Amazon Pay charges can be a bit confusing, but don't worry, I'm here to break it down for you.
Amazon Pay charges are based on a tiered pricing system, with fees ranging from 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for domestic transactions to 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction for international transactions.
To give you a better idea, Amazon Pay charges a flat fee of $0.30 per transaction, in addition to the percentage-based fee.
This means that if you're selling a product for $100, you'll pay a total of $3.20 in fees (2.9% of $100 + $0.30).
What is Amazon Pay?
Amazon Pay is a secure third-party payment solution that saves customers time and reduces the opportunity for cart abandonment. It's like having a trusted friend who takes care of the payment details, so you can focus on shopping.
Amazon Pay is a more secure way to pay online, as customers only need to provide their information once to Amazon Pay, rather than to every vendor they buy from.
This convenience is especially helpful for international buyers who might be nervous about giving their card details to a foreign seller. Amazon Pay allows them to purchase from international vendors without additional fees.
Amazon Pay works seamlessly across multiple channels, including desktop, mobile, voice command, social media, and even in-store for retailers. This means customers can use it wherever they are, and sellers can reach a wider audience.
To use Amazon Pay, customers don't need to do anything extra - their payment details are automatically pre-populated when they check out. This saves them a lot of time and hassle.
Here are the countries where merchants with a physical address can use Amazon Pay:
- US
- UK
- Austria
- Belgium
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Luxembourg
- The Netherlands
- Portugal
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
How It Works
To get started with Amazon Pay, you'll need to have a few things in place. You'll need to have a bank account set up in Seller Central, as well as a verified credit card.
The registration process for Amazon Pay involves a few key steps. You'll need to grant user permissions, update your contact information, and verify your tax information. This tax information is important, as Amazon will use it to help you meet your tax obligations.
You'll also need to add your company logo and whitelist your website URL. This might seem like a lot of work, but Amazon provides a helpful checklist to guide you through the process.
Here are the specific steps you'll need to take:
- Set up your bank account
- Verify your credit card
- Grant user permissions
- Update your contact information
- Verify your tax information*
- Add your company logo
- Whitelist your website URL
Once you've completed these steps, you'll be ready to set up Amazon Pay and start using it to make payments.
Charges and Fees
Amazon Pay charges merchants per transaction in the U.S. with no setup fees, monthly fees, annual fees, termination fees, or hardware items to purchase.
You can expect to pay 2.9% plus 30 cents for web and mobile transactions, and an extra 1% for cross-border transactions. If you process a refund, Amazon Pay refunds your percentage-based transaction fee, but keeps the 30-cent authorization fee.
If you dispute a chargeback claim, Amazon Pay charges $20 (plus tax).
What's the Difference?
Amazon Pay and PayPal are two popular payment services, but they work differently. Amazon Pay populates your information directly into the retailer's checkout page, while PayPal redirects you to their site to complete the transaction.
One key difference is that PayPal is available on more websites than Amazon Pay. PayPal is also ahead in getting its payment service accepted in brick-and-mortar stores.
Amazon Pay charges merchants per transaction in the U.S., with a fee of 2.9% plus 30 cents for web and mobile transactions. For cross-border transactions, there's an extra 1% fee.
Here's a comparison of the fees for Amazon Pay and PayPal:
Amazon Pay supports 16 countries and 12 currencies, while PayPal is available in more than 200 countries supporting 25 currencies. This might be a consideration if you plan to sell overseas or have international customers.
Amazon Pay also allows buyers to pay with an Amazon account, while PayPal offers more payment options, including credit cards, bank accounts, and echecks.
Out of Stock Product Charges
If you order a product that's out of stock, you might be worried about getting charged. Fortunately, Amazon will cancel the authorization hold for that product, reversing any charges.
Using 1-Click Ordering can be a bit tricky, though. Your card is authorized immediately after you place the order and before the stock is verified, which means you might get charged even if the product is out of stock.
But don't worry, Amazon has got your back. If an item is out of stock, Amazon will cancel the authorization hold for that product, reversing any charges.
FBA Seller Fees
Amazon charges FBA seller fees before shipping based on the product's size and weight to cover fulfillment costs. These fees can add up quickly, so it's essential to factor them into your pricing strategy.
Fees are calculated based on the product's dimensions and weight, making it crucial to accurately measure and declare your products' specifications.
Amazon charges FBA seller fees, which can range from a few dollars to over $10 per item, depending on the product's size and weight.
Matching Credit Card Charges
Matching Credit Card Charges can be frustrating, but Amazon has made it easier in recent years. You can find all your credit card charges listed by date with the most recent at the top under Your Account > Your Transaction.
To find these charges, simply scroll down on the Account page and look for the section that lists your credit card charges and gift card usage. Amazon has moved this information from the Returns & Orders link to make it easier to access.
I used to struggle with finding the charges I needed, but now it's a breeze. This change has saved me time and reduced my stress when reconciling my credit card statements with Amazon charges.
Keep in mind that Amazon's interface changes frequently, so the exact layout may vary from what's shown in the example. But with a little patience and persistence, you should be able to find what you need.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions can be a convenient way to save money on your regular purchases, but it's essential to understand how they work.
Amazon charges subscription fees on or close to the renewal date for subscription orders.
Subsequent installment fees are charged shortly before each new shipment is fulfilled and sent out.
This means the payment is cleared when the order ships, but subscribers aren't charged too far in advance.
Only credit cards and the Amazon.com Store Card can create "Subscribe & Save" subscriptions.
Other payment methods, like gift cards or Amazon Pay, aren't eligible for recurring subscription plans.
Understanding Amazon Pay
Amazon Pay is a payment service offered by Amazon that allows users to make purchases online and in-store using their Amazon account.
It's a convenient way to pay, as you can use the same account information you use for Amazon shopping.
Amazon Pay charges are typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
You can also use Amazon Pay to make payments on websites and apps that accept Amazon Pay as a payment method.
Amazon Pay is accepted at over 4 million merchants worldwide.
Policies and Limitations
Amazon Pay has some important policies and limitations to be aware of.
Reserve policies can delay payouts for new users, who have 100% of their funds reserved for seven days to protect against disputed transactions.
Sellers can graduate to a less restrictive reserve tier by completing at least 100 orders and maintaining an order defect rate below 1%. The order defect rate is calculated over a 60-day period and includes negative feedback, A-to-z Guarantee claims, and credit card chargebacks.
Amazon Pay doesn't offer volume discounts, which can be a drawback for high-volume sellers with low margins.
Return
If a refund takes place, you may receive the processing fees back only.
Refunds can be a bit tricky, but it's good to know that you can get your processing fees back in case of a refund.
The Amazon Pay fees for a refund are different from the original transaction fees, but one thing remains the same - the authorization fee of $0.30c.
Reconciling Credit Card Statements
Reconciling credit card statements can be a frustrating task, especially if you're not sure where to start. Amazon's complex system can make it difficult to match charges with actual orders.
To begin, you can try looking up orders under Your Account > Your Transaction, which is the latest twist in Amazon's interface. This page lists all credit card charges and gift card use by date, with the most recent at the top.
Amazon's help pages can be a great resource, but be aware that the URLs change frequently, so some links may not work. My own experience has shown that it's better to search for keywords in their help pages to get where you need to go.
In my own experience, I've found that the "Returns & Orders" link used to be a good place to start, but it's missing crucial information like actual credit card charges. Now, you can find this information under Your Account > Your Transaction.
It's worth noting that Amazon's interface changes all the time, so your screenshots may look different than mine.
Policy Delays Reservations
Amazon reserves 100% of funds for seven days to hedge against disputed transactions for new users.
This means that sellers won't receive payment immediately, but rather after a week. It's a way for Amazon to protect both parties in case of any issues.
Sellers can graduate to a less restrictive “reserve tier” by completing at least 100 orders.
Maintaining an order defect rate below 1% is also required, which is calculated over a 60-day period.
The order defect rate includes negative feedback, A-to-z Guarantee claims, and credit card chargebacks.
Cost and Integration Limitations
Amazon Pay doesn't offer volume discounts, which might be a drawback for businesses that sell at high volumes with relatively low margins.
This means you might be better off with a competitor like Stripe that offers volume-based pricing.
Amazon Pay also has limited integration capabilities, failing to partner with some major e-commerce platforms that offer their own competing payment services.
These platforms include Squarespace, Square Online, and Wix.
The Downside of Requesting Order Data
Requesting order data from Amazon can be a bit of a letdown. There isn't a column for the actual charge total, which is surprising.
You'll have to list item costs, taxes, and shipping costs separately, but you won't get a grand total. This makes it hard to search for the charge amount.
If you're looking for a specific charge date, you can use the charge date to find a similar shipping date and search the surrounding entries. This is a bit of a workaround, but it works.
The delay in receiving the data can be frustrating, and the lack of a total column is a major limitation. It's no wonder some people prefer keeping their Amazon confirmation emails and searching for the charge amount in their email archive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the disadvantages of Amazon Pay?
Amazon Pay may not work smoothly on slow internet connections and offers limited cashback compared to other UPI apps. Additionally, discount offers can be harder to find when using Amazon Pay UPI.
Sources
- https://www.androidauthority.com/amazon-pay-3187549/
- https://www.a2xaccounting.com/blog/amazon-pay-guide-everything-you-need-to-know
- https://www.teddideppner.com/2016/08/how-to-reconcile-amazon-com-orders-with-credit-card-charges/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/amazon-pay
- https://revenuegeeks.com/does-amazon-charge-before-shipping/
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