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 5, 2012, 8:28 pm
#182
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Wrong clause! Look for a clause similiar to that illustrated in the Membership Rewards program:
"We reserve the right to add to and/or change the Membership Rewards® program (“program”) Terms & Conditions at any time."
Cardinal Fang of The Spanish Inquisition loves that clause and puts the equivalent in any document he can find in any company he works for! I ask you what fun is an Inquisition if you cannot make up the rules as you go along and sneak up on the unsuspecting card user when "Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition!"
"We reserve the right to add to and/or change the Membership Rewards® program (“program”) Terms & Conditions at any time."
Cardinal Fang of The Spanish Inquisition loves that clause and puts the equivalent in any document he can find in any company he works for! I ask you what fun is an Inquisition if you cannot make up the rules as you go along and sneak up on the unsuspecting card user when "Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition!"
I think I found the relevant portion of the User Agreement:
"You may not use your credit card to make payments to yourself or to add money to your account. If you use your credit or debit card to send payments for transactions that do not involve the sale of goods or services, you may be charged a cash advance or other fee directly by your card issuer."
"You may not use your credit card to make payments to yourself or to add money to your account. If you use your credit or debit card to send payments for transactions that do not involve the sale of goods or services, you may be charged a cash advance or other fee directly by your card issuer."
Feb 24, 2012, 8:01 am
#183
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EP; WN CP;UA SILVER; MARRIOTT TITANIUM; HH DIAMOND; IHG PLAT; RADISSON PLAT; HYATT GLOBAL
Posts: 1,938
Anyone tried to use amazonpayments recently? I have used since Nov, no problem for NOV.DEC.JAN transfers, this month was ready to do my FEB cycle, only oneway CC transfer to SO, then SO makes deposit to bank account, so just oneway, not shared, it seems that our accounts were closed 
No messages, just when I tried to log in, I was asked all the same info as if I were signing in for first time, no history in my account, but I used same info like SS#, DOB, address, etc!
Deal is dead for me then?
No messages, just when I tried to log in, I was asked all the same info as if I were signing in for first time, no history in my account, but I used same info like SS#, DOB, address, etc!
Deal is dead for me then?
Feb 24, 2012, 3:36 pm
#186
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 152
Anyone tried to use amazonpayments recently? I have used since Nov, no problem for NOV.DEC.JAN transfers, this month was ready to do my FEB cycle, only oneway CC transfer to SO, then SO makes deposit to bank account, so just oneway, not shared, it seems that our accounts were closed
No messages, just when I tried to log in, I was asked all the same info as if I were signing in for first time, no history in my account, but I used same info like SS#, DOB, address, etc!
Deal is dead for me then?
No messages, just when I tried to log in, I was asked all the same info as if I were signing in for first time, no history in my account, but I used same info like SS#, DOB, address, etc!
Deal is dead for me then?
Feb 24, 2012, 3:43 pm
#187
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Chicago
Posts: 231
If i sign up for amazon payment and so does my mom. We share an AMEX account with different card numbers, live at the same address. I know the max is 1k. So if i send 1k to her she deposits it into her bank account, then send me 1k and i deposit into my bank account would be ok, get banned, loss money?
Feb 26, 2012, 7:07 pm
#188
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 46
amazon seems to be deleting tons of accounts a bunch of my friends had a whole comlicated circle of accounts close 3 triggers some had same address some had same CC some had just kept on sending between 900-1000 a month all abruptly shut down. they called and amazon said they reserve the right to close accounts for no reason. some had socials..
Feb 27, 2012, 12:25 am
#191
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 385
Feb 27, 2012, 12:37 am
#192
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 138
Pretty sure the impact is limited to your Amazon Payments access. I got shut down abruptly last year, but my main Amazon buyer account is still fine (despite having the same email as one of the payment accounts that got suspended).
Feb 27, 2012, 7:47 am
#194
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
OK, is it dawning on you heretics that Cardinal Fang and The Spanish Inquisition is watching AP and the other payment systems closely and that this game requires sophisticated structuring to be profitable? Far too easy to color outside the lines with this game and go into the laundry business, so the red birds just ain't gonna show mercy if they notice you.
So, the solution is a cartel. But that takes alot of effort and requires alot of trust....
So, the solution is a cartel. But that takes alot of effort and requires alot of trust....
Feb 27, 2012, 7:50 am
#195
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PHX
Posts: 380
Same here, still using my main Amazon account with prime after I was shut down when this first started.