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
Mar 20, 2013, 7:43 pm
#1876
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHL, maybe EWR
Programs: Plat IHG, Marriott Rewards Silver, CSP, Ink Bold, USDM, *Wood Gold, AA, Club Carl
Posts: 285
The man's living the dream @:-)...no wonder he doesn't answer FT emails!
Can't. He's too busy with an underwater project.
Mar 21, 2013, 6:37 am
#1877
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
No, you are done with this now. Cardinal Fang will likely let your account receive money then lock it once the money has transferred. Unless you want to risk tying your money up for an indefinite period, move on. With each passing month since January, the good cardinal has gotten more efficient in account shut down. One thought - see if you can fund KIVA loans with the cards via PayPal.
First time having an AP account shut down after a pending transaction. Good thing no fund was held up. Two question for those who had account shut down before:
1. The email says "All pending transactions have been canceled and your Amazon Payments accounts closed," but only one account was closed. What happened to you guys' other accounts?
2. After one account got shut down, did you guys use other accounts soon after and was that fine, at least for a couple months? I only have 3k Amex GCs to cash out and after this I'm done.
1. The email says "All pending transactions have been canceled and your Amazon Payments accounts closed," but only one account was closed. What happened to you guys' other accounts?
2. After one account got shut down, did you guys use other accounts soon after and was that fine, at least for a couple months? I only have 3k Amex GCs to cash out and after this I'm done.
Mar 21, 2013, 6:43 am
#1878
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
It is very unpredictable and increasingly risky. Unless you are well capitalized and have a large risk tolerance, move on. If you don't live in the lesser 49, there are some better opportunities now in Texas. If you live in the lesser 49, buy luggage.
Mar 21, 2013, 4:19 pm
#1879
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SFO
Posts: 46
Can anyone please help me out with some math real quick? I have 21,503 points in my NFL card account and a 0 balance. What size AP transaction do I need to make to redeem them all as a statement credit and not have any points left over? I will likely never use the card again. Thanks
Mar 21, 2013, 6:05 pm
#1880
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,347
Can anyone please help me out with some math real quick? I have 21,503 points in my NFL card account and a 0 balance. What size AP transaction do I need to make to redeem them all as a statement credit and not have any points left over? I will likely never use the card again. Thanks
I think at most you can transfer $200 or $210 and have a balance left over but that depends at that increments they let you redeem.
Mar 21, 2013, 7:56 pm
#1881
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: JFK > LGA >> EWR
Programs: AA EXP 1.2mm, Kimpton IC, Starwood Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,180
Texas? What's special there?
Mar 22, 2013, 3:21 am
#1884
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Manchester,UK and NYC
Programs: One Pass, BAEC, AA
Posts: 708
Can anyone please help me out with some math real quick? I have 21,503 points in my NFL card account and a 0 balance. What size AP transaction do I need to make to redeem them all as a statement credit and not have any points left over? I will likely never use the card again. Thanks
So it would seem $215.00 AP would be 21,500 points.
There is a thread on FW that goes into much more detail - I dont have the link but it comes up on search.
Mar 22, 2013, 6:46 am
#1885
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Gotta be a local Texas resident to help recapitalize many of our financial institutions. The Bank of the Biker, Buffalo Soldier and others just aren't taking offshore deposits from you poor souls in the lesser 49.
Mar 25, 2013, 12:40 pm
#1890
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AS MVP Gold, TK *Gold, HHonors Gold, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 570
hello - just wondering how most of you are handling AP.
we've setup a group of four for monthly AP payments A -> B, B- > C, C -> D and D -> A. each month we vary the setup so one person only ever sends money to the same person every third month and we also transfer a different, odd amount of money always less than 1000.
This works like a charm (for now) but is ripe for plucking as Amazon can easily see that each month the same amount of $$$ go in and out of the account each month.. I can of course devise something a bit more complicated to vary the amounts paid out (so inflow != outflow), get more ppl involved to mix up transactions but I've been known to overcomplicate things..
how do you guys typically use it? is your setup more complicated than mine or am I just over thinking this?
Cheers,
we've setup a group of four for monthly AP payments A -> B, B- > C, C -> D and D -> A. each month we vary the setup so one person only ever sends money to the same person every third month and we also transfer a different, odd amount of money always less than 1000.
This works like a charm (for now) but is ripe for plucking as Amazon can easily see that each month the same amount of $$$ go in and out of the account each month.. I can of course devise something a bit more complicated to vary the amounts paid out (so inflow != outflow), get more ppl involved to mix up transactions but I've been known to overcomplicate things..
how do you guys typically use it? is your setup more complicated than mine or am I just over thinking this?
Cheers,