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 26, 2011, 11:43 pm
#32
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 22
im sorry if this has been asked/answered.... i have googled through 30 forums over the last two hours and still dont have a definative answer...
does anyone know, for a fact, that AMEX GCs will work on Amazon payments? any advise is appreciated...
thanks
budfrog
does anyone know, for a fact, that AMEX GCs will work on Amazon payments? any advise is appreciated...
thanks
budfrog
May 27, 2011, 5:21 am
#33
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 222
From experience, yes they do - just keep in mind Amazon payments monthly limits.
May 27, 2011, 6:45 am
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,644
Before I let this thread fade into obscurity...
I have tried this method from a number of different angles. It's possible to do, but involves a lot of pseudonyms, numerous bank accounts and a whole lot of hassle as AMZN takes a "practice dollar" from each card to verify that it is real.
It sounds easy on the surface, but it isn't. Trust me, from someone who has more time than common sense.
Mike
I have tried this method from a number of different angles. It's possible to do, but involves a lot of pseudonyms, numerous bank accounts and a whole lot of hassle as AMZN takes a "practice dollar" from each card to verify that it is real.
It sounds easy on the surface, but it isn't. Trust me, from someone who has more time than common sense.
Mike
May 27, 2011, 7:36 am
#35
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
Before I let this thread fade into obscurity...
I have tried this method from a number of different angles. It's possible to do, but involves a lot of pseudonyms, numerous bank accounts and a whole lot of hassle as AMZN takes a "practice dollar" from each card to verify that it is real.
It sounds easy on the surface, but it isn't. Trust me, from someone who has more time than common sense.
Mike
I have tried this method from a number of different angles. It's possible to do, but involves a lot of pseudonyms, numerous bank accounts and a whole lot of hassle as AMZN takes a "practice dollar" from each card to verify that it is real.
It sounds easy on the surface, but it isn't. Trust me, from someone who has more time than common sense.
Mike
Trust me, from someone who got a phone call from Amazon and is now banned from this service
Jun 4, 2011, 1:45 am
#36
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO, SJC
Programs: UA, AA, AS, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 707
Again, please let this thread fade into obscurity. If you have any questions, just private message someone from this thread (me included) and I'm sure they would be glad to help.
Aug 1, 2011, 5:21 pm
#41
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Everywhere
Programs: Who cares... status is a Red Herring.
Posts: 733
All I'm gonna say is that adding an authorized user is free and those cards go to your spend requirements... and I have family. :-)
Unfortunately, I have more family than IP addresses...
Unfortunately, I have more family than IP addresses...