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
Jan 3, 2013, 7:30 am
#1247
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Jan 3, 2013, 7:33 am
#1248
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Try to edit the accounts - you should get a suspend message. Copy and print a page showing any balance in the account as eventually you may loose the ability to see it when the account gets closed.
Jan 3, 2013, 7:34 am
#1249
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,689
Weird my wife got this message today when trying to withdrawl funds but she HAS always verified whatever information they asked.
Didn't like contacting them (we basically do the $1,000 a month from me to her to meet some spending requirements) but since I can't do that anyway had no choice.
Will report back what I hear...
Didn't like contacting them (we basically do the $1,000 a month from me to her to meet some spending requirements) but since I can't do that anyway had no choice.
Will report back what I hear...was it funds that she had in there for a bit? (if this way, how long).
I get the feeling this thread is going to get more interesting by the hour today.
Time for the popcorn and movie remote.
Jan 3, 2013, 7:38 am
#1250
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
Getting the same message here on both mine and my wife's account
Luckily loaded $1k on 12/31 and $1k on 1/1 and withdrew it all yesterday so nothing in limbo
Have been consistently sending $1k to each other per month over a variety of cards for many moons. All information requested (SSN, DOB) was provided so the error message is clearly a red herring
Looks like game over. Happy New Year AP!
Luckily loaded $1k on 12/31 and $1k on 1/1 and withdrew it all yesterday so nothing in limbo
Have been consistently sending $1k to each other per month over a variety of cards for many moons. All information requested (SSN, DOB) was provided so the error message is clearly a red herring
Looks like game over. Happy New Year AP!
Jan 3, 2013, 7:39 am
#1251
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Born and raised in South Carolina, now in New York City.
Posts: 534
Good to know, thanks! And it takes ~90 days to get the money? Do they send you a check? Only have a little tied up so not too bad.
Jan 3, 2013, 7:41 am
#1253
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: DFW
Posts: 1,145
Weird...i got shut down as well, but i did enter my SSN, address, DOB and everything awhile ago. Did the same thing for others I was sending payments to. I don't think this has anything to do with whether you entered your SSN or not.
Jan 3, 2013, 7:42 am
#1254
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 352
was that funds you just sent her (so it let your transaction go through, but not hers) tying up funds that just hit her account , or,
was it funds that she had in there for a bit? (if this way, how long).
I get the feeling this thread is going to get more interesting by the hour today.
Time for the popcorn and movie remote.
was it funds that she had in there for a bit? (if this way, how long).
I get the feeling this thread is going to get more interesting by the hour today.
Time for the popcorn and movie remote.
Was trying to withdrawl today.I'm not worried about the funds being tied up for 90 days, more bummed this might be over. Odd that it's possible that those that gave too much info might be shut down, ironic...
Jan 3, 2013, 7:47 am
#1255
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,689
if so, maybe AP is simply shutting down the service due to no profitability.
Wondering if anyone gets in successfully this morning. Hopefully, if so, they will post. However, this may not answer the question, because even a shutdown (unless the entire system at once) may take a while.
Jan 3, 2013, 7:48 am
#1256
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
SSN entry is not the trigger, but the SSN is providing Fang with a way to link accounts as he sweeps the Jungle.
BTW, it appears that your related Amazon.com account is not effected. While you are being burned at the stake, Amazon still wants your money. Cardinal Fang ought to advertise that Amazon is having a fire sale.
Again - try to edit your account to determine its state. If you can still add a credit card or bank the account is not suspended. Move all funds out STAT.
BTW, it appears that your related Amazon.com account is not effected. While you are being burned at the stake, Amazon still wants your money. Cardinal Fang ought to advertise that Amazon is having a fire sale.
Again - try to edit your account to determine its state. If you can still add a credit card or bank the account is not suspended. Move all funds out STAT.
Last edited by AlohaDaveKennedy; Jan 3, 2013 at 7:58 am
Jan 3, 2013, 7:49 am
#1257
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: DFW
Posts: 1,145
others? as in a different household?
if so, maybe AP is simply shutting down the service due to no profitability.
Wondering if anyone gets in successfully this morning. Hopefully, if so, they will post. However, this may not answer the question, because even a shutdown (unless the entire system at once) may take a while.
if so, maybe AP is simply shutting down the service due to no profitability.
Wondering if anyone gets in successfully this morning. Hopefully, if so, they will post. However, this may not answer the question, because even a shutdown (unless the entire system at once) may take a while.
I actually haven't used the service for the last two months given that I was running up spend with BB, so it will be interesting to see what happens.
Jan 3, 2013, 7:53 am
#1258
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: DFW
Posts: 1,145
SSN entry is not the trigger, but the SSN is providing Fang with a way to link accounts as he sweeps the Jungle.
BTW, it appears that your related Amazon.com account is not effected. While you are being burned at the stake, Amazon still wants your money.
Again - try to edit your account to determine its state. If you can still add a credit card or bank the account is not suspended. Move all funds out STAT.
BTW, it appears that your related Amazon.com account is not effected. While you are being burned at the stake, Amazon still wants your money.
Again - try to edit your account to determine its state. If you can still add a credit card or bank the account is not suspended. Move all funds out STAT.
Jan 3, 2013, 7:53 am
#1259
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BOS
Posts: 588
So I "manage" 3 AP accounts, call them A, B, and C. A and B have the same address, while C has a different address. I always go A-> B (withdraw) -> C (withdraw). All of them have valid SSN and DOB.
All three accounts are currently in the suspended state. Hopefully it's not game over, but it does look that way.
All three accounts are currently in the suspended state. Hopefully it's not game over, but it does look that way.
Jan 3, 2013, 8:00 am
#1260
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: many
Posts: 1,437