Credit Card and Payment Information
Amazon.com's Safe Shopping Guarantee
None of their 2.2 million customers has reported fraudulent use of a
credit card as a result of purchases made at Amazon.com. All of your transactions at
Amazon.com are covered by their security guarantee with three levels of protection:
- Their secure server software encrypts all of your personal information
including credit card number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read as the
information travels over the Internet.
- In the event of unauthorized use of your credit card, most banks either
cover all the charges that result from the unauthorized use or may limit your liability to
just $50.
- If your bank holds you liable, Amazon.com will cover your liability up to
$50 provided that the unauthorized use of your credit card resulted through no fault of
your own from purchases made at Amazon.com while using the secure server.
Payment Options
They accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, JCB,
and checks or money orders denominated in U.S. dollars as payment for orders.
There are two ways you can order from them without having to enter your
complete credit card number on the Web:
- Paying by check or postal money order
You can select "pay by check" on the order form, and send them a personal check
or money order in U.S. dollars for the amount of your order. PLEASE NOTE that currently
they are only able to accept postal money orders denominated in U.S. dollars or checks
denominated in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. bank. Checks must have a valid nine-digit
bank routing number (ABA code) micro-encoded on the bottom of the check. Paying by check
does slow down your order somewhat, as they don't order your items until your check is
received, and they don't ship the items to you until your funds clear. If you are in the
United States, paying by personal check typically delays your order about seven to ten
days.
- Calling in or faxing your card number
They have a way for you to use your credit card without ever having to enter the complete
number on the Internet. When filling out the order form, you can enter just the last five
digits and the expiration date of your credit card on the order form. This gives them a
way to track your order but guarantees your security. Then you can call or fax them to
give them the rest of your credit card number. You can do this even if you can't use their
secure server, and your credit card number will be totally protected.
Phone:
- (800) 201-7575 (toll-free in the U.S. and Canada)
- (206) 694-2992 (outside the U.S. and Canada)
- Fax:
- (206) 694-2950
To give you an additional layer of security, all credit card numbers are
stored on a computer that is not connected to the Internet. After you type, fax, or call
it in, your complete credit card number is transferred to this secure machine across a
proprietary one-way interface. This computer is not accessible by network or modem, and
the number is not stored anywhere else.
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