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
Jan 18, 2012, 10:10 am
#153
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Midwest
Programs: AA Advantage Platinum, United 1K, Marriott Rewards Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 395
Jan 18, 2012, 10:14 am
#154
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 385
I think he tried to send 1k from one account, and more money from a different account with the same credit card. The second account didn't allow payment because it was over 1k (even though he hadn't sent any money on that second account yet)
That's just my understanding of what he said though....
That's just my understanding of what he said though....
Jan 18, 2012, 12:30 pm
#155
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 18
Earning Miles with Chase Freedom via Amazon Payments?
REQUIREMENT: Chase Freedom and Case Sapphire Card.
So sending money via Amazon Payments with a credit card is currently categorized as 'purchase'. With that said, Chase Freedom Card is offering 5% cash back for Amazon purchases. A savy opportunist can send money to a trustful family relative using the Chase Freedom Card. After earning 5%, combine points with the Chase Sapphire and redeem for miles at a 1:1 ratio. Or you can simply cash out. Anyone game?
RISK: Chase can catch on and re-categorize your Amazon 'purchase'.
WARNING: I have not actually tried this. It is strictly theory.
Heres the math.
Sending $9,900 via Amazon Payments using method above will earn 49,500 miles at a cost of $1237.80 or 2.5 cpm given transaction cost of 2.5% + 0.30 for all transaction between $3K-10K
So sending money via Amazon Payments with a credit card is currently categorized as 'purchase'. With that said, Chase Freedom Card is offering 5% cash back for Amazon purchases. A savy opportunist can send money to a trustful family relative using the Chase Freedom Card. After earning 5%, combine points with the Chase Sapphire and redeem for miles at a 1:1 ratio. Or you can simply cash out. Anyone game?
RISK: Chase can catch on and re-categorize your Amazon 'purchase'.
WARNING: I have not actually tried this. It is strictly theory.
Heres the math.
Sending $9,900 via Amazon Payments using method above will earn 49,500 miles at a cost of $1237.80 or 2.5 cpm given transaction cost of 2.5% + 0.30 for all transaction between $3K-10K
Jan 18, 2012, 1:00 pm
#157
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: AA PLT 2MM
Posts: 2,026
No I didn't answer my own question with my comment..If you read my comment intelligently, you could answer it intelligently...but you didnt. There are threads in other blogs that indicate using the same cc for multiple accounts doesn't affect anything....There was another trigger....
Perhaps you hit some other 'trigger', and then they manually investigated and the same CC across accounts 'confirmed' what the trigger found?
I would consider using same CC across multiple accounts rather lazy and reckless, even if you don't seem to get caught the first few times. Kind of like driving home after consuming a pint of whiskey. Might make it home without incident that particular evening, but, I wouldn't count on such success every time.
Couldn't get an additional cardmember with a different number? If Citi, couldn't spend the extra 3 minutes and generate a virtual account number?
At any rate, obviously you know best since it's clearly working out so well for you.
Jan 18, 2012, 1:12 pm
#158
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO, SJC
Programs: UA, AA, AS, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 707
I just sent ~$500 to myself on AP using the Chase Freedom card. Will check in the next statement or two if I get the 5% back.
Like others have said, AP keeps warning me to enter a SSN now. I still haven't done it yet, but as of now, it's still allowing me to send/receive payments without a SSN.
Like others have said, AP keeps warning me to enter a SSN now. I still haven't done it yet, but as of now, it's still allowing me to send/receive payments without a SSN.
Jan 18, 2012, 1:51 pm
#159
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 131
Jan 18, 2012, 6:20 pm
#160
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 364
I think he tried to send 1k from one account, and more money from a different account with the same credit card. The second account didn't allow payment because it was over 1k (even though he hadn't sent any money on that second account yet)
That's just my understanding of what he said though....
That's just my understanding of what he said though....
Jan 18, 2012, 6:21 pm
#161
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 364
Ever consider that the trigger might not be just 'one thing' ?
Perhaps you hit some other 'trigger', and then they manually investigated and the same CC across accounts 'confirmed' what the trigger found?
I would consider using same CC across multiple accounts rather lazy and reckless, even if you don't seem to get caught the first few times. Kind of like driving home after consuming a pint of whiskey. Might make it home without incident that particular evening, but, I wouldn't count on such success every time.
Couldn't get an additional cardmember with a different number? If Citi, couldn't spend the extra 3 minutes and generate a virtual account number?
At any rate, obviously you know best since it's clearly working out so well for you.
Perhaps you hit some other 'trigger', and then they manually investigated and the same CC across accounts 'confirmed' what the trigger found?
I would consider using same CC across multiple accounts rather lazy and reckless, even if you don't seem to get caught the first few times. Kind of like driving home after consuming a pint of whiskey. Might make it home without incident that particular evening, but, I wouldn't count on such success every time.
Couldn't get an additional cardmember with a different number? If Citi, couldn't spend the extra 3 minutes and generate a virtual account number?
At any rate, obviously you know best since it's clearly working out so well for you.
it is not working. i tried same card to a different amazon payment account with same info of mine but it is getting declined
Jan 20, 2012, 10:25 am
#163
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 364
not working any more , no matter how many different accounts u create, max is $1k per month and after that it won't work on any other accounts you created