Key points:
- Amazon handles millions of transactions every day as one of the leading e-commerce companies. Amazon doesn’t charge credit or debit cards up until the order is almost ready to ship. However, this concerned the items sold directly by Amazon, such as Amazon Basics, Amazon Fresh, or Kindle e-readers.
- Your card may be charged right after you hit the “purchase” button if you buy the item from an Amazon third-party seller. Retailers choose when they want to charge their clients thus if they are confident that they will fulfil the order, they may charge your credit card during purchasing.
- If you have an Amazon Prime membership, you will be charged either monthly or annually, depending on what you prefer. You’ll be notified when your next charges are coming up.
- You are charged for pre-orders, “Subscribe and Save”, and backorder items after the package is shipped. You won’t be charged for cancelling the order unless it’s been shipped already.
Amazon is a global e-commerce leader and the second-largest private employer in the United States. Amazon will have the highest global brand valuation by 2020. The company deals with millions of deliveries every day to more than 100 countries.
When ordering items on Amazon, you have different setup options such as pre-orders, Subscribe and Save, backorders, and Amazon Prime membership fees.
You may be wondering when Amazon will charge you for your order or when you are charged for any of these options. Here’s all you need to know.
When Does Amazon Charge You For The Order?
Amazon won’t charge you right away after making a purchase. By using a credit or debit card, you’ll be charged when the shipping process starts. However, depending on the retailer, Amazon Marketplace third-party sellers may charge you either right after making a purchase or when it’s ready to ship.
If you make purchases from Amazon Basics or Amazon Fresh grocery delivery, your card will only be charged when the order proceeds to the shipping stage. Depending on your order and the time it requires, you may be charged just before or right after it actually ships.
Amazon marketplace carries a lot of orders, and thanks to efficient warehousing around the country, many of them are fulfilled quickly.
If you want your package to be delivered within a few days, you need to select a short delivery timeframe. This will also mean that your card will be charged not long after you checkout because the shipping process will begin rather quickly.
Amazon sends an email notification for Amazon Subscribe and Save or back-ordered products. You’ll be notified within several days before shipping and charged once the boxes are on their way.
Keep in mind that ordering direct Amazon products and Marketplace goods are not the same thing.
If Amazon itself sells the item, your card won’t be charged until the shipping process begins. But if you purchase the item from the marketplace third-party sellers, they may charge you right after checkout. Some third-party sellers, however, don’t charge before the item enters the shipping stage. This minimizes unfulfilled orders and refund issues.
Does Amazon Charge Before Shipping?
Just like many retail companies, Amazon charges for orders a few days before shipping or as soon as the order ships.
The reason why a lot of e-retailers wait to charge until the parcel is close to shipping or already shipped is that The Federal Trade Commission has strict regulations for credit card issuers and merchants. The FTC considers it illegal for companies to charge before a package is shipped.
According to the rules, there’s a timeframe within which the order should be sent, and if it’s not, then the merchant is required to notify shoppers that the shipping date has been updated and offer the option to either accept the new package arrival date or cancel the order and get a full refund.
In order to avoid all the inconveniences, Amazon usually waits to charge the customers until the shipping process begins, unless there’s a third-party involved.
However, many Amazon third-party sellers have their own policies concerning the charging process, and most of them charge the shoppers during the checkout.
When Am I Charged For Amazon Prime?
If you are using Amazon Prime, you can be charged either monthly or annually, depending on what plan you choose during the sign-up.
As you start using Amazon Prime, your card is charged while the sign-up is being confirmed. After that, you can see in Prime settings when your next payment is due.
You will need to make your payments on time since, in the Amazon Prime terms and conditions, customers agree to pay their membership fees on the determined month or yearly date.
If you want to cancel your Prime membership, make sure you do so before the next charge. If you don’t, it’ll be problematic to get a refund, especially if you have made Prime purchases after the charge.
Also, Amazon Prime offers the end membership option for members who haven’t used their Prime benefits. They can opt for a full refund of the current membership cost. Keep in mind that it only applies if you haven’t bought anything using Prime membership or haven’t used
your digital subscription services since the charge date.
You can also pause your Prime membership instead of cancelling it for good. Pausing means that you can’t use the perks of the membership, but you can revert it at any time. Another benefit of pausing the Prime membership is that you’ll still have limitless storage for your photos when you have Prime if you use Amazon photos.
Pausing your membership as opposed to cancelling permits your photos to be where you left them once you resume your membership.
A useful thing would be to put the Amazon Prime charge date in your calendar so that you can be on track with your payments. You can also check for emails from Amazon that will notify you when the charge date is close.
When Does Amazon Charge Preorders?
Amazon pre-orders are popular items that haven’t been released yet, but they are in demand by the customers. The most popular things to be pre-ordered on Amazon include video games, gaming consoles, tech products, and books.
Pre-ordering something gives you the benefit of skipping the long waiting after the item is released. You will get in line to collect the product once released, but when exactly you’ll be charged will depend on the item itself.
If you pre-order something on Amazon, you won’t be charged immediately but rather a few days before the release date when the shipping process starts.
On your orders tab, you can see when your card is charged as well as keep track of your pre-orders. When you monitor the shipping status, it’ll be easier for you to figure out when you’ll be charged.
It works the same way when you order any item on backorder from Amazon. You’ll be charged when the item ships. If the seller doesn’t have a particular item in stock, they are allowed to list it as long as it will be back in stock in under 30 days. The item will show up when you have to buy it if it’s on backorder.
Pre-order And Amazon Purchase: What’s The Difference?
When you pre-order something, you will not get it right away because the item hasn’t been released yet. However, if you pre-order something, you will get the benefit of collecting the product once it’s released getting a minimal cost.
When Does Amazon Charge For Subscribing And Saving?
Amazon charges its customers for “Subscribe and Save” items when the item ships. If you buy any of the products that fall under that category, you’ll see two prices: the “One-time order” price and the “Subscribe and Save” price. The Subscribe and save option allows you to schedule regular deliveries of the item.
This allows you to save up to 15% on the item, as the subscribe and save price is lower than the one-time order price. This is a great option to consider if you have some products that you buy regularly.
Amazon will send you a notification which will inform you about the items coming up in your subscription, their discount, and their price. After you get that email, you’ll have time to change, cancel or delay your order if you want to. After that, Amazon ships your item and will charge you.
When Does Amazon Charge Credit Cards?
No matter what type of card you use when purchasing the items from Amazon: Amazon credit card, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Diners Club, or JCB, most of the time, Amazon charges you at the time of shipping. If the product is sold directly by Amazon, your card will be charged when the shipping process begins.
If, however, you use a credit card to buy items from a third-party Marketplace, the retailer will choose whether to charge you after purchasing or when the shipping is confirmed.
When Does Amazon Charge Debit Cards?
A debit card works the same way as a credit card, but with a debit card, the charges are taken directly from the bank account, while with a credit card, you will pay the bill at a later date.
Amazon has the same policies when it comes to charging credit and debit cards, and anything sold directly from the company won’t be charged until the shipment is confirmed. As for the third-party sellers, the charges may show up after the ordering.
The only exception to this rule is when you use a gift card to make the purchase, and in that case, you’ll be charged right away
What If Amazon Products Are Out Of Stock?
If it happens that the product is out of stock, but there are some orders that have to be fulfilled, then the merchants either have to supply more stock or provide a refund.
Amazon and many of its third-party sellers prefer not to charge until the item is actually shipped to avoid sticking issues and misunderstandings.
Check your order status or watch for email notifications to be informed whether the item that you ordered is in stock. In most cases, you won’t be charged until the shipping process actually starts.
Does Amazon Charge You For Cancelling Orders?
No, Amazon does not charge you for cancelling orders because if you can cancel your order, it means that it has not been shipped yet. But remember that you can cancel an order only before it ships out, and if it is marked shipped, then you cannot cancel it.
If you received the order and you are not satisfied with it, you can qualify for a refund.
When Does Amazon Charge For A Placement Fee?
Amazon charges a per-unit cost for their placement service, but the cost can compound for oversize or large products.
Amazon also offers an option of FBA Inventory Placement Service. The FBA Inventory Placement Service allows you to send all the inventory to a single Amazon receive centre or fulfilment centre. After your shipment shows up, Amazon will split it up and send it to different fulfilment centres for you. Inventory Placement Service allows avoiding the high cost of extensive shipping for smaller shipments of less profitable items.
