Nov 10, 2013, 11:26 am
Last edit by: mcdullhk88
Dead as of 10/13/14
FAQ's
Is Amazon Payments treated as a cash advance? No CC issuer has been reported as treating an AP transaction as a cash advance unless the sender selected "Payment is for Cash Advance" on the Send Money screen.
What does it mean when your payment is "pending"? Your payment will be reviewed. We are unsure whether this review is done by a human or computer. It should take less than 24 hours but is usually within minutes.
How should you describe your payment? "Goods or services" will allow you to charge with a CC and it will not be treated as a cash advance. Note: If you choose cash advance, it may be treated as such by your CC issuer; always choose Goods/Services. There is no reason to put anything in the optional description field - leave it blank.
What is the monthly limit for sending CC payments? $1,000 per calendar month per AP account
What is the monthly limit for receiving CC payments? $1,000 per calendar month per AP account
What if it is not allowing me to send/receive more than $500 or any at all? You probably have not verified your bank and/or added a CC. In order to get the full $1,000 allowance for sending and receiving you must have a bank verified AND a CC added to your account as a payment method.
Does AP qualify for special spending categories? Specifically it qualifies for Discover's (usually 4th quarter) category of online purchases but so far, not Chase's "5% CB on Amazon.com purchases." Refer to thread for other options.
Can you get shutdown? Yes.
How do you get shutdown? No one knows. Anecdotes are found throughout the thread. Some suspicious behavior that MIGHT get your AP account(s) shut down is listed below.
Which transaction is most advisable? A -> B -> C -> A (see here)
Are any fees charged during this process? No, not by Amazon Payments. If your transaction is treated as a cash advance by your card issuer--fees are possible. Beware and always double check that goods/services is selected!
Can you liquidate Amazon GC via AP? NO!
Can you liquidate other gift cards via AP? Yes. Note that you cannot liquidate the full value of a GC because amazon places a $1 hold while it verifies the validity of the GC. You can sometimes (not always) avoid the hold by entering an incorrect expiration date for the GC when adding it to your AP account, and after you have added it, go to "Edit my account settings," then to "Add edit or delete my credit cards" and edit the expiration date there.
When does the month end? It appears as if Amazon is on pacific time, so midnight PDT/PST is when the month resets.
It bears repeating that no one knows the methodology amazon uses to police AP transactions, determines which transactions violate its T&Cs, or identifies violators. However, various people in this thread and elsewhere have confirmed that their AP account(s) were shut down for the following reasons:
Additionally, we have updated the terms and conditions of our User Agreement (https://payments.amazon.com/help/Personal-Accounts/User-Agreement-Policies/User-Agreement) that apply to your use of the products and services provided by Amazon Payments. Our updated User Agreement revises certain terms (including, among other things, the elimination of person-to-person payments). Our new User Agreement will become effective on October 13, 2014, which is more than 30 days from when we first posted our updated User Agreement. By continuing to use our services after October 13, 2014, you are agreeing to be bound by the terms and conditions of our new User Agreement.
Is Amazon Payments treated as a cash advance? No CC issuer has been reported as treating an AP transaction as a cash advance unless the sender selected "Payment is for Cash Advance" on the Send Money screen.
What does it mean when your payment is "pending"? Your payment will be reviewed. We are unsure whether this review is done by a human or computer. It should take less than 24 hours but is usually within minutes.
How should you describe your payment? "Goods or services" will allow you to charge with a CC and it will not be treated as a cash advance. Note: If you choose cash advance, it may be treated as such by your CC issuer; always choose Goods/Services. There is no reason to put anything in the optional description field - leave it blank.
What is the monthly limit for sending CC payments? $1,000 per calendar month per AP account
What is the monthly limit for receiving CC payments? $1,000 per calendar month per AP account
What if it is not allowing me to send/receive more than $500 or any at all? You probably have not verified your bank and/or added a CC. In order to get the full $1,000 allowance for sending and receiving you must have a bank verified AND a CC added to your account as a payment method.
Does AP qualify for special spending categories? Specifically it qualifies for Discover's (usually 4th quarter) category of online purchases but so far, not Chase's "5% CB on Amazon.com purchases." Refer to thread for other options.
Can you get shutdown? Yes.
How do you get shutdown? No one knows. Anecdotes are found throughout the thread. Some suspicious behavior that MIGHT get your AP account(s) shut down is listed below.
Which transaction is most advisable? A -> B -> C -> A (see here)
Are any fees charged during this process? No, not by Amazon Payments. If your transaction is treated as a cash advance by your card issuer--fees are possible. Beware and always double check that goods/services is selected!
Can you liquidate Amazon GC via AP? NO!
Can you liquidate other gift cards via AP? Yes. Note that you cannot liquidate the full value of a GC because amazon places a $1 hold while it verifies the validity of the GC. You can sometimes (not always) avoid the hold by entering an incorrect expiration date for the GC when adding it to your AP account, and after you have added it, go to "Edit my account settings," then to "Add edit or delete my credit cards" and edit the expiration date there.
When does the month end? It appears as if Amazon is on pacific time, so midnight PDT/PST is when the month resets.
It bears repeating that no one knows the methodology amazon uses to police AP transactions, determines which transactions violate its T&Cs, or identifies violators. However, various people in this thread and elsewhere have confirmed that their AP account(s) were shut down for the following reasons:
- Associating one credit card number with more than one AP account (Be Careful if authorized user card has the same number as the primary card holder - in some instances the CC numbers are completely different)
- Associating one bank account with more than one AP account
Amazon Payments
Jul 19, 2014, 10:48 pm
#4516
Suspended
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, AS, DL, BA, F9, IHG Plat, HH Gold, CC Gold, SPG Gold, MR Silver
Posts: 1,786
Everything you ever wanted to know about AP
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...-payments.html
Mods please merge this into the AP thread
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...-payments.html
Mods please merge this into the AP thread
Jul 20, 2014, 6:03 am
#4517
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
Just applied for chase sapphire preferred credit card & I must spend $3000 in 3 months to receive the sigh-in bonus of 40,000 miles. Here is my concern
Myself is the working person with full time job. The card is in my name & wife is added as an authorized user. After doing lot of research I have come to know that "Amazon Payment" is the most effective way to fulfill the $3000 spending requirement. My questions are:
1) Can I create an "Amazon Payment" for my wife on my own? Obviously we live together & share same address. Wife will never ever send me money (I will be the one who will do the work).
2) I will send $1000 each month to wife's "Amazon Payment" account & then will transfer the money to our joint HSBC checking account. If there any rules I must follow while transferring money to checking account? To be safe I will wait 1 week after "Amazon Payment" to "Amazon Payment" transaction.
3) I understand I need to provide wife's SSN to open "Amazon Payment" account. Will this cause any concerning when we file taxes end of the year? Wife a housewife with $0 income & she is my dependent.
4) Opening up "Amazon Payment" account just to meet the credit card minimum spending require is something I have done before & a bit worried thinking whether or not we will run into any problem in future with IRS?
5) I will opening out account at the same time after receiving the card. Will that raise any concern with Amazon or Chase or IRS?
At the end, I will close by myself saying that I will never even transfer more than $1000 between out "Amazon Payment" accounts & To be safe I will wait 1 week after "Amazon Payment" to "Amazon Payment" transaction. Please guide me if I am missing anything or breaking the Law. Any guidance or tips will be extremely appreciated.
Many Thanks In Advance.
Myself is the working person with full time job. The card is in my name & wife is added as an authorized user. After doing lot of research I have come to know that "Amazon Payment" is the most effective way to fulfill the $3000 spending requirement. My questions are:
1) Can I create an "Amazon Payment" for my wife on my own? Obviously we live together & share same address. Wife will never ever send me money (I will be the one who will do the work).
2) I will send $1000 each month to wife's "Amazon Payment" account & then will transfer the money to our joint HSBC checking account. If there any rules I must follow while transferring money to checking account? To be safe I will wait 1 week after "Amazon Payment" to "Amazon Payment" transaction.
3) I understand I need to provide wife's SSN to open "Amazon Payment" account. Will this cause any concerning when we file taxes end of the year? Wife a housewife with $0 income & she is my dependent.
4) Opening up "Amazon Payment" account just to meet the credit card minimum spending require is something I have done before & a bit worried thinking whether or not we will run into any problem in future with IRS?
5) I will opening out account at the same time after receiving the card. Will that raise any concern with Amazon or Chase or IRS?
At the end, I will close by myself saying that I will never even transfer more than $1000 between out "Amazon Payment" accounts & To be safe I will wait 1 week after "Amazon Payment" to "Amazon Payment" transaction. Please guide me if I am missing anything or breaking the Law. Any guidance or tips will be extremely appreciated.
Many Thanks In Advance.
just know that for her to be able to withdraw funds to her bank acct, you will have to link to a bank acct whether business or personal. If you choose business, you will be asked to enter your EIN; if you click the personal account, you will be asked for her DL # and state it was issued. Then if your bank allows instant verification where you type in your userID and PW to your bank acct online (I do NOT recommended this), your bank account will be verified instantly. It doesn't take long to verify via the regular process (takes 1 to 2 days) where you enter the routing number of your bank plus your acct number. AP will deposit 2 small amounts and once you verify those deposits, she can then withdraw the amount you sent her to your joint bank account.
Good luck!
Jul 20, 2014, 8:07 am
#4518
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 129
anyone doing AP from abroad?
My permanent home is US but currently living north of the border. I have US address, SSN and long credit history. I am currently trying to open AP account but not being successful. (I am going through the verification process to open the AP account, and my fax/emails are being sent from abroad)
Is there anyone using AP from abroad? I have read somewhere that they don't like foreign IP but I can't find concrete info on this.
Is there anyone using AP from abroad? I have read somewhere that they don't like foreign IP but I can't find concrete info on this.
Jul 20, 2014, 8:54 am
#4519
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 186
My permanent home is US but currently living north of the border. I have US address, SSN and long credit history. I am currently trying to open AP account but not being successful. (I am going through the verification process to open the AP account, and my fax/emails are being sent from abroad)
Is there anyone using AP from abroad? I have read somewhere that they don't like foreign IP but I can't find concrete info on this.
Is there anyone using AP from abroad? I have read somewhere that they don't like foreign IP but I can't find concrete info on this.
Jul 22, 2014, 3:51 pm
#4520
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Delta, AA, USairways, BA, United, Hilton Honors Diamond, SPG Plat , Marriott, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 122
Is there a way to use the AP $1k/mo as a single person? I don't have a wife/family member to game this with, but I have several businesses? Looks like creating a 2nd AP account for a business is not an option (requires SSN).
Jul 22, 2014, 11:08 pm
#4521
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 45
Here's my situation:
I have an account for me and one for my wife. Same address and same joint bank account, different personal info of course, with SSNs.
I created four other accounts for my parents and two sisters. All of them share the address (different from mine) with, again, different personal info (name, ssn, dob). I used one bank account for them, though it was different from mine.
Three accounts shut down in one day (mine, wifes, and moms). When I called to find out, they said "I had multiple accounts, trying to enhance the $1k spending limit". I told the lady I only have one account, feel free to check. She told me to send an email to [email protected].
Anyone had any luck opening an account that they claimed to have had multiple accounts, even though I don't? What should be the next step? I was pretty happy with the $6k spend a month for free.
I have an account for me and one for my wife. Same address and same joint bank account, different personal info of course, with SSNs.
I created four other accounts for my parents and two sisters. All of them share the address (different from mine) with, again, different personal info (name, ssn, dob). I used one bank account for them, though it was different from mine.
Three accounts shut down in one day (mine, wifes, and moms). When I called to find out, they said "I had multiple accounts, trying to enhance the $1k spending limit". I told the lady I only have one account, feel free to check. She told me to send an email to [email protected].
Anyone had any luck opening an account that they claimed to have had multiple accounts, even though I don't? What should be the next step? I was pretty happy with the $6k spend a month for free.
Last edited by J4Jets; Jul 23, 2014 at 12:14 am
Jul 22, 2014, 11:21 pm
#4522
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 565
Here's my situation:
I have an account for me and one for my wife. Same address and same join bank account, different personal info of course, with SSNs.
I created four other accounts for my parents and two sisters. All of them share the address with, again, different personal info (name, ssn, dob). I used one bank account of them, though it was different from mine.
Three accounts shut down in one day (mine, wifes, and moms). When I called to find out, they said "I had multiple accounts, trying to enhance the $1k spending limit". I told the lady I only have one account, feel free to check. She told me to send an email to [email protected].
Anyone had any luck opening an account that they claimed to have had multiple accounts, even though I don't? What should be the next step? I was pretty happy with the $6k spend a month for free.
I have an account for me and one for my wife. Same address and same join bank account, different personal info of course, with SSNs.
I created four other accounts for my parents and two sisters. All of them share the address with, again, different personal info (name, ssn, dob). I used one bank account of them, though it was different from mine.
Three accounts shut down in one day (mine, wifes, and moms). When I called to find out, they said "I had multiple accounts, trying to enhance the $1k spending limit". I told the lady I only have one account, feel free to check. She told me to send an email to [email protected].
Anyone had any luck opening an account that they claimed to have had multiple accounts, even though I don't? What should be the next step? I was pretty happy with the $6k spend a month for free.
Jul 23, 2014, 12:12 am
#4523
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 45
6 different people, with different SSN, and DoB. Everything I entered was correct. I may use (have used?) 6 accounts, but they all have their own credit cards. I don't see why that would be considered multiple accounts, unless they are restricting the number of accounts to one per household rather than one per person.
Jul 23, 2014, 2:04 am
#4524
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 116
6 different people, with different SSN, and DoB. Everything I entered was correct. I may use (have used?) 6 accounts, but they all have their own credit cards. I don't see why that would be considered multiple accounts, unless they are restricting the number of accounts to one per household rather than one per person.
What would make it even more obvious is if you used not only the same computer, but also the same browser for all six people. Web sites can easily put what they call a cookie in your browser, and then when all six people have the same cookie...
I don't care either way. I see your point. But I can also see Amazon blurring the lines a little because of a money transfer pattern they notice...
Jul 23, 2014, 9:25 am
#4525
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: Marriott, Radisson, AA, UA
Posts: 360
This is the problem:
Here's my situation:
I have an account for me and one for my wife. Same address and same joint bank account, different personal info of course, with SSNs.
I created four other accounts for my parents and two sisters. All of them share the address (different from mine) with, again, different personal info (name, ssn, dob). I used one bank account for them, though it was different from mine.
Three accounts shut down in one day (mine, wifes, and moms). When I called to find out, they said "I had multiple accounts, trying to enhance the $1k spending limit". I told the lady I only have one account, feel free to check. She told me to send an email to [email protected].
Anyone had any luck opening an account that they claimed to have had multiple accounts, even though I don't? What should be the next step? I was pretty happy with the $6k spend a month for free.
I have an account for me and one for my wife. Same address and same joint bank account, different personal info of course, with SSNs.
I created four other accounts for my parents and two sisters. All of them share the address (different from mine) with, again, different personal info (name, ssn, dob). I used one bank account for them, though it was different from mine.
Three accounts shut down in one day (mine, wifes, and moms). When I called to find out, they said "I had multiple accounts, trying to enhance the $1k spending limit". I told the lady I only have one account, feel free to check. She told me to send an email to [email protected].
Anyone had any luck opening an account that they claimed to have had multiple accounts, even though I don't? What should be the next step? I was pretty happy with the $6k spend a month for free.
Jul 23, 2014, 11:52 am
#4526
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 45
Yeah I realized that after reading this thread. Didn't even know this thread existed until yesterday. Was about to open a Serve account so Im doing my complete hw before I dive in to that now though. Any idea if anyone has had any success getting their AP account reopened?
Jul 23, 2014, 12:51 pm
#4527
Join Date: May 2014
Location: New York
Posts: 391
Yeah I realized that after reading this thread. Didn't even know this thread existed until yesterday. Was about to open a Serve account so Im doing my complete hw before I dive in to that now though. Any idea if anyone has had any success getting their AP account reopened?
Let us know what happens.
Jul 24, 2014, 4:37 pm
#4528
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 148
Question about using AP (and a credit card to get points) and rent:
I'm the primary on the credit card (with spouse as authorized user) and have a joint checking account with my spouse. My spouse also has own checking without my name.
Can I use AP to send $ to my spouse's personal checking account using the credit card as payment without raising any red flags?
I'm the primary on the credit card (with spouse as authorized user) and have a joint checking account with my spouse. My spouse also has own checking without my name.
Can I use AP to send $ to my spouse's personal checking account using the credit card as payment without raising any red flags?
Jul 24, 2014, 5:06 pm
#4529
Join Date: May 2014
Location: New York
Posts: 391
Jul 25, 2014, 4:12 pm
#4530
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Delta, AA, USairways, BA, United, Hilton Honors Diamond, SPG Plat , Marriott, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 122
I'm planning to do this with brother and mother (3 accounts total, all same last name). Will use different browser per user and different bank account (and of course different personal info eg DOB / SNN). Will I most likely be fine?
Last edited by queensgambit; Jul 25, 2014 at 4:17 pm