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
May 8, 2014, 12:16 pm
#4081
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
May 8, 2014, 12:27 pm
#4082
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: San Diego
Posts: 14
Were you maxing out the 1000 every month on all 10 accounts? How many months were you able to last before the shutdown? Did any of the accounts share the same CC or bank accounts?
May 9, 2014, 4:26 pm
#4083
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: SPG Platinum, Marriott LT Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, AA Platinum Pro, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 215
hehe, good catch
"the $20,000 is calculated based on unadjusted gross payment volume. Unadjusted gross payment volume means the total payments received, unadjusted for fees or refunds. The amount that you receive in your Amazon Payments account is the gross payment amount for the transaction, even if a rebate applies or the transaction is later refunded."
"the $20,000 is calculated based on unadjusted gross payment volume. Unadjusted gross payment volume means the total payments received, unadjusted for fees or refunds. The amount that you receive in your Amazon Payments account is the gross payment amount for the transaction, even if a rebate applies or the transaction is later refunded."
Sending - $250 * 4 = $1000 = 4 Transactions
Receiving - $250 * 4 = $1000 = 4 Transactions
Does that mean 8 transactions for the SSN or 4 transactions (sending)?
Thanks!
** Also, failed transactions do not count towards the "transaction" limit right? Just to double check
Last edited by jazzmailman; May 9, 2014 at 4:32 pm
May 9, 2014, 5:12 pm
#4084
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Orange County, CA
Programs: Delta PM | US PP | Hilton Gold
Posts: 288
Just checked my 4 accounts and all is good SO FAR.
We all have the same last name. I always unload AMEX GC on Amazon. It's always a complete circle.
I should expect an email soon...
We all have the same last name. I always unload AMEX GC on Amazon. It's always a complete circle.
I should expect an email soon...
May 13, 2014, 2:17 pm
#4091
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE, AA EXP MM, UA Gold MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, HH Dia, IHG Plat
Posts: 4,777
Withdrawing Funds Question
This has probably been asked before, but......
Can funds be withdrawn by an authorized user to the bank account of someone else....a relative, that is? Or do the names have to match?
Can funds be withdrawn by an authorized user to the bank account of someone else....a relative, that is? Or do the names have to match?
May 13, 2014, 2:30 pm
#4092
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Plat, SPG & Marriott Gold, CC Silver
Posts: 541
I know the bank won't care, but Amazon might. As far as the bank is concerned, if you want to give someone else money, fine by them. It's only withdrawals where the names need to match.
May 13, 2014, 2:55 pm
#4094
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
May 13, 2014, 10:12 pm
#4095
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SEA
Posts: 62
I have read the entire thread and some 4k posts. Took some time. I would appreciate comments on the following:
post #3894, March 31, healthnut, and the suggestion that the AP account be independent of the Amazon account. My earlier reading suggested that it was a good thing to have the accounts linked; especially if credit cards entered in AP were not showing up.
Post #3968, sharka, suggests that A>B is somehow problematic. I don't see that from the rest of the thread.
I saw a reference to ghostery during a discussion of IP addresses but that product does not seem particularly helpful. There are some VPN services out there. Anyone use Hotspot Shield VPN?
Current plan based on what I have read is: A > B..that is it. $800-$900 monthly. Separate bank accounts. Two or three different transactions. Product/services. Comments?
post #3894, March 31, healthnut, and the suggestion that the AP account be independent of the Amazon account. My earlier reading suggested that it was a good thing to have the accounts linked; especially if credit cards entered in AP were not showing up.
Post #3968, sharka, suggests that A>B is somehow problematic. I don't see that from the rest of the thread.
I saw a reference to ghostery during a discussion of IP addresses but that product does not seem particularly helpful. There are some VPN services out there. Anyone use Hotspot Shield VPN?
Current plan based on what I have read is: A > B..that is it. $800-$900 monthly. Separate bank accounts. Two or three different transactions. Product/services. Comments?