unger

I've dealt with Serve and tax refunds for years now. The DDD is just when the Treasury Financial Agent (TFA) initiates the ACH transfer to Serve's processing bank. Serve then has to verify the deposit against their internal validation protocols before releasing funds to your account. Their processing times vary widely based on current transaction volume and verification queue status. If you don't see anything by Monday, I'd recommend contacting Serve directly through their escalation pathway (not just regular customer service) to request a deposit trace on your incoming ACH from the Treasury.

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Freya Ross

I'm curious - does Serve actually tell you exactly when they receive the deposit from the IRS? I've heard some banks get the money early but hold it until the official date.

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13d

Butch Sledgehammer

I used Serve for my refund in 2023 and 2022. In my experience, they never tell you when they actually receive it from the IRS. The deposit just appears in your account suddenly. In 2023, it showed up exactly 48 hours after my DDD. In 2022, it took almost 4 days. The most frustrating part was calling their customer service - they couldn't (or wouldn't) tell me anything about pending deposits.

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11d

Leslie Parker

I really appreciate this detailed explanation! I was starting to panic since I need this money for my medical bills. Knowing there's an actual process and timeline helps a lot.

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10d

Sergio Neal

This waiting game is like watching water boil - the more you check, the longer it seems to take! I was in the same boat last year with my Serve card. When my deposit didn't show up 5 days after my DDD, I tried calling the IRS directly. Big mistake - spent hours trying to get through their phone maze. Then I found Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes. The agent confirmed my deposit had been sent but was held up in Serve's processing system. At least I knew it wasn't lost in the void! Sometimes just knowing where your money is stuck makes the waiting easier.

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Leslie Parker

Huh, never heard of this service before. Does it actually work? Seems kinda weird that you'd need a special service just to talk to the IRS. Shouldn't they just answer their phones?

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13d

Tyler Murphy

I think what's happening is that they're clarifying whether it's an IRS issue or a Serve issue. That makes sense to me.

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11d

Leslie Parker

Thanks for sharing this! I might need this if my deposit doesn't show up soon.

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10d

Leslie Parker

I appreciate the recommendation. It's good to know there's a way to actually talk to someone if this drags on much longer.

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10d

Alana Willis

FYI - there's something specific abt Serve cards you should know. Unlike some other prepaid cards, Serve doesn't show pending deposits AT ALL. So it literally goes from $0 to full amount instantly when they process it. Also, their app/website doesn't update in real-time - sometimes there's a 2-3 hr delay between when they process ur deposit and when it shows up in ur acct. Many ppl get worried unnecessarily bc of this. Pro tip: set up SMS alerts for deposits so you know the second it hits ur acct instead of constantly checking the app.

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Tyler Murphy

Is this true for all Serve cards? I have the American Express Serve FREE Reloads card and was told by a rep that they show pending deposits.

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13d

Sara Unger

I've had both the regular Serve and the Serve Cash Back card over the past few years. Neither one has ever shown pending deposits for me. I think the customer service reps often give incorrect information. I've literally had one tell me they show pending deposits and another tell me they don't - during the same week!

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11d

Butch Sledgehammer

Thank you for this explanation! I've been refreshing my app constantly, but I'll set up the SMS alerts instead.

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10d

Tyler Murphy

That explains why I'm not seeing anything yet. I'll stop obsessively checking the app every 5 minutes!

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10d

Freya Ross

According to Internal Revenue Manual section 21.4.1.4.7, the Treasury Department is required to release electronic funds transfers to financial institutions on the specified Direct Deposit Date. However, Section 31 CFR ยง 210.5 of the Treasury regulations allows financial institutions up to 5 business days to process these transfers without being in violation of ACH processing requirements. In the case of non-bank financial service providers like Serve, they often operate under different regulatory frameworks than traditional banks, which can result in additional processing time. I'd advise waiting until at least Tuesday before taking further action.

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Sergio Neal

Anyone else notice that Serve seems to process tax refunds differently than regular direct deposits? ๐Ÿค” My paycheck hits my Serve card instantly, but my tax refund last year took 2 days after the DDD. It's like they have a special holding pattern just for government deposits. Maybe they're earning interest on our money for those extra days? Just saying...

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Sara Unger

I've been tracking my refunds with Serve for the past three years, and I've noticed there's actually a pattern to when they release IRS deposits. In my experience, if your DDD falls on a Friday (like 3/22), Serve typically processes these over the weekend and they appear Monday morning. I've seen this happen consistently. Have you checked your account today? Many people in my tax groups are reporting their 3/22 DDDs hitting their Serve accounts this morning.

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