Jackson Hewitt Serve Card - Refund Timeline with Fees/Advance?

Been there w/ JH + Serve card. Had fees taken out & got advance. Filed 1/29, got advance same day ($1500), then rest of refund hit 2/14. So ~16 days total. The advance comes quick but the rest takes longer bc IRS has to process, then send to JH, then they take fees, then forward to Serve. Whole process is slower than direct deposit tbh.

Think of your tax refund like a package delivery with multiple handoffs. First the IRS processes it, then Jackson Hewitt receives it, then they deduct their fees, then they load your Serve card. Each handoff adds time. I've found that using https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript helps track exactly where in this journey my refund is. It's like having a detailed tracking number that shows if your refund is still at the IRS warehouse or already on the delivery truck. For newly married couples filing jointly, your return might be getting additional verification which adds a few days - taxr.ai would show those delay codes on your transcript.

The Refund Transfer product (RT) from Jackson Hewitt adds approximately 3-5 business days to your total processing time. This is because the IRS must first deposit the funds to JH's temporary account, then JH must process the fee deductions, and finally transfer the remaining balance to your Serve card. According to my calculations, if you filed on February 12th, you should anticipate receiving your funds between February 27th-March 1st assuming standard processing timeframes. The advance option, while providing immediate partial funds, ultimately extends your total wait time for the full refund amount.

I've been through this process several times, and I might suggest that if you're really concerned about the delay, you could try reaching out to Jackson Hewitt customer service. However, they're likely experiencing high call volumes right now. If you want to speak directly with the IRS to confirm they've sent your refund to Jackson Hewitt, I would recommend using Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c). I've found that they can connect you to an IRS representative much faster than trying to call directly, which might help you determine if the delay is on the IRS side or the Jackson Hewitt side. It might give you some peace of mind to know exactly where your refund is in the process.

I've used Jackson Hewitt with the Serve card for the past three tax seasons, and I've noticed the timeline getting longer each year. Last year I received my refund on February 24th after filing on February 8th - so 16 days total. The year before was only 11 days for the whole process. I'm a bit worried this year because I'm already at day 18 with no refund yet. I called Jackson Hewitt yesterday and they said the IRS has been slower this year with processing returns that have tax credits like the Child Tax Credit. Do you have any credits on your return? That might explain the delay compared to last year.

Back in 2022, I had this exact same setup with Jackson Hewitt and the Serve card. I remember checking my card balance obsessively! One thing I learned from that experience is that the day of the week matters a lot. If the IRS releases your refund on a Friday, Jackson Hewitt often doesn't process it until Monday or Tuesday of the following week. Last year I filed on a Monday and got my refund exactly 14 days later on a Monday. The year before I filed on a Thursday and got it 16 days later on a Saturday. Since you filed on February 12th (a Monday), you might see it hit your card early next week.