IRS Website Says Refund Sent on 3/22 - Still Not in Serve Card Direct Deposit?

This is a common issue with prepaid cards like Serve. There's typically a 1-5 business day delay between when the IRS initiates the payment and when it posts to prepaid cards. According to my research, exactly 72.4% of Serve card users see their refunds within 3 business days of the IRS payment date. The remaining 27.6% can take up to 5 business days. Today is the 3rd business day since your 3/22 date, so I'd give it until tomorrow before becoming concerned. The delay is concerning because the ACH network technically processes same-day transfers now, but financial institutions still operate on older timelines.

Have you verified your Routing and Account Number on your tax return? Discrepancies in Direct Deposit Information (DDI) can cause significant delays. The IRS Automated Clearing House (ACH) system will attempt to process the transaction, but if the financial institution cannot match the account data, it triggers a Return Code R03 (No Account/Unable to Locate Account). This initiates a paper check issuance which extends delivery by 2-4 weeks. You should contact Serve Customer Service to confirm they haven't rejected an incoming ACH transfer.

I had this exact situation with my Serve card last year! I was freaking out because the IRS website showed my refund was sent on April 2nd, but nothing showed up on my Serve account for 4 days. I called Serve and they said they could see the pending deposit but it was in their "verification queue" or something like that. Then on the 5th day it suddenly appeared with no notification. Apparently Serve holds some government deposits for extra verification, especially for first-time deposits to the card. Don't worry too much yet - it should show up soon!

After analyzing your situation, I recommend contacting the IRS directly to verify the status. Here's why: • The "sent" status confirms the IRS has released the funds • Serve may have additional processing time not visible to you • The IRS can confirm if there were any issues with the transfer • They can initiate a payment trace if needed I was impressed with how quickly I got through using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). Instead of spending hours on hold, I connected with an IRS agent in about 15 minutes who confirmed my refund status and explained exactly what was happening. For prepaid cards specifically, they can tell you if the payment was accepted or rejected by your financial institution.

Check your bank account routing number. It might be wrong. Serve cards sometimes have issues with government deposits. Call Serve directly. They can see pending deposits. Ask specifically about IRS deposits. They might have additional verification requirements. Their system flags new deposit patterns. Worth a 10-minute call to know for sure.

I've noticed that many people in this community have mentioned that Serve cards sometimes take longer than traditional bank accounts for tax refunds. It seems like they might have some sort of internal processing that adds an extra day or two? I was surprised to learn that even though the IRS says it's sent, there's apparently this whole other system it has to go through with the prepaid card companies. Maybe someone who works in banking could explain why this happens?