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-   -   Amazon Payments (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1144591-amazon-payments.html)

Vitaforce Dec 3, 2012 11:17 pm

A few years ago, I took a survey which required me to open an Amazon Payments account in order to receive payment. Since then, I haven't used the service. I am hesitant to provide my SSN due to ID theft possibilities. What's the worst that will happen if I don't provide my SSN? Will I still be able to use regular Amazon.com for shopping? I could care less about Amazon Payments since I've only used it once. I don't want to jeopardize my regular Amazon.com account.

LAX88 Dec 3, 2012 11:28 pm


Originally Posted by Vitaforce (Post 19792057)
A few years ago, I took a survey which required me to open an Amazon Payments account in order to receive payment. Since then, I haven't used the service. I am hesitant to provide my SSN due to ID theft possibilities. What's the worst that will happen if I don't provide my SSN? Will I still be able to use regular Amazon.com for shopping? I could care less about Amazon Payments since I've only used it once. I don't want to jeopardize my regular Amazon.com account.

You don't need to provide it. Amazon.com doesn't need to know your SSN for making purchases. They just need it to comply with certain IRS disclosure requirements that could be triggered (though technically not through "free" use) from Amazon Payments use.

echip Dec 3, 2012 11:30 pm


Originally Posted by Vitaforce (Post 19792057)
A few years ago, I took a survey which required me to open an Amazon Payments account in order to receive payment. Since then, I haven't used the service. I am hesitant to provide my SSN due to ID theft possibilities. What's the worst that will happen if I don't provide my SSN? Will I still be able to use regular Amazon.com for shopping? I could care less about Amazon Payments since I've only used it once. I don't want to jeopardize my regular Amazon.com account.


I am sure that you don't think you need to provide ssn in order to shop at Amazon.
You Amazon Payments is not the same as your regular Amazon shopping account.

If you don't use Amazon Payments account, why not just send an email to request them close it?

NYBanker Dec 4, 2012 3:13 am


Originally Posted by Vitaforce (Post 19792057)
A few years ago, I took a survey which required me to open an Amazon Payments account in order to receive payment. Since then, I haven't used the service. I am hesitant to provide my SSN due to ID theft possibilities. What's the worst that will happen if I don't provide my SSN? Will I still be able to use regular Amazon.com for shopping? I could care less about Amazon Payments since I've only used it once. I don't want to jeopardize my regular Amazon.com account.

Amazon may not like certain payment system usage. Even if they turn you off from the payment system, I struggle to see them precluding you from purchases.

IAkH Dec 4, 2012 12:38 pm


Originally Posted by Vitaforce (Post 19792057)
I don't want to jeopardize my regular Amazon.com account.

I've had a few Amazon Payments accounts locked without any problem using Amazon.com. You'll be fine

dajoip Dec 5, 2012 7:19 am

Does AP limit you to $1k in payments every calendar month, or every 30-day period?

i.e. could I pay $1k on Dec. 31 and then another $1k on Jan. 1, or would I have to wait until Jan. 31?

TheMileGuy Dec 5, 2012 7:22 am


Originally Posted by dajoip (Post 19799963)
Does AP limit you to $1k in payments every calendar month, or every 30-day period?

i.e. could I pay $1k on Dec. 31 and then another $1k on Jan. 1, or would I have to wait until Jan. 31?

I believe it is calendar month.

Achilles Dec 5, 2012 7:24 am


Originally Posted by dajoip (Post 19799963)
Does AP limit you to $1k in payments every calendar month, or every 30-day period?

i.e. could I pay $1k on Dec. 31 and then another $1k on Jan. 1, or would I have to wait until Jan. 31?

calendar month

elBulli Dec 5, 2012 9:32 am

Definitely calendar month. I've made $1,000 in payments on the 31st and then another $1,000 the next day on the 1st.

$2,000 closer to minimum spend in two days!

dajoip Dec 5, 2012 9:35 am


Originally Posted by elBulli (Post 19800712)
Definitely calendar month. I've made $1,000 in payments on the 31st and then another $1,000 the next day on the 1st.

$2,000 closer to minimum spend in two days!

Thanks! I'm going to do exactly this with my Chase SW cards to get much closer to the CP and the additional $10k in spending immediately after Jan. 1st.

iahphx Dec 5, 2012 9:43 am

my experience
 
I learned about AP a couple of months ago after I bought the "wrong" Vanilla card (the ones you can't load to Bluebird) and needed a way to "get rid of it." I've since experimented a bit to see what works and what doesn't.

What does seem to work is having my wife send me up to $1000 in gift cards in a calendar month. No problems at all. $500 Vanillas, any other gift card, etc. As long as she doesn't send me more than $1000 in a calendar month, it's fine. She's even sent me gift cards with my own name attached. I've kept the money flowing only one way (wife to me), to avoid the problems other folks have mentioned here.

What hasn't worked so well is setting up AP accounts in my under-18 children's names and trying to send us money, or send money between themselves. They all have SS numbers, and bank accounts in their own names. I've gotten a couple transactions through, but then they've been shut down. Not officially, but when I try to send money from them, I get error messages.

I set up the kids' AP accounts to get around the $1000 monthly limit, but obviously that isn't working (even though some of them already had regular Amazon accounts to take advantage of free Prime offers). And that's OK with me, because unless I'm churning gift cards, $1000 a month is enough to get rid of the random gift cards I wind up with. For instance, Penfed credit cards now pay their cashback in gift cards instead of statement credits. I can dump these gift cards that way. And I've taken advantage of supermarkets giving me free food for buying gift cards (like $60 in store credit if you buy a $500 gift card). $1000 a month takes care of these gift cards. I'd love to have the flexibility to "cash in" more, but this is still a very useful tool.

hsilman Dec 5, 2012 10:02 am


Originally Posted by iahphx (Post 19800781)
What hasn't worked so well is setting up AP accounts in my under-18 children's names and trying to send us money, or send money between themselves. They all have SS numbers, and bank accounts in their own names. I've gotten a couple transactions through, but then they've been shut down. Not officially, but when I try to send money from them, I get error messages.

I set up the kids' AP accounts to get around the $1000 monthly limit, but obviously that isn't working (even though some of them already had regular Amazon accounts to take advantage of free Prime offers). And that's OK with me, because unless I'm churning gift cards, $1000 a month is enough to get rid of the random gift cards I wind up with. For instance, Penfed credit cards now pay their cashback in gift cards instead of statement credits. I can dump these gift cards that way. And I've taken advantage of supermarkets giving me free food for buying gift cards (like $60 in store credit if you buy a $500 gift card). $1000 a month takes care of these gift cards. I'd love to have the flexibility to "cash in" more, but this is still a very useful tool.

If the accounts are legitimate and they are actual people with real SSN, ie. your children, you could try e-mailing amazon payments customer support.

My wife and my accounts were frozen in the same way, and after a while I decided it couldn't hurt to e-mail them. I told them that sending money abck and forth between us doesn't violate any of the TOS and we use the service to split up different bills, something like that. Since we aren't violating the ToS, why have the accounts been disabled/frozen?

Got a response the next day saying, "ok then" basically. Haven't had a problem since.

slider34 Dec 5, 2012 10:21 am


Originally Posted by hsilman (Post 19800899)
If the accounts are legitimate and they are actual people with real SSN, ie. your children, you could try e-mailing amazon payments customer support.

My wife and my accounts were frozen in the same way, and after a while I decided it couldn't hurt to e-mail them. I told them that sending money abck and forth between us doesn't violate any of the TOS and we use the service to split up different bills, something like that. Since we aren't violating the ToS, why have the accounts been disabled/frozen?

Got a response the next day saying, "ok then" basically. Haven't had a problem since.

Question do you send money to your wife (deposit via credit card), withdrawl then do it the other way wife sends money to you (deposit via credit card), withdrawl?

I'm currently only sending one way, easily hit my bonuses that way but hitting 2 of the BA Visa's 20K bonus will be more difficult...

iahphx Dec 5, 2012 10:49 am


Originally Posted by hsilman (Post 19800899)
If the accounts are legitimate and they are actual people with real SSN, ie. your children, you could try e-mailing amazon payments customer support.

My wife and my accounts were frozen in the same way, and after a while I decided it couldn't hurt to e-mail them. I told them that sending money abck and forth between us doesn't violate any of the TOS and we use the service to split up different bills, something like that. Since we aren't violating the ToS, why have the accounts been disabled/frozen?

Got a response the next day saying, "ok then" basically. Haven't had a problem since.

Interesting. Yes, my kids are "real," and the ss numbers I gave them are real. But they're under 18. Can you legitimately use AP if you're under 18?

Not sure I want to get Amazon involved in this. At least as long as my and my wife's AP accounts are still working. It would obviously be nice to be able to "move" more gift cards in a month (like I'd go buy some at Office Depot with my Ink card), but we're not talking big money. The $1000 I get from moving gift cards from my wife's AP account to my bank account takes care of our "regular" needs.

amolkold Dec 5, 2012 12:12 pm


Originally Posted by DaveInLA (Post 19778574)
I have the gist of AP, but can someone confirm that AMEX gift cards (such as from BigCrumbs, withOUT the raised numbers) can be used to load Amazon Payments at $1000/month? Thanks

Yes. There are tricks to get it done faster though, without "the wait."


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