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
Apr 20, 2014 | 7:28 am
#3976
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 756
Also my own family members were shut down after 6 mths for doing A-B-A back and forth sending. So yes they do check and with more people doing Amz now, (and some abusing the system) its just a matter of time before they get more restrictive.
Apr 20, 2014 | 9:21 am
#3977
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 6,227
I've sent AP to my spouse using a visa. All was fine. I want to MS using a different card now, but it is actually in his name. If I send him an AP using an Amex that is issued in his name (and is in both our regular Amazon accounts for purchasing), does anyone think that will get flagged?
Apr 20, 2014 | 8:06 pm
#3980
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS
Programs: SPG Plat. Marriott Plat. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Diamond. IHG Plat.
Posts: 2,580
Apr 21, 2014 | 10:10 am
#3981
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,616
Apr 21, 2014 | 11:10 am
#3982
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS
Programs: SPG Plat. Marriott Plat. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Diamond. IHG Plat.
Posts: 2,580
Apr 21, 2014 | 11:22 am
#3983
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Astraveln
Programs: AA ex Plat, IC Plat , Hilton Diamond
Posts: 491
I've sent AP to my spouse using a visa. All was fine. I want to MS using a different card now, but it is actually in his name. If I send him an AP using an Amex that is issued in his name (and is in both our regular Amazon accounts for purchasing), does anyone think that will get flagged?
I have a similar question. I want to use my card credit card on the girlfriends account to send money to me.
IE 1k from me to her.....on one credit card in my name. let her liquidate it.
then use a different card to send 1k from her account to mine(Card in my name) then I would liquidate that.
Note: she has a different address.
Basically, just looking to generate 2k in MS a month.
Does this work?
Apr 21, 2014 | 12:32 pm
#3984
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS
Programs: SPG Plat. Marriott Plat. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Diamond. IHG Plat.
Posts: 2,580
Anyone know the answer to the above.
I have a similar question. I want to use my card credit card on the girlfriends account to send money to me.
IE 1k from me to her.....on one credit card in my name. let her liquidate it.
then use a different card to send 1k from her account to mine(Card in my name) then I would liquidate that.
Note: she has a different address.
Basically, just looking to generate 2k in MS a month.
Does this work?
I have a similar question. I want to use my card credit card on the girlfriends account to send money to me.
IE 1k from me to her.....on one credit card in my name. let her liquidate it.
then use a different card to send 1k from her account to mine(Card in my name) then I would liquidate that.
Note: she has a different address.
Basically, just looking to generate 2k in MS a month.
Does this work?
A > B
B > A
Not sure how long you'll be able to keep it up.
$1K back and forth.
Apr 21, 2014 | 1:26 pm
#3985
Join Date: May 2003
Location: CA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,879
Anyone know the answer to the above.
I have a similar question. I want to use my card credit card on the girlfriends account to send money to me.
IE 1k from me to her.....on one credit card in my name. let her liquidate it.
then use a different card to send 1k from her account to mine(Card in my name) then I would liquidate that.
Note: she has a different address.
Basically, just looking to generate 2k in MS a month.
Does this work?
I have a similar question. I want to use my card credit card on the girlfriends account to send money to me.
IE 1k from me to her.....on one credit card in my name. let her liquidate it.
then use a different card to send 1k from her account to mine(Card in my name) then I would liquidate that.
Note: she has a different address.
Basically, just looking to generate 2k in MS a month.
Does this work?
Suspect that will get flagged fairly quickly because the name on the CC matches the name that the money is being sent TO. Plus it is an A-B-A transaction.
Apr 21, 2014 | 2:32 pm
#3986
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 6,227
Apr 21, 2014 | 2:36 pm
#3987
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 6,227
Anyone know the answer to the above.
I have a similar question. I want to use my card credit card on the girlfriends account to send money to me.
IE 1k from me to her.....on one credit card in my name. let her liquidate it.
then use a different card to send 1k from her account to mine(Card in my name) then I would liquidate that.
Note: she has a different address.
Basically, just looking to generate 2k in MS a month.
Does this work?
I have a similar question. I want to use my card credit card on the girlfriends account to send money to me.
IE 1k from me to her.....on one credit card in my name. let her liquidate it.
then use a different card to send 1k from her account to mine(Card in my name) then I would liquidate that.
Note: she has a different address.
Basically, just looking to generate 2k in MS a month.
Does this work?
Apr 21, 2014 | 3:10 pm
#3988
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 450
NO ONE knows what AP's shutdown strategy is. Some people get shutdown for one thing, but others continue to do that SAME thing and are fine. Just find your comfort, do it until you eventually get shutdown. I've used same CC number across several accounts and never had an issue, but some do and get shutdown. I never complete the loop, but lots of people do and have no issue. Use a different IP address, or use the same one. Send $1000 or send 3 installments of $333.33 to "stay under the radar" 
Don't make this too complicated.
Don't make this too complicated.
Apr 21, 2014 | 4:15 pm
#3990
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS
Programs: SPG Plat. Marriott Plat. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Diamond. IHG Plat.
Posts: 2,580
