Benefits of the American Express Serve® Cash Back Card

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for American Express Serve. I applied for the Serve Cash Back card to facilitate my review and received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Free Monthly Budget Printable via AllyJeanBlog

Setting a budget each month (and sticking to it) is the key to getting and staying out of debt. I have found that I am much more disciplined about my spending when my husband and I sit down and make a budget. That way we both know how much we can spend each month in different categories like groceries, fuel and utilities and how much we can save. Most months go as planned, but every now and then I am totally thrown for a loop, which isn’t good for my Type A personality. I like things to be organized, predictable and consistent. So what happens when an unexpected expense pops up, such as an emergency room visit or car repair? As many of you know, one unexpected payment can cause you to quickly fall behind.

The key to not falling behind is planning ahead. That means putting money into an “emergency fund,” aka savings account every month. That way you have extra money set aside if you need it for unexpected expenses. Another great way to stay within your budget and get ahead is to put your spending to good use by using a cash back card. In the past, the only way you could earn cash back on your purchases was from a credit card or debit card. The major downside is many of those cards don’t have reasonable spending limits and they charge you fees to use them (that doesn’t help you get ahead!). The new American Express Serve® Cash Back prepaid debit card is the perfect alternative!

The American Express Serve Cash Back card is the first and only prepaid debit card to offer cash back. Not only can you earn 1% back on every dollar you spend (online or in stores), you receive your cash back immediately! That means every time you spend money, you earn money. It’s a win-win!

Benefits of the American Express Serve Card

• Easy to Use – Earn 1% cash back on every purchase you make. Simply add money to your card using one of the following options: free Direct Deposit, cash reload at a retail location, mobile check deposit (via the mobile app) or bank transfer.
• Convenient – Pay bills, buy groceries, shop online, withdraw cash from over 24,000 MoneyPass® ATMs and use virtually anywhere American Express Cards are accepted. Use the American Express Serve Mobile app to check your balance and recent transactions, pay bills on the go, deposit checks and send money to family or friends who have a Serve account.
• World Class Customer Service – help available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Purchase Protection – protects eligible purchases made with the Card against accidental damage and theft for up to 90 days from the date of purchase
• Roadside Assistance Hotline –  provides reliable service in case of emergency
• Access to special offers, content and more from top brands on Facebook, Foursquare, and Twitter.

There is a low monthly fee of $5.95 to use the American Express Serve Cash Back card (no fee in TX, NY, VT). This gives you access to free direct deposit, free online bill pay and free in-network ATM withdrawals. If you use the card in replacement of a credit or debit card to handle all of your monthly expenses, you can easily make up the fee with the cash back you will earn.

The American Express Serve Cash Back prepaid debit card is a great option if you not only want to limit your spending, but also earn cash back on your purchases. If this sounds like the perfect card for you, you can order your American Express Serve Cash Back card online for free and have it delivered to your home. You can also purchase the card at select retailers for up to $3.95 (fee depends on the retailer). There are no credit checks, minimum balances or hidden fees.

I’ll be trying the card out myself over the next few weeks, and will be sharing about my experience in another post, so stay tuned for that!