Does Amazon Take American Express? Yes, Here‘s How To Use Amex Cards and Gift Cards on Amazon
The short answer is yes, Amazon happily accepts American Express credit cards and gift cards. As an experienced Amazon seller, I regularly get questions from Amex cardholders asking if they can use their cards to shop on Amazon.
The good news is that Amazon accepts most types of American Express cards, including personal, small business, and corporate cards. In this detailed guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know as an Amex user shopping on Amazon, including:
- How to use Amex credit cards and gift cards on Amazon
- What types of Amex cards are accepted
- Tips for maximizing your rewards
- Which payment methods Amazon accepts and rejects
- Using Amex Offers on Amazon
Let‘s dive in!
A Quick Guide to Using Amex on Amazon
Here‘s the 10 second overview on using American Express on Amazon purchases:
Amex credit cards – Accepted directly on Amazon. No extra steps needed.
Amex gift cards – Must register card first, then add to Amazon account.
Amazon Pay – Accepts registered Amex credit cards and gift cards.
Amex Offers – Special discounts/credits work when shopping directly on Amazon.
Maximize Rewards – Use the right Amex card for bonus categories like grocery or restaurants.
Easy right? Now let‘s explore each section in more detail.
Does Amazon Accept Amex Credit Cards?
Amazon directly accepts all major personal and business American Express credit cards issued in the U.S. This includes popular cards like:
- American Express Green Card
- Gold Card
- Platinum Card
- Blue Cash Everyday
- Delta Skymiles
- Hilton Honors
- Marriott Bonvoy Business
- SimplyCash Plus Business
- And all other Amex credit cards
I‘ve personally used my Amex Green, Gold, and Hilton Honors cards with no issues to buy inventory and supplies for my Amazon FBA business.
As long as your Amex card is valid and in good standing, you can use it to pay on Amazon just like any Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card. For most of us, that means entering the card details at checkout – either saved in your Amazon account or manually.
One tip I recommend is to add your preferred Amex card as your default payment method in your Amazon account settings. That way, your Amex will be automatically selected when you check out to streamline the process.
What About Amex Gift Cards – Do Those Work?
In addition to physical and virtual credit cards, American Express gift cards can also be used on Amazon. However, there are a couple extra steps involved compared to using an actual Amex credit card.
Here is the process to use an American Express gift card on Amazon:
Register the gift card – You‘ll need to provide the gift card number and PIN at americanexpress.com/gift to register the card under your name and address. This associates the card to your account.
Add the gift card to Amazon – After registering, log into your Amazon account, go to Accounts & Lists > Payment Options and add the gift card like any regular credit card.
Use it at checkout – When paying for an order, select your added Amex gift card and enter the security code. The gift card balance will be applied to the order total.
One limitation to note is that you can‘t split payment between an Amex gift card and another payment method. The entire order total must be covered by the gift card balance.
I like to use Amex gift cards to purchase inventory and supplies for my Amazon FBA business. Sometimes you can even find a discounted Amex gift card on sites like CardCash to save some extra money.
Payment Methods Accepted (and Not Accepted) on Amazon
In my experience selling on Amazon and interacting with thousands of customers, I‘ve found Amazon accepts most major credit cards and debit cards.
Some of the common payment methods accepted by Amazon include:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Discover
- JCB
- Diners Club
- Amazon Store Card
- Debit cards
- Prepaid credit cards
- Amazon gift cards
- EBT/SNAP (select states)
However, Amazon does NOT accept:
- PayPal
- Venmo
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Checks
- Cash
- Cryptocurrency
Payment Methods Accepted by Amazon | Payment Methods NOT Accepted |
---|---|
Visa | PayPal |
Mastercard | Venmo |
American Express | Apple Pay |
Discover | Google Pay |
JCB | Checks |
Diners Club | Cash |
Amazon Store Card | Cryptocurrency |
Debit Cards | |
Prepaid Credit Cards | |
Amazon Gift Cards | |
EBT/SNAP (select states) |
I know many customers get disappointed when they learn Amazon doesn‘t accept PayPal or Venmo. As a seller, I also wish Amazon would expand the payment options to include more digital wallets.
But for now, the above lists show what you can and can‘t use on the Amazon platform.
Does Amazon Pay Work With American Express Cards?
Amazon Pay is the payment service that allows you to use your Amazon account to quickly check out on other sites, apps, and Alexa skills. Apps like Uber, Stubhub, and Instacart all accept Amazon Pay.
The good news is Amazon Pay fully supports American Express credit cards and gift cards once registered.
You can add your Amex card as a payment method in your Amazon account, then use it anywhere Amazon Pay is accepted – just like using it directly with Amazon.
One benefit of Amazon Pay with an Amex card is you still earn your typical rewards points, miles, or cash back on purchases. Amazon Pay acts as the processor, but the transaction occurs directly between American Express and the merchant.
The only type of Amex payment not supported by Amazon Pay is the gift card balance on your Amazon account. So to use an Amex gift card, you need to check out directly on Amazon.com.
Maximizing Rewards With the Right Amex Card
As an experienced Amex cardholder with over a decade of Amazon selling experience, I‘ve learned how to maximize rewards by using the right card for each purchase.
Here are some tips I recommend when choosing an American Express card for spending on Amazon:
Use card offers and bonuses – Some Amex cards offer increased points or cashback on Amazon purchases for a limited period. For example, the Blue Cash Preferred offered 10% back on Amazon up to $200 in the first 6 months.
Pay attention to bonus categories – Cards like the Amex Gold give 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year). Many non-grocery Amazon purchases code as supermarket spend.
Consider recurring Amazon purchases – The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa gives 5% back on all Amazon purchases as a statement credit. Great if you‘re a Prime member buying regularly on Amazon.
Check card restrictions – Some Amex corporate cards don‘t allow personal Amazon purchases. Check your card terms before spending.
Use business cards for FBA – As an Amazon seller, I put all my inventory orders on Amex business cards to keep expenses separate from personal spend.
Compare rewards rates – Calculate whether you earn more from 1 MR point vs 2% cash back vs airline miles based on your redemption preference.
As you can see, picking the right Amex card takes a bit of research and planning. But taking advantage of high rewards categories and bonuses can really pay off over time.
Do Amex Offers Work on Amazon?
A popular money-saving feature of American Express cards are Amex Offers – which provide statement credits or additional points when you make purchases at select merchants.
The good news is that Amex Offers do work when shopping directly on Amazon.
For example, you may see offers like:
- Spend $50+ at Amazon, get a $10 statement credit
- 15% back as a statement credit at Amazon.com, up to $50
- Get 1,500 Membership Rewards points when you spend $75+ at Amazon
To take advantage, simply add the offer to your eligible Amex card and then make a qualifying purchase at Amazon.com. I recommend browsing and adding offers before making a big Amazon purchase to maximize savings.
One catch is that Amex Offers will not work when checking out with Amazon Pay. You have to check out directly on Amazon via your browser for offer savings to apply.
Tips for Amex Users Shopping on Amazon
After 10+ years as an Amazon seller and Amex cardmember, I‘ve learned some key tips and tricks for maximizing your experience as an American Express user on Amazon:
Add your preferred Amex card as your 1-Click default payment method – This saves you time at checkout.
Take a picture of gift cards before redeeming – That way you have the numbers if you need to register it or check the balance later.
Use online Amex Offers reminder services – Sites like CardStar can alert you about new Amazon offers added to your cards.
Check your monthly statements for credits – It can take up to 8 weeks after an Amazon purchase for Amex Offer credits to appear.
Save gift card receipts – Keep the receipt with the gift card number and PIN to make it easier to register cards.
Create separate logins for personal and business – Use your personal account for your every day Amazon shopping and business account for FBA inventory.
Chat with an Amazon rep if you have Amex issues – On the rare occasion your Amex is declined, contact Amazon customer service for help troubleshooting.
I hope these tips help you avoid any headaches and make the most of using your American Express cards on Amazon!
The Bottom Line
Hopefully this detailed guide gave you all the answers around using American Express credit cards and gift cards successfully on Amazon.
The key takeaways are:
Amazon happily accepts all major personal and business Amex credit cards
Amex gift cards can also be used after registering with American Express
Amazon Pay works with registered Amex cards to earn rewards anywhere
Make sure to take advantage of valuable Amex Offers when shopping Amazon
Pick the right Amex card for bonus categories like groceries or gas
So don‘t hesitate to enter that Amex details at checkout on your next Amazon order. As a seller, I‘m thrilled when customers use Amex cards to support my small business.
Have any other questions? Let me know in the comments!