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
Jul 27, 2012, 10:02 am
#542
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,401
Does anyone know if they verify the SSN? While I did give them my correct SSN what is to stop someone from giving a false SSN?
Jul 27, 2012, 10:09 am
#543
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,551
There are databases they can link up to that verify information. Possibly if you have someone else's DL and SSN both you can open an account in their name.
I know that when I opened an account for my wife, it was very shortly after she had gotten her green card and they wanted a lot of information, including copies of her social security card and possibly other documents. I didn't have to send them any of my documents, apparently they were all "in the system."
I know that when I opened an account for my wife, it was very shortly after she had gotten her green card and they wanted a lot of information, including copies of her social security card and possibly other documents. I didn't have to send them any of my documents, apparently they were all "in the system."
Jul 27, 2012, 4:18 pm
#544
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Okinawa
Posts: 2,611
They don't let you set up a bank account without the DL info. This caused a lot of problems with my wife's account as she has no US DL.
Jul 27, 2012, 5:24 pm
#545
Join Date: Apr 2012
Programs: 25 million points to burn!
Posts: 1,522
That's exactly right. In order to verify a bank account to send your AP money to you, they need to verify your DL. So again I ask (rhetorically, I already sent a PM!), how can anyone, without fake ID, set up a second AP account as you need both a DL and a SSN to verify your account?
Jul 27, 2012, 6:21 pm
#546
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Keep away from the dark side, kiddies! Cardinal Fang assures me there is a special place in hell for identity thieves.
There are databases they can link up to that verify information. Possibly if you have someone else's DL and SSN both you can open an account in their name.
I know that when I opened an account for my wife, it was very shortly after she had gotten her green card and they wanted a lot of information, including copies of her social security card and possibly other documents. I didn't have to send them any of my documents, apparently they were all "in the system."
I know that when I opened an account for my wife, it was very shortly after she had gotten her green card and they wanted a lot of information, including copies of her social security card and possibly other documents. I didn't have to send them any of my documents, apparently they were all "in the system."
Jul 27, 2012, 7:12 pm
#547
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,401
Amazon has never asked me for a DL number. You should be able to set up an account at a bank as well without a DL. A state ID or passport should work fine. There are people in this country that don't have a license and some that can't get one for medical reasons.
Jul 27, 2012, 7:51 pm
#548
Join Date: Apr 2012
Programs: 25 million points to burn!
Posts: 1,522
But those alternative IDs, Passport/State ID, are also unique. You can only have one, so my question remains (rhetorically!): How can you have multiple AP accounts when they require your SSN and DL/Passport/State ID? The legal versions of those documents are unique to each person.
Jul 28, 2012, 7:55 pm
#550
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: MSY
Programs: NW Gold and now Delta Gold
Posts: 3,072
No idea but it's 2012. You don't have a website? Who doesn't have a website? Hey, while I have you here, you can visit the only all peachfront conure website on the world wide web...
http://pfconure.diaryland.com/notloudpfs.html
It's free to make websites lots of places, not just diaryland but blogger, Wordpress, etc. And it's more fun than carrying all your stories and photos in your wallet...
Seriously, just spend 15 minutes making a mini blog at Wordpress or something. It's faster than debating about whether or not you "really" need a website.
http://pfconure.diaryland.com/notloudpfs.html
It's free to make websites lots of places, not just diaryland but blogger, Wordpress, etc. And it's more fun than carrying all your stories and photos in your wallet...
Seriously, just spend 15 minutes making a mini blog at Wordpress or something. It's faster than debating about whether or not you "really" need a website.
Jul 28, 2012, 8:09 pm
#551
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Why have your own website when your can have FT and its famous fake antivirus popups? Grrrrrr - annoying!
No idea but it's 2012. You don't have a website? Who doesn't have a website? Hey, while I have you here, you can visit the only all peachfront conure website on the world wide web...
http://pfconure.diaryland.com/notloudpfs.html
It's free to make websites lots of places, not just diaryland but blogger, Wordpress, etc. And it's more fun than carrying all your stories and photos in your wallet...
Seriously, just spend 15 minutes making a mini blog at Wordpress or something. It's faster than debating about whether or not you "really" need a website.
http://pfconure.diaryland.com/notloudpfs.html
It's free to make websites lots of places, not just diaryland but blogger, Wordpress, etc. And it's more fun than carrying all your stories and photos in your wallet...
Seriously, just spend 15 minutes making a mini blog at Wordpress or something. It's faster than debating about whether or not you "really" need a website.
Aug 2, 2012, 3:21 am
#553
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: AA, UA, DL, AS, LH, BA, VS, HHonors, Hyatt, Club Carlson, IHG, Marriott
Posts: 833
You will eventually be caught and the involved accounts suspended. They can easily tell when you access those accounts from the same computer and IP.