Does Amazon Take Debit?

Aside from offering a wide selection of goods, Amazon has become a successful seller of items useful for business in no small part because of its flexible payment options. As with any online merchant, Amazon lets you use several types of credit card. However, you can also use gift cards, credits received from Amazon Payments and reward points, and assign your business checking account as a payment option. Amazon even has a policy on debit cards.

Amazon does take many types of debit cards, including any debit card with the STAR or NYCE as well as Visa and MasterCard branded debit cards. If you have an Amazon gift card, you can even split your payment between the gift card and the debit card. However, you cannot split payments among multiple debit cards. Depending on available stock, Amazon may split an order into multiple shipments. Because its policy is to charge your debit card only when items are shipped, you may see multiple charges for one order that are split into multiple shipments. However, the total for the order remains the same as the amount charged when you placed the order.

To add a debit card to your payment options, click "Your Account" under your name after you sign in to display the Your Account page. Then click "Add a Credit or Debit Card" under "Payment" to display the Add a Credit or Debit Card screen. Under "Step 1," enter your debit card number, the cardholder's name, and the expiration month and year, if applicable. Then either select an existing billing address or enter a new one under "Step 2." The debit card then appears as one of your payment options. If you change your mind, click the "Delete" button next to the debit card name in the Edit or Delete a Payment Method screen. Amazon asks you to confirm your actions before it deletes the card.

After you've entered and verified your debit card, you can use it for payment. Click the "Cart" button to display your Shopping Cart. Then click the "Proceed to Checkout" button to display the Review Your Order screen. If your debit card is not showing under "Payment Information," then click "Change" to display the More Payment Options screen. Click the radio button of the debit card that you want to use. Then click the "Continue" button to continue with processing your order. Amazon charges any payments to your chosen debit card until you change the payment options again.

When you use a debit card to pay for purchases at a brick-and-mortar store, you normally have to enter a PIN code to complete the transaction. On Amazon, you may not need to enter the code, even though it processes the transaction as though you entered a code. Your bank may charge you a fee for PIN-less debit transactions. You can opt out of PIN-less transactions by clicking "Your Account" and choosing "Manage Payment Options" under Payment Methods. Click the "Edit" button to display the Edit a Payment Method screen for the debit card. Click a blank into the check box marked "Processed as a Debit Card." Then click the "Confirm" button to confirm your changes.