When Does Amazon Charge Credit Card? (Check Out!)

Amazon charge credit card after the release of ordered items from the store to the customer’s location. However, the vendors will decide when to affect the charge for specific third-party purchases. They can choose to charge you immediately or once the shipping process of your package has been initiated. 

There are very many purchasing options to pick from in today’s modern world. And, Amazon has not been left behind as it offers payment options you can use. A credit card is one such acceptable option where charges take effect once the products are released from Amazon stores.  

But, Amazon will never charge you without your knowledge. When you place your order, you must enter your card details, but it will not be charged until your order is ready. You can track the progress of your transaction on your account.  A refund will be made in case of any hitches that make delivery impossible. 

Payment Options On Amazon 

Amazon offers various payment options, which include:

The Pre-Order Option. This option lets you place an order for a certain item in advance, where delivery is made once the product is back in stock. This is mostly used with items that are not in stock or are about to be released. Simply, the buyer might want to get the items ahead of the line. Amazon gives you updates on your pre-ordered item, and you will always know the progress of your purchase. 

This option is good since you can cancel your order and manage it if the release dates for the specific item change or your financial status changes.

The option also offers the lowest prices, an added advantage to you. 

2. The Back-Ordering Option.  With this option, amazon charges you once your items have been delivered. But you still have to enter your details when placing your order. Amazon ensures that you will not be billed for your purchase until it arrives at your destination.

The back-ordering option allows you to place an order on a temporarily out-of-stock item. These items usually have a date shown for when they will be back in stock. If the time exceeds 30 days, it cannot qualify for a backorder purchase option.

Amazon keeps you informed on the status of these items until they arrive at your destination or are removed from the catalog if they exceed the set timeline.

How Long Does Amazon Take To Process Payment Once It Is Confirmed?

Amazon processes payments in about one to three days. The waiting time is determined by the various steps the transaction will take from your bank account to Amazon’s account and then to the vendor’s account.

For the vendor, the payment delay can be due to various reasons such as type of account and length of tenure on the Amazon website. 

Can Amazon Charge You Immediately When You Place Your Order?

No. Amazon does not charge you immediately you place your order and enter your card details. They will have to wait until your order gets into the shipping process to initiate a charge on your card. 

The only time you might be charged instantly is when you are buying from a third-party seller. The third-party seller might decide to charge you before starting the shipping process.

There are two main reasons why Amazon does not charge your order immediately after placing your order. 

The order might have been placed by mistake.  Amazon usually puts your order for about an hour or two to give you a chance to cancel if it was accidental.

You may have several orders pending. Some customers make many orders and may be placing several items in the queue. Amazon waits until you select the items you want to be shipped and then charges you for those products. 

How Can I Check If Amazon Has Charged Me For A Purchase?

On their website, amazon will have all your transactions listed to keep you updated. This is where you can see and track your expenditure and the charges on each purchase. 

The transaction list has a few customs pre-set for you to sort them easily to your liking. You can filter the transactions by:

1. Type of activity (Means of payment)

2. Sent or received items

3. Credit transactions

4. Debit transactions

However, Amazon does not have a feature to show you if the payment has gone through successfully or not. After payment is made, amazon generates a unique identification number for your purchase. This ID number lets you know where your consignment is and its shipping status.

When you have the unique identification number, you can figure out where your order is and check its status as many times as you wish. 

You need to log in to your Amazon account and go to accounts activity. Here you will see all your recent purchases, and the very first one on top of your list is your latest order. You can see the transaction date, the vendor that sold you the item, the status of your order, and the amount you were charged for it. On that same page, you can click on “detail” to see your transaction ID and the mode of payment used.

You can check and see if your order was successful on your account. If your order is not successful, it will be shown as “declined” or “refunded.”

What Happens When A Product I Am Purchasing Is Out Of Stock?

When there are pending orders or awaiting delivery, the vendors who supply them either bring in more stock or refund all the payments that had gone through. 

Such instances are the main reasons Amazon does not charge you immediately after placing your order. They have to confirm that the item purchased is in stock and available. After that, they will wait until your items are ready for shipping so that they can charge you for them. Amazon’s top priority is avoiding situations of refunding and customer dissatisfaction. 

Do Debit Cards And Credit Cards Work The Same On Amazon?

On Amazon, Debit cards work the same way as credit cards. But, the only difference is that the funds are withdrawn directly from your bank account and not charged to credit for the debit card.

So, when purchasing at Amazon, they will treat whichever card you are using the same way. 

What Is The Return Policy At Amazon For Buyers?

Once you receive an item that is not exactly what you ordered, you have to enclose the correct item and return it to get a refund. If the item is wrong, you should contact Amazon customer care as soon as possible. Amazon does not guarantee that the items you wrongly returned will be found and returned. Also, no compensation is provided for incorrect or wrongfully returned items.

Amazon disposes of these items that are mistakenly sent to them by donating or recycling at an appropriate time has passed.

Final Word!

Amazon gives you a window of opportunity to cancel your order once you have placed it. You will never be charged immediately as Amazon has to ensure the product is available and delivery can be done on time. Only third-party vendors can charge you immediately. But, third-party vendors also need time to ensure their products are available and ready for shipping; hence, they also rarely charge you instantly.

References: 1 https://www.quora.com/Does-Amazon-charge-your-credit-card-right-away
References: 2 https://thefieldsofgreen.com/when-does-amazon-charge-you/

Last Updated on August 6, 2022 by Ana S. Sutterfield