NEW YORK -- American Express has announced that its full-service reloadable prepaid account, Serve, will be available for purchase at 4,100 Walmart stores nationwide. These Walmart stores will also become a part of Serve's free cash reloading network.
Serve customers can now add cash to the account for free across 19,500 U.S. Walmart, CVS/pharmacy and participating 7-Eleven locations. The card can be purchased at CVS/pharmacy, Duane Reade, Family Dollar, Fred's Super Dollar, Office Depot, Sheetz
Walgreens and Walmart.
American Express launched Serve in 2011 and relaunched it in Oct. 2013 as a full-service reloadable prepaid account with a number of new features and retail distribution partners to make the management, movement and access to money more affordable and convenient.
When Serve relaunched in 2013, 7-Eleven became a partner enabling the free cash reload network; however, its convenience stores do not sell Serve cards. Sheetz c-stores became a distribution location for Serve cards in the Nov. 2013, but its stores currently are not part of the free cash reload network.
"By offering American Express Serve alongside Bluebird at Walmart, we're expanding our portfolio of products to meet the needs of more Walmart shoppers," said Dan Schulman, group president of enterprise growth at American Express. "Bluebird is a great option for the 'unhappily banked' who are looking for a true alternative to the fees and hidden charges often associated with debit and checking. With Serve, our full-service reloadable prepaid account, we can now provide the nearly 70 million Americans who are unbanked or underbanked a simple and affordable way to move and manage their money."
The addition of 4,100 Walmart stores to the Serve and InComm free cash reload network makes it the largest network in the United States.
Once a customer adds cash to an American Express Serve account at the register, the money is immediately available to spend in store or online where American Express cards are accepted. Customers can also use these funds to pay bills or transfer money from their balance available for everyday spending into a linked reserve to set aside money for future purchases like a vacation, big event or for emergency funds. Customers can add as much as $500 or as little as $20 in cash for free at the register.
Walmart will sell Serve for $1.95 in the prepaid section of checkout lanes and Walmart MoneyCenters. Bluebird by American Express will continue to be available for customers seeking an alternative to a checking or debit account.
For a $1 monthly fee, Serve offers customers the ability to direct deposit their paycheck for free, pay bills online for free, add checks to their account using mobile check capture and get free ATM withdrawals at more then 24,000 ATMs nationwide. American Express waives the monthly fee if customers use direct deposit to add money to their account or add $500 or more to their account during a monthly statement period.
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