DEAD - 10/13/14READ THE WIKI! IT IS VERY CLEAR! The Basics:You can send up to $1,000/month directly from your CCs or GCs, and receive the same amount, which can then be withdrawn to your bank account. (No, you don't withdraw the money to your CC or GC.) These limits reset on the 1st of the calendar month at 12am Pacific Time.
Setup:1. Although AP requires a SSN, you will not get a hard pull against your credit. You will not get a 1099-K unless you are receiving over $20k per year AND have done 200 transactions.
2. The driver's license number on the account need not be a real number, only the same format.
3. You need to connect and verify a bank account to be able to send $1,000/month. Otherwise, only $500 will be allowed. (Also, you will have difficulty withdrawing money to your bank account if it is not connected to your account.)
4. Verification can sometimes be instant if you log into your bank account through Amazon, but sometimes (particularly with smaller banks or CUs, it seems) the only working option is to allow AP to make two small deposits to you account (less than a dollar, often much less) and then reporting the exact amounts thereby verifying that the account is yours. (If you want to use AP as described here, don't even think about trying to profit from the small deposits by opening up a ton of accounts. You have been warned.)
5. The receiver account must add a credit card to be able to capture the funds sent.
Sending Money1. Make sure to select "Goods and Services" when sending money. This is important so that the transaction codes as a purchase (for which you will get CC points/miles) and not a cash advance (for which you will not).
2. For some reason, when sending the value from GCs, AP will often prevent the full value from being sent unless, when connecting the GC with your account, you first enter the wrong expiration date and then change it to the correct one. <blinkblink>... <shrug>... but it works. Or wait a week after putting the GC into your account for the hold to be removed from the funds.
3. And no, Amazon Gift Card balance cannot be used with Amazon Payments.
Multiple accounts:1. It is highly recommended not to access both accounts of a transaction from the same IP address. Please see the IP Information section below for more... IP Information.
2. Most people didn't have problems opening two accounts per SSN even if they link to the same bank account, but it is risky to send money back and forth between them. Some report a similar risk with sending or receiving with a spouse who has the same bank account linked to their account.
3. Sending money using the same CC from different accounts is a known cause of shutdown.
Error messages and potential delays1. If you get a message stating "We are unable to complete your transaction until further review. It can take up to 24 hours to complete this transaction. We apologize for any inconvenience this delay may cause," relax and be patient. It is perfectly normal.
2. Withdrawals are never authorized immediately. Be patient. It usually doesn't even take a full day. Likewise it's perfectly normal for you to get a message that your withdrawal has succeeded but it doesn't show up in your bank account yet even as pending. It will be there soon. Be patient.
3. Verifying a bank account via the deposit method can take a few days. Please anticipate and account for the extra time needed for the deposit method if you are planning to set up and use an account for the first time late in the month.
IP Information:1. To check the IP address of the device you're using, Google "how to check my IP address"
2. All devices using the same WiFi router have the same IP address.
3. A computer connected to the Internet with a router has a different IP than it does if connected to the Internet without a router.
4. Browsing incognito or in private mode does not change your IP address.
5. To change the IP address of a computer, turn off the computer, wait a few minutes, then turn it back on. Check if you have a new IP address. If not, turn it off for 8+ hours (overnight or something) and check again. You will likely have a new IP address.
6. On a phone or other device (with it's own data) switch WiFi off. To change IP addresses, switch to 'airplane mode' and switch back and you will usually have a new IP address. Note: If your phone or tablet has WiFi only, it will always have the same IP address as other devices that connect through the same WiFi.
PBaruch's suggestions:1. It is no longer generally considered safe to have multiple AP accounts for the same person. Yes, there are exceptions and some people have had luck but I would caution against it. If you are the reckless type go to number 2 below. If not, please proceed to number 3 below.
2. If you do decide to try your luck and open 2 or more AP accounts for the same person, do not send $ back and forth between these two accounts.
3. Do not send $ back and forth between people in the same household. Again, there are exceptions and some people have had luck but it is a trigger for a shutdown. The way AP views it is if you are in the same household, give em cash.
4. If there are multiple AP users in the same household, do NOT use the same IP address. If you do, be warned. You will very likely be shut down.
5. If you are shut down, you may have luck reopening your AP account by varying the spelling of your name and changing your address.
6. If you want to send $ to a spouse, it helps if he/she has a different last name and address.
7. I would caution against any complete circles or triangles. For instance, do not send A-B-C-A. Rather, send A-B-C-D.
8. If you need bank accounts to link to AP, it is VERY easy to open multiple accounts (with no fee) by using Capitol One 360:
https://home.capitalone360.com/ (Be aware that this is likely a hard pull.)
9. Do NOT do instant account verification. Let them send deposits instead to verify the account. By doing so, I do not believe that they know who owns the account. This may be useful if you use some of my other suggestions.
These are my suggestions based upon personal experience and my gleaning of other posts.