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
Jun 8, 2014, 10:26 am
#4216
Join Date: May 2003
Location: CA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,879
Jun 8, 2014, 11:11 am
#4217
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,060
FIA Amex is NOT Amex! Call your CC and see if it is having an isue, or login or use the app and see if there was a fraud alert
Jun 8, 2014, 11:30 am
#4218
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS
Programs: SPG Plat. Marriott Plat. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Diamond. IHG Plat.
Posts: 2,580
Jun 8, 2014, 6:13 pm
#4219
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 66
Any way to cancel a payment?
I sent a <1000 payment to misspelled version of the intended email, because it popped up first and I wasn't careful. This is not the end of the world, but it is annoying to have to let the payment sit there unclaimed for 30 days before it's returned.
I did search this thread and googled this question. A previous poster claimed to have canceled a transaction within a few hours but didn't provide details. My current search indicates that you can cancel a payment only from "authorized payments", but this payment wasn't set up that way.
If anyone has successfully canceled an AP payment, I'd like to know how to do so. If not, I'll just wait for it to be returned. Thanks.
I did search this thread and googled this question. A previous poster claimed to have canceled a transaction within a few hours but didn't provide details. My current search indicates that you can cancel a payment only from "authorized payments", but this payment wasn't set up that way.
If anyone has successfully canceled an AP payment, I'd like to know how to do so. If not, I'll just wait for it to be returned. Thanks.
Jun 8, 2014, 6:25 pm
#4220
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,207
I sent a <1000 payment to misspelled version of the intended email, because it popped up first and I wasn't careful. This is not the end of the world, but it is annoying to have to let the payment sit there unclaimed for 30 days before it's returned.
I did search this thread and googled this question. A previous poster claimed to have canceled a transaction within a few hours but didn't provide details. My current search indicates that you can cancel a payment only from "authorized payments", but this payment wasn't set up that way.
If anyone has successfully canceled an AP payment, I'd like to know how to do so. If not, I'll just wait for it to be returned. Thanks.
I did search this thread and googled this question. A previous poster claimed to have canceled a transaction within a few hours but didn't provide details. My current search indicates that you can cancel a payment only from "authorized payments", but this payment wasn't set up that way.
If anyone has successfully canceled an AP payment, I'd like to know how to do so. If not, I'll just wait for it to be returned. Thanks.
Jun 8, 2014, 7:11 pm
#4221
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 62
For A > B, I send money to a trusted friend. Can my friend (B) withdraw money into my bank account (which is in my name) from his account?
I currently have $300 in my account balance. Is there a way to set aside the $300 ...so that when I "Send Money" to "B," it's from a CC / gift card? Or do I need to drain the $300 first?
I currently have $300 in my account balance. Is there a way to set aside the $300 ...so that when I "Send Money" to "B," it's from a CC / gift card? Or do I need to drain the $300 first?
Jun 8, 2014, 7:41 pm
#4222
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 829
as long as he/she has YOUR banking account registered to HIS/HER AP account.
there can be complications.
I currently have $300 in my account balance. Is there a way to set aside the $300 ...so that when I "Send Money" to "B," it's from a CC / gift card? Or do I need to drain the $300 first?
Jun 8, 2014, 8:05 pm
#4223
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 66
Well, if had been an actual purchase, I might do that. I'll just let this resolve in 30 days. And pay closer attention next time!
Jun 9, 2014, 12:03 am
#4224
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
Are you sure this is accurate? I routinely leave a small amount in my AP account, whether it be a few cents for $2-3. But when I send higher dollar amounts (ex $400), it never drains my account balance first.
Jun 9, 2014, 7:10 am
#4225
Join Date: May 2014
Location: GSP
Posts: 129
Jun 9, 2014, 8:08 am
#4226
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 829
I always drain my account before sending money, so I have no experience of my own here.
Jun 9, 2014, 8:10 am
#4227
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 829
so June 18, eh?
not sure it is good or bad for us, but seems like things are going to change..
Jun 9, 2014, 8:48 am
#4228
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 253
I am not sure it will have any affect on AP as we know it, as that service is intended to facilitate direct payments from one party to another on a per-transaction basis (and which provides Amazon a potential upside in that the receiving party can instantly take payment in the form of Amazon credit). It sounds like the new push is to have Amazon be the payment backbone for subscription-based services.
Jun 9, 2014, 12:02 pm
#4230
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
I did late last week. I've been using AMEX gift card ordered thru their website and have been able to empty the card completely. I use the expiration date trick and have never been rejected. I don't know why I haven't had any issues but I ain't complaining.