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
Oct 26, 2012, 11:50 am
#871
Used to be garyjr316
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX or SBA
Programs: AAdvantage, MileagePlus, Gold Passport, Hilton HHonors, Marriott
Posts: 800
I'm using Amazon payments to cash out gift cards from FAR software deals. Will adding too many cards in a short time (e.g. 20 added cards in a month) raise a flag? Has anyone had situations whereby they got shutdown for adding too many cards?
I'm still keeping below the limit of $1k and spend about $700-800 each month.
I'm still keeping below the limit of $1k and spend about $700-800 each month.
Oct 26, 2012, 4:17 pm
#872
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: UA Gold, AA Gold, Hyatt Plat, SPG Gold, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Hertz Pres Circle, etc etc
Posts: 382
Really? Adding 20 cards? That is just asking to get attention brought to yourself which is what you DO NOT want to happen. I would definitely try and utilize a better place to spend them. You could sell some of them online as well. You'll only lose a small % on it but will be able to keep your Amazon account from looking suspicious.
Oct 27, 2012, 6:50 am
#873
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,060
EDIT: If you are referring to going to the bank to get a "cash advance" on those cards, I've tried it before and they won't work.
Oct 27, 2012, 12:59 pm
#875
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,060
Or go to the branch of the bank that issues the card(s) and see if they'll cash-advance all the funds out for you. Citi for example is particularly good about this for their gift cards. General rule is the card should have your name on it, and the card should be of the type where the numbers are embossed (raised, rather than flat on the card).
Oct 27, 2012, 1:14 pm
#876
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
As suggested - gas station, grocery store, etc. Just use them for normal spending.
Oct 27, 2012, 2:00 pm
#877
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,708
Use them for everyday spend. Or if you have a lot stacked up and want cash you can run them through Square until they close your account.
Oct 27, 2012, 5:07 pm
#878
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Oct 27, 2012, 10:18 pm
#880
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,060
Seriously guys, asking people to spend their FAR prepaid card is NOT helpful advice. I can't track these expenses using quicken, I lose my cashback, and it will probably take 6mth to spend that much. There's a reason why we look for ways to meet minimum spend without spending money...
Oct 27, 2012, 10:22 pm
#881
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Oct 27, 2012, 11:09 pm
#882
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,433
Seriously guys, asking people to spend their FAR prepaid card is NOT helpful advice. I can't track these expenses using quicken, I lose my cashback, and it will probably take 6mth to spend that much. There's a reason why we look for ways to meet minimum spend without spending money...
See the bluebird thread and go buy a refill card with a pile of them...
Or go buy a single combined gas card with the balance of them and leave it in your glovebox.
Oct 27, 2012, 11:47 pm
#883
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,184
I, like several others, have a stack of $100 MC debits from the recent Staples rebate (which was for the prepaids themselves, hence no check). These cards are a pain because they can't be used with Serve, and people are advising against the jungle. Any tips via PM for cashing out would be appreciated.
Oct 28, 2012, 12:10 am
#884
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: RDU
Posts: 679
I, like several others, have a stack of $100 MC debits from the recent Staples rebate (which was for the prepaids themselves, hence no check). These cards are a pain because they can't be used with Serve, and people are advising against the jungle. Any tips via PM for cashing out would be appreciated.
Ask for advice - advice given - advice not liked - ask for advice
Oct 28, 2012, 6:39 am
#885
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 774
I, like several others, have a stack of $100 MC debits from the recent Staples rebate (which was for the prepaids themselves, hence no check). These cards are a pain because they can't be used with Serve, and people are advising against the jungle. Any tips via PM for cashing out would be appreciated.