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
Feb 1, 2013 | 11:01 am
#1608
Used to be garyjr316
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX or SBA
Programs: AAdvantage, MileagePlus, Gold Passport, Hilton HHonors, Marriott
Posts: 800
Feb 1, 2013 | 11:31 am
#1610
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Just watch out - 1,000 points in your pocket, but the matching $1,000 may end up in Cardinal Fang's pocket.
I'm not making my collection rounds all at once anymore because of Fang's sticky fingers. Doing transactions one after another only after the cash is back safe in my hands. Fang owes me $500 and I'm all steamed up about it. Figure one day I when I'm done running transactions I will get around to asking for the $500 back.
That will be the day after the Wall Street Journal article comes out and NPR runs a story about Jungle Fever.^
Update - another fine day in Zombieland. Even with numerous closed accounts, I'm doing the monthly run through the jungle.
"Whoa, thought it was a nightmare,
Lo, it's all so true,
They told me, "Don't go walkin' slow
'Cause Fang's on the loose."
I'm not making my collection rounds all at once anymore because of Fang's sticky fingers. Doing transactions one after another only after the cash is back safe in my hands. Fang owes me $500 and I'm all steamed up about it. Figure one day I when I'm done running transactions I will get around to asking for the $500 back.
That will be the day after the Wall Street Journal article comes out and NPR runs a story about Jungle Fever.^Update - another fine day in Zombieland. Even with numerous closed accounts, I'm doing the monthly run through the jungle.
"Whoa, thought it was a nightmare,
Lo, it's all so true,
They told me, "Don't go walkin' slow
'Cause Fang's on the loose."
Last edited by AlohaDaveKennedy; Feb 2, 2013 at 5:26 pm
Feb 2, 2013 | 8:21 am
#1612
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Fort Myers, FL
Programs: Hilton Gold, SPG & IHG Plat, & every airline program that I can join
Posts: 2,279
Stupid question, I forgot to register a card to be able to use it online before trying to make a payment and it failed. Now it is giving me the exceeded max payments error when trying to send the same amount from the now registered card. Will this drop off, or do I now have to wait until March?
Feb 2, 2013 | 10:02 am
#1614
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: DL DM Hub Captive, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, PC Plat, and other stuff.
Posts: 905
Stupid question, I forgot to register a card to be able to use it online before trying to make a payment and it failed. Now it is giving me the exceeded max payments error when trying to send the same amount from the now registered card. Will this drop off, or do I now have to wait until March?
Feb 2, 2013 | 10:02 am
#1615
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Fort Myers, FL
Programs: Hilton Gold, SPG & IHG Plat, & every airline program that I can join
Posts: 2,279
JudyJFLA
Feb 2, 2013 | 10:15 am
#1616
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 709
Feb 2, 2013 | 10:31 am
#1617
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 639
Ive never needed to register a gift card to unload it on AP.
Yup - usually returns in a few hours or the next day.
Did you remember to send $1 less than the balance on the gift card? AP places a $1 authorization charge on new cards. And I have a bunch of gift cards with $1
Yup - usually returns in a few hours or the next day.
Did you remember to send $1 less than the balance on the gift card? AP places a $1 authorization charge on new cards. And I have a bunch of gift cards with $1
when you reg the card the first time with amazon, change the exp date so it is incorrect.
after reg, go back in and correct exp date, then load $500.
Feb 2, 2013 | 11:01 am
#1618
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Fort Myers, FL
Programs: Hilton Gold, SPG & IHG Plat, & every airline program that I can join
Posts: 2,279
Thanks!
As for the $1 issue, I try to add all cards, even the staples rebate ones to my AP accounts as soon as I get them, esp if waiting for next month so that the $1 drops off before use. A great way to finish off all those little amounts left over. I just have to keep the cards around for a bit to confirm they are totally used up before deleting them from the account and tossing them.
JudyJFLA
As for the $1 issue, I try to add all cards, even the staples rebate ones to my AP accounts as soon as I get them, esp if waiting for next month so that the $1 drops off before use. A great way to finish off all those little amounts left over. I just have to keep the cards around for a bit to confirm they are totally used up before deleting them from the account and tossing them.
JudyJFLA
Feb 2, 2013 | 11:06 am
#1619
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 639
Thanks!
As for the $1 issue, I try to add all cards, even the staples rebate ones to my AP accounts as soon as I get them, esp if waiting for next month so that the $1 drops off before use. A great way to finish off all those little amounts left over. I just have to keep the cards around for a bit to confirm they are totally used up before deleting them from the account and tossing them.
JudyJFLA
As for the $1 issue, I try to add all cards, even the staples rebate ones to my AP accounts as soon as I get them, esp if waiting for next month so that the $1 drops off before use. A great way to finish off all those little amounts left over. I just have to keep the cards around for a bit to confirm they are totally used up before deleting them from the account and tossing them.
JudyJFLA
Feb 2, 2013 | 11:19 am
#1620
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,689
Thanks!
As for the $1 issue, I try to add all cards, even the staples rebate ones to my AP accounts as soon as I get them, esp if waiting for next month so that the $1 drops off before use. A great way to finish off all those little amounts left over. I just have to keep the cards around for a bit to confirm they are totally used up before deleting them from the account and tossing them.
JudyJFLA
As for the $1 issue, I try to add all cards, even the staples rebate ones to my AP accounts as soon as I get them, esp if waiting for next month so that the $1 drops off before use. A great way to finish off all those little amounts left over. I just have to keep the cards around for a bit to confirm they are totally used up before deleting them from the account and tossing them.
JudyJFLA
2 amounts are your choice. Works well.^