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
Oct 27, 2013, 1:47 pm
#2764
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 209
those fees were always in the T&C weren't they?
i guess 12/4 we'll all find out together. meanwhile... at least 2 more months of it regardless though.
Oct 27, 2013, 2:51 pm
#2766
Join Date: May 2003
Location: CA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,879
"Amazon Payments offers low, predictable pricing. You only pay when you process payment for a transaction made on your website. No monthly charges, long-term contracts, or hidden fees.
Amazon Payments fees are transaction-based. Your fee is based on a percentage of the transaction amount plus a per-transaction fee. Our standard rate is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for transactions of $10 or more. To help lower the cost of accepting payments, we offer discounts for volume, micropayments and processing donations. See below for details on our fees and discounts."
We are not processing payments on OUR own website. We are using the AP website so there should be no charge.
Don't write the death certificate yet.
Oct 27, 2013, 3:08 pm
#2767
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 291
I remember seeing those fees in the T&C when AP first started and think they are for commercial accounts.
Oct 27, 2013, 3:14 pm
#2768
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
I hope that's true. I've plotted out my MS for the next few months to determine if I need to apply for another card or two for my honeymoon - if this goes away that plan may need some tweaks.
Oct 27, 2013, 3:35 pm
#2769
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: USA
Programs: All of em...
Posts: 1,265
I don't think this applies to sending money on AP... those fees have been there. Had someone ask me 2 months ago before signing up if it was "really free" b/c they saw fees in the T&C. I said "Trust me, it's free."
Hope it holds up through Dec! Will change how many new CC's I can get!
Hope it holds up through Dec! Will change how many new CC's I can get!
Oct 27, 2013, 3:37 pm
#2770
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 149
Oct 27, 2013, 6:03 pm
#2771
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,671
Oct 27, 2013, 6:04 pm
#2772
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS
Programs: SPG Plat. Marriott Plat. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Diamond. IHG Plat.
Posts: 2,580
I apologize for any concerns our annual privacy notice has caused you. The limits of sending and receiving funds via credit card will be staying at $1000.
I can confirm that no service fees are applied from Amazon Payments for sending and receiving the limit of $1,000 per month. Please keep in mind that your credit card issuer can charge you a fee if “cash advance” is selected as a form of payment processing. This would be completely on the side of the credit card, and they would know more about any service fees they apply.
From Amazon Payments no fees will be applied for sending your monthly limit for the foreseeable future.
The e-mail you received is a simple notice informing you about our privacy practices, as well as how you can report errors or unauthorized transactions related to your Amazon Payments account – we’re required by law to send this annual notice to all of our account holders.
I can confirm that no service fees are applied from Amazon Payments for sending and receiving the limit of $1,000 per month. Please keep in mind that your credit card issuer can charge you a fee if “cash advance” is selected as a form of payment processing. This would be completely on the side of the credit card, and they would know more about any service fees they apply.
From Amazon Payments no fees will be applied for sending your monthly limit for the foreseeable future.
The e-mail you received is a simple notice informing you about our privacy practices, as well as how you can report errors or unauthorized transactions related to your Amazon Payments account – we’re required by law to send this annual notice to all of our account holders.
Oct 27, 2013, 7:08 pm
#2774
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 149