I love Amazon.com because I am lazy busy and like doing my shopping online!
But did you know that using Amazon Payments is one of the quickest and easiest ways to meet the minimum spend requirement to get that large sign-up bonus on your new credit cards?
Here’s How It Works!
- You sign-up with Amazon Payments (you can use your existing Amazon.com log-in) and add your credit card information and bank account details to validate your Amazon Payments account
- You then transfer money, say $300, to your partner or trusted friend using the “goods and services” option to reduce the chance of a cash advance fee
- Your partner or trusted friend then transfers $300 back to you using Amazon payments or writes you a check for $300.
- You should ensure that you have a legitimate reason to transfer money to your friend to ensure that your account is not flagged by Amazon and frozen.
It’s that easy!
As of July 6, 2011, you can transfer and receive up to $1,000 per month without a fee.
Please read the Amazon Payments User Agreement before you use Amazon Payments to ensure that you are aware of all the terms and conditions and do not risk having your account shut down!
However, you cannot transfer money to yourself, so please don’t set up 2 accounts in your name and transfer money between them. If you do that you risk freezing your account and the money in it!
Step 1 – Sign-In To Amazon Payments
Sign-in to Amazon Payments using either your existing Amazon.com username and password, or by creating an Amazon.com username and password if you’ve never used Amazon.com before.
Sign-In To Amazon Payments
Step 2 – Enter Your Information
You have to enter your:
- Name
- Address
- Either your date of birth or social security number
- Select a security question & answer
Step 3 – Activate
You then activate the “Send Money Online” option by clicking on the “activate” button.
Activate”Send Money Online” Option
Step 4 – Verify
On the next page you have to:
- Verify your email address
- Add the credit card which you want to use
- Add and verify your bank account information so that you can withdraw money sent to you via Amazon Payments. Depending on your bank you could either instantly verify your bank account or confirm the amount of the 2 small deposits which Amazon Payments sends to your bank account
Verify Your Information
Step 5 – Send Money
Click on “Send Money” in the top tab and enter the recipient’s email address and the amount which you want to send.
As of July 6, 2011, you can send and receive up to $1,000 per month without a fee, so you may want to transfer less than $1,000 a month since paying fees are no fun!
I recommend checking whether the recipient (your partner or trusted friend) has an Amazon Payments account, before sending any money. If the recipient does not have an Amazon Payments account, you may want to set one up before transferring money.
Important:
You will see two options below the amount field:
- Goods/Services
- Cash Advance
Selecting the “Cash Advance” field may result in an expensive cash advance fee from your credit card!
The “What’s This” link near “Cash Advance” says:
“You may be charged a cash advance or other fees by your credit or debit card issuer. Amazon Payments is not responsible for these fees. Contact your issuer for more information.“
Selecting the “Goods/Service” option will likely not result in a Cash Advance fee from your bank.
Selecting “Cash Advance” May Result In An Expensive Fee!
However, I cannot guarantee that you won’t be charged a fee, so I recommend starting with a small amount of money (say, $10) to see that there are no cash advance fees being charged and then proceeding to a larger amount.
So far, Emily and I have not been charged a fee, but your credit card may charge you a fee!
Step 6 – Select Your Payment Method
Select the credit card which you want to use (this should be the credit card for which you’re trying to complete the minimum spend requirements)!
Once again, make sure that you’ve selected the “Goods/Services” option to avoid being hit with a cash advance fee.
Select Which Credit Card To Use
Step 7 – Confirm Your Payment
Click on “Confirm” to confirm your payment!
Confirm Your Payment
Step 8 – Payment Confirmation
You will get a confirmation that your payment was successful!
Step 8 – Repeat & Rinse
Have you partner or trusted friend transfer you the money back via Amazon Payments or by writing you a check.
Bottom Line:
Using Amazon Payments is a quick and easy way to complete the minimum spend requirements on your new credit card!
You don’t have to buy gift cards or haul $1 coins to the bank to meet the minimum spend requirements any more!
I do not recommend using Amazon Payments regularly to earn miles or points on your credit cards, outside of completing the minimum spend requirements, since that may be too costly for Amazon who may then charge a fee for Amazon payments.
Currently, there is no fee to send and receive upto $1,000 per month. Let’s keep it that way by using Amazon Payments only when you need it!
However, Amazon payments might start charging a fee anytime, so please check for yourself before using Amazon Payments!
You should also know that the IRS will soon require credit card payment services like Amazon Payments to report the amount charged if you exceed 200 transactions and $20,000 per year so don’t go gangbusters with Amazon Payments!
Have you used Amazon payments before? Tell us about it in the comments!
* If you liked this post, why don’t you sign-up to receive free blog posts in your email (only 1 email per day!) or in a RSS reader …because then you’ll never miss another way to learn how to complete the minimum spend on your credit cards!
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I have earned and redeemed millions of airline miles and hotel points to travel the world for free. Now I'm blogging to help more people do the same! 
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Please give me an! Extension on my payment.
I just confirmed my account and thought this would be a great way to pay my rent using my new Venture card by sending my wife a payment for as much as I could (test with a small amount, then at least 1k) I am afraid of this literature:
“If you use your Card to send payments for transactions that do not involve the sale of goods or services, you may be charged a cash advance or other fee directly by your Card issuer. We are not responsible for these fees.”
Is there any reason that I should be worried about a fee for using this monthly?
Thanks,
Erik
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When money is sent through Amazon payments to a trusted friend, would it be okay for that friend to send it back to you immediately or wait a few days?
Also, flyertalk peeps seem to think sending the $1000 in smaller increments is better than all at once. Thoughts?
Thanks!
@Erik - Do a small test to see how it posts for you.
@Courtney Crook – I’d wait a few days and an amount less than $1K could be better.
It worked perfectly. I was curious however, since my wife will have her own card on my account, can we use the same account to pay each other? I pay her, she pays me, we both pay off the card? I am thinking she would have a different card number than what I have so that should work no?
Thanks
they now require SSN to set up the account. any ideas?
@dj – It is likely to comply with regulations around money transfer services.
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Does this still work? Has amazon brought this up. Darius, great continued work here! Thanks a million.
you mentioned not to send money to your own bank acc, but what if me, n wife each have an amazon acc, but all our cc’s are under my name, and bank acc are shared, would it be safe to send to her amazon acc, and she sends right back with a diff cc of mine??
Next thing you know all the teachers in the US will be clamoring to have the Cliff Notes declared illegal.
What a bunch of whiners, who have a secret society on FT, talk in their obtuse codes and are not at all helpful to people outside of their inner circle. Why don’t you guys just bury yourselves in the ground and pretend that the sun has wasted away. Ingy had the guts to come here and chime in – the self confessed ex substance/alcohol abuser who steals everything from FT, gets his blog going and then sells it to FT for his retirement checks. There is no shame left among this secretive FT community members!
What service does Amazon payments use to verify your SSN? Equifax, Experian, TransUnion? Why do they need your Driver’s License number, as that isnt going to appear in your credit report for them to verify? How do they know you gave them a real SSN or not? I see hackers would want to get into their database to get all this info.
@Medmanparadise – I believe it still does work.
@SS – Thanks for using our links and for reading!
I just opened an account and I have a question I couldn’t find an answer to after perusing all Amazon Payments website help: it says that any payment you send will be returned to your account if it isn’t claimed within 30 days. For my first payment I used an AMEX card to fund it and then sent it a couple of days ago. I just paid off that charge on my AMEX so I’ve finally reached my spending threshold for my bonus. My question is, when they say that original payment will be returned if not accepted after 30 days, does that mean it will only go back as far as my Amazon Payment account and stop there, or does that mean my credit card will be refunded? (Just wondering since I sent the money to my brother who may be too lazy to open his own account in order to accept it.) I only have a week to meet this particular spending threshold and I’d hate to think I’d miss out on an SPG bonus when my credit card is refunded next month and dropping me back below that magical threshold.
@chris – I really don’t know, but suspect it will go back as a credit to your Amazon Payment account, but I don’t know for sure.
Anyone know the fee for sending over $1,000 per month through Amazon Payments? If it’s low enough, like 1%, it might be worth meeting minimum spend in one shot just to be done with it. I can’t find anything on Amazon about their WebPay fee structure…
Hi Daraius,
I just read that the following at /payments.amazon.com/sdui/sdui/helpTab/Checkout-by-Amazon/Creating-Managing-Your-Account/Amazon-Payments-Fees
It looks like the limit is now $500? what about fees? what happens if I send the money using a business account?
thanks,
Maria
Account limits for Personal Accounts
Personal Accounts may receive up to $500 per month. The receiving limit may be raised or removed entirely once a credit card and verified bank account have been registered in the account.
Personal Accounts may send up to $500 per month once a credit card or verified bank account is registered in the account. Once both are registered, the sending limit may be raised or removed entirely.
Personal Accounts may withdraw funds to verified bank accounts. Also, Personal Accounts may purchase Amazon.com gift certificates. Please see Adding New Payment Methods for details on verifying your bank account.
I just opened and used the account, then I was able to see that although sending and receiving money in unlimited, sending money using a CC is limited to 1,000/month
thanks again for all your great help in this website
I thought you recommended only certain cards on this Amazon technique to avoid a cash advance? Maybe I’m mistaken…..
L
Hi,
I just opened an Amazon Payment and I’m confused by what I’m reading. https://payments.amazon.com/sdui/sdui/helpTab/Checkout-by-Amazon/Creating-Managing-Your-Account/Amazon-Payments-Fees
Has this changed in the last few months or do these types of fees not apply to the kinds of payments your post is talking about? Will someone I make a payment to now lose 2.9% of whatever I send them?
Thanks for your help!
@Jonathan
Could it be you are reading the FAQ for business accounts? Here is the Personal Webpay FAQ:
https://payments.amazon.com/sdui/sdui/personal/webpay/faq
See item 5.
If the limit is 1000 to send/receive is this per person? Can I do this with a friend, then when I am maxed out I will do transaction with my sister?
does amazon flag transactions if the address is the same?
my wife has separate account under maiden name with bank that is under that name but the address may have been updated. Also if my wife is authorized user on my cc can she send money to me or will it be caught as the same name?
Thanx for all the help
Also is there a problem if we currently use the same computer (and IP) for both the accounts?
I think AP now requires SSN. Is it safe to give it to them? Just don’t want to be flagged to IRS or something. Thanks.
Is the $1000 per month based on the calendar month or # of days?
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I would also like to know the anser to Jon’s question:
Is the $1000 per month based on the calendar month or # of days?
@Carey – Calendar month.
I can’t find anywhere that says there will be NO fees for receiving. I know with Paypal, the receiver gets charged 2.9%+.30 cent transaction fee. Is this the same with Amazon Payments? Obviously if I sent through AP’s bank account transfer, it is free, but if I send with a credit card to my trusted friend, will he get hit with the 2.9% fee? Thanks
@ThereseKhu - No charges for receiving funds.
I read somewhere over here that someone bought AMEX gift cards and were charged as cash advance.
I am about to send money to my friend for the first time using the Amazon send money service. My question is : Are there banks or Credit cards more likely to see these kind of transactions (gift cards, amazon payments, etc) as cash advance. I have a few chase cards , 2 Amex city and amex spg and I would like to know wich one should I use that will work as a credit card purchase.
Do you have any feedback or experience on this topic Darius?
Thanx
I have enjoyed your blog immensely. You grasp of details is wonderful! I am interested in using Amazon Payments for a monthly condo fee. Would it be suitable for this? Also has anyone been able to use this to pay a mortgage payment of a bit over $1,000? Finally are any of the credit cards likely to consider this “perk abuse” and close a card?
Thanks,
Stan
I used your link and it appears that Amazon Payments doe have a fee for any payments. If so is Amazon WebPay appearsan option?
https://payments.amazon.com/sdui/sdui/helpTab/Personal-Accounts/WebPay-FAQ#WebPayFAQ__whatis
@StanTheMan – Amazon Payments has no fee (you may have been reading the business account information). You can use Bluebird to pay your mortgage, but can’t use Amazon Payments because your mortgage owner likely doesn’t have an Amazon Payment account. Yes, some banks like American Express don’t like a lot of Amazon Payments activity.
Hello, I’m very new to this so sorry if this sounds like a dumb question: Okay, so I can use my Chase Amazon credit card (which is my current every day card) and add say $500 to my amazon payments, pay my girlfriend, she receives the money. Could she then move that money to her bank account. Then use HER credit card to load $500 to HER amazon payments and pay me back (thus earning her points)? this could be an indefinite loop. would this draw attention? I don’t want to do anything illegal. Just trying to learn and keep it very simple to start. I’m not ready to sign up for new credit cards. Thanks in advance for the advice. Oh, I just re-read and it says limit of $1,000 per month. So could I do $1,000 to her and then she pay $1,000 to me, each do this one time per month? would that raise any flags? thanks!
@Casey – You could do that, and the limit is $1,000 per person, per month. Just be careful that repeated transfers of the same amount could be suspicious.
If my landlord has a paypal account and agrees to eat the 2.9% + $0.30 for my monthly rent payments, what if any downside is there to this arrangement? I could split the rent (about $2500) on my two travel cards (SPG AMEX and Chase Sapphire Preferred) and be rolling in points. Will the CC companies get wise to this and charge me fees or is my landlord doing me a huge favor?
Like boo above, I’d also like to know at which credit bureau or whatever they check applicants’ identity info. I asked AP, but they said they don’t disclose that.