Payment Methods Amazon: Cut Your Costs While Staying Fully Approved

Want to take Amazon payments without overpaying?

If you sell on Amazon or accept Amazon Pay on your website, you already know that your customers expect fast, frictionless payments. They want to use their stored cards, wallets and preferred payment methods without friction. What many UK business owners do not realise is that poor payment setup or high processing fees can silently erode your margins on every single transaction.

We are a specialist merchant services broker UK businesses rely on to cut card processing costs for Amazon and Amazon Pay transactions. Our role is simple: we compare card processing fees from multiple UK acquirers and payment gateway providers UK wide, then negotiate using our bulk volume leverage to secure rates you cannot access directly.

Here is the best part. Our service is completely free to you. The acquirer pays us, so there is no extra cost on your side. You keep 100% of the savings we achieve.

Upload your latest merchant statement to us today and let us show you what you should really be paying on your Amazon payments.

What payment methods can your Amazon customers actually use?

Understanding the accepted payment methods Amazon supports is essential for any UK merchant looking to optimise their processing costs. This section summarises the real payment options available to UK and EU buyers as of 2025, written for merchants rather than consumers. Amazon offers a variety of payment options to customers, allowing flexibility and convenience when making purchases.

Core card brands Amazon accepts

Amazon’s checkout process centres on major card networks. The following payment methods are accepted across Amazon UK and SEPA regions:

Card Network	Accepted in UK	Notes
Visa	Yes	Includes Visa debit card and credit
Mastercard	Yes	Visa Mastercard are the backbone of UK transactions
American Express	Yes (selected markets)	Higher fees for merchants, popular with high spenders
Co-branded cards	Yes	Bank-issued partnership cards accepted
FSA/HSA cards	Limited regions	Primarily US, some EU support

Amazon lets customers store multiple cards in their account and set a default method. This boosts conversion because returning shoppers can complete checkout in seconds. However, every one of those quick transactions still costs you in processing fees, and that is where we come in.

What Amazon does not accept directly

Many business owners assume Amazon accepts PayPal, Klarna or Apple Pay at checkout. In reality, these popular consumer methods are generally not accepted directly on Amazon retail checkouts. However, customers often use Amazon Gift Cards funded via those wallets outside Amazon, which we will cover shortly.

The key point for you as a merchant: while Amazon controls the front-end payment experience, we help you control the back-end costs on every card transaction that flows through your account.

Speak to our team to ensure every card your Amazon customers use is costing you as little as possible.

How your customers manage their payment methods on Amazon

Understanding how end customers add, edit, remove, and update card details in Amazon helps you anticipate where failed payments and card updates come from. Amazon provides a dedicated payment method page within account settings, allowing users to manage, add, and update their payment options, including credit/debit cards and contactless payment methods. In 2025, users can manage their payment methods through the Your Payments section of their account on both the website and mobile app. This knowledge is essential for reducing declined transactions and protecting your cash flow.

Customers can also manage and add payment methods through the Amazon app, which streamlines the process and offers features like ‘Tap to Add’ for contactless payments on compatible devices.

The “Your Account” payment area

When a customer logs into their Amazon account, they navigate to “Your Account” and then “Your Payments” to manage their stored card details. Here they can:

• View all saved credit or debit card options
• Add a new payment method by clicking “Add a payment method”
• Select edit to update billing address or card numbers—when you select edit, the card opens for editing, allowing you to update your payment and card details
• Select remove to delete outdated cards
• Set a default card for faster checkout

When you add a new payment method, it will be saved to your account and appear as a saved credit/debit card for your next Amazon order.

Customers can also add a card at checkout and choose to save it for future use. This stabilises recurring and repeat orders for sellers, reducing cart abandonment and failed payment attempts.

Card updates and account updater services

When a customer’s card expires or is replaced, some card issuers automatically refresh the expiry dates and card numbers through account updater services. This process is especially important when reissuing cards, as updated payment card details are often provided directly to Amazon by the card issuer. This means the customer’s existing payment details stay valid without manual intervention, which reduces failed transactions for your business.

Some customers use contactless payment card options or metal cards with NFC antenna technology for in-store purchases. While these features affect how the physical card works, they have no impact on how your processor bills you for online transactions.

Our role is to make sure that every one of those stored card payments clears at the lowest viable rate for your business.

Let us analyse your current Amazon and Amazon Pay volume so we can align your merchant account to how your customers actually pay.

Note: Always ensure your payment information is current, especially after reissuing cards, to avoid failed transactions.

How to add, change and fix payment methods for Amazon business billing

This section focuses on the business side of Amazon payments, covering Amazon fees, Amazon Business accounts and seller-related charges. If you sell on Amazon UK, you need to manage your own company payment methods for subscriptions, advertising and fulfilment.

Managing business payment settings

UK sellers and vendors can store their own company cards or bank details in Seller Central and Amazon Business to pay for:

• Monthly subscription fees
• Sponsored product and brand advertising
• FBA fulfilment and storage charges
• Returns processing fees

To add or update a payment method, a business owner typically:

1. Logs into their Amazon seller or Amazon Business account
2. Navigates to Settings and then Account Info
3. Selects Payment Information or Charge Methods
4. Follows the on screen instructions to add or replace a card

What happens when your business card fails

When a business card fails on Amazon, the consequences can be severe:

• Suspension warnings on your seller account
• Automatic pausing of advertising campaigns
• Listing restrictions until payment is resolved
• Delayed stock replenishment affecting cash flow

We recommend using a merchant services setup and business card arrangement that gives predictable rates and sufficient transaction limits. We help structure this across acquirers and banks to ensure you never face unexpected payment failures.

By reducing the blended cost of taking Amazon customer payments, we often offset the cost of business cards used to pay Amazon charges. It is a holistic approach to your payment ecosystem.

If your Amazon fees keep rising, let us review your end-to-end payment setup and show you where you can save.

Using gift cards and indirect payment methods with Amazon

Many customers reach Amazon using indirect payment routes that may not be obvious to merchants. Understanding these flows helps you optimise your overall processing costs.

How customers use gift cards

Amazon Gift Cards can be purchased outside Amazon through various third-party platforms. Customers often:

• Buy Amazon gift cards using PayPal on reseller sites
• Purchase gift card codes via Klarna or Apple Pay through digital retailers
• Receive gift cards as rewards or incentives from employers

Once purchased, these codes are redeemed into the customer’s Amazon balance. At checkout, customers can apply their gift card balance to pay for eligible products, often combining it with a credit or debit card if the balance is insufficient. This split payment approach is common during peak shopping periods.

What this means for your business

While you do not control these external gift card sales, you still pay acquiring fees on the underlying Amazon transaction once the balance is spent. The transaction still processes through card networks when a card tops up the remaining amount.

High-volume sellers should understand how much of their revenue comes from gift card balances versus direct card payments. This mix affects your optimal merchant pricing strategy.

We benchmark Amazon-related acquiring costs against your in-store, website or other marketplace volumes to build a consolidated merchant services strategy. This omnichannel view often reveals savings opportunities that single-channel analysis misses.

Share your omnichannel statements with us and we will compare your Amazon costs to your other card payment channels for free.

What happens when Amazon payments fail and how we protect your cash flow

Failed payments cost you more than just the lost sale. Understanding the lifecycle of a failed Amazon payment helps you take proactive steps to protect your revenue.

If you continue to experience payment issues, you can find more solutions or explore more solutions by visiting Amazon’s customer support or help resources.

Common failure causes

Payments fail for various reasons, including:

• Expired cards that have not been updated
• Insufficient funds in the customer’s account
• Issuer declines due to fraud suspicion
• Address verification mismatches
• 3D Secure authentication failures under SCA regulations

When a payment fails, Amazon typically notifies the customer and may attempt a retry. The customer sees a prompt to update the card in “Your Orders” or “Your Payments” and click “Retry Payment”. Some customers respond quickly, others abandon the purchase entirely.

Impact on your business

For merchants, the effects ripple through your operations:

Issue	Business Impact
Soft declines	Delayed settlement, cash flow uncertainty
Cancelled orders	Wasted stock allocation, logistics costs
Peak period failures	Lost Q4 revenue during Black Friday, Christmas 2025
Chargebacks	Dispute costs, potential account warnings

How we help reduce failures

We select payment gateway providers UK merchants can connect to that support intelligent retries, better fraud tools and optimised 3D Secure flows for marketplace traffic. These technical improvements reduce decline rates and improve your authorisation success.

For high risk merchant account instant approval, we must be honest: instant approval is rare in genuinely high-risk sectors. However, we know which acquirers are comfortable with industries that trade heavily via Amazon, such as electronics, supplements or cross-border sales. We match you with the right bank and negotiate rolling reserves down where possible.

If you see frequent failed or disputed Amazon payments on your statements, let our team review your chargeback data and acquirer setup today.

Cutting the real cost of Amazon payments with a merchant services broker UK

This is where we deliver the most value for UK businesses selling on Amazon. Let us explain exactly how we reduce your total cost of taking card payments.

The volume leverage argument

Banks and acquirers give us preferential rates because we bring them large volumes of processing from multiple UK clients. When you apply directly to a bank, you negotiate based only on your own transaction history. When we negotiate on your behalf, we bring the combined weight of all our clients’ volumes to the table.

Why pay retail rates when you can tap into our wholesale-style pricing?

We often beat standard bank quotes by 10% to 20% on overall card processing fees. For Amazon sellers processing significant monthly volumes, this translates into thousands of pounds saved annually.

Access to multiple acquirers

We work across most major UK acquiring banks and processors. This means we can compare card processing fees across providers instead of forcing you into a single relationship. Our comparison approach ensures you get the best available rate for your specific:

• Transaction volumes
• Average order values
• Industry risk profile
• Geographic customer base

Our service is free to you

We want to be crystal clear on this point. Our service to you as the business owner is completely free. The bank or acquirer pays us a commission when you sign with them through our recommendation. You keep 100% of the savings we achieve.

This is not a catch. It is simply how the merchant services industry works. Acquirers prefer working with brokers because we bring them pre-qualified, serious merchants. They pay us, you save money, everyone benefits.

High-risk expertise

We have specific experience with high-risk and “hard to place” sectors that sell via Amazon. Industries like supplements, electronics, CBD products and cross-border commerce often face:

• Rolling reserves of 10-20% held for 6-12 months
• Elevated fees of 3-5% versus standard 1.5-2.5%
• Limited choice of willing acquirers

We negotiate rolling reserves down where possible to free up your cash. We know which banks accept your industry and how to present your application for the best chance of approval.

Start your free cost analysis with us today. Upload your latest merchant statement and your Amazon volume report so we can show you a side-by-side comparison.

FAQs on Amazon payment methods and merchant accounts

Do Amazon sellers need their own merchant account?

While Amazon processes customer payments on its marketplace, a separate merchant account is still vital if you sell through other channels. Your own website, physical store or other marketplaces all require independent card processing. More importantly, having visibility across all your payment volumes helps us negotiate better overall rates. We consolidate your processing to maximise leverage.

How does Amazon Pay compare to standard payment gateways?

Amazon Pay lets customers use their stored Amazon payment information on your own website, reducing friction at checkout. It makes sense for UK businesses whose customers already trust Amazon and want quick solutions at checkout. However, Amazon Pay fees may differ from standard gateway costs. We help you select the right gateway partner and compare whether Amazon Pay or alternatives like Stripe, Adyen or Worldpay offer better value for your specific traffic patterns.

Can I use multiple acquirers for Amazon and non-Amazon volume?

Yes, and this is often the optimal approach. We structure multi-acquirer setups to reduce risk and cost. For example, you might use one acquirer optimised for high-volume Amazon transactions and another for your direct website sales. This approach provides redundancy (if one acquirer has issues, the other continues processing) and lets us negotiate competitive rates on each channel.

Is high risk merchant account instant approval possible?

We need to set realistic expectations here. Approvals are never guaranteed, especially for genuinely high-risk sectors. However, we know which UK acquirers consider high-risk industries that trade via Amazon, and we understand their underwriting criteria. We present your application in the best possible light and often secure approvals that would be declined through direct applications. The process typically takes days rather than hours, but our success rate is significantly higher than going it alone.

How do you stay current with Amazon payment changes?

We keep on top of Amazon’s payment method updates throughout 2025 and beyond. Our team monitors changes to accepted card types, fee structures and policy requirements. When Amazon updates its payment options, we analyse how those changes affect your fees and approval rates, then advise accordingly. Our clients always have current, actionable information.

What if my question is not covered here?

We are always happy to help with specific queries. Send your question along with your latest processing statement to our team. We will respond directly with tailored advice based on your actual transaction data and business model. There is no obligation, and the consultation is free.

If your question is not covered here, send your query and your latest processing statement to our team and we will respond with tailored advice.

Key takeaways

• Amazon accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and select co-branded cards, but not PayPal, Klarna or Apple Pay directly at checkout
• Customers manage payment methods through “Your Account” where they can add a new payment method, select edit to update details, or select remove to delete cards
• Failed payments impact your cash flow through delayed settlement, cancelled orders and chargebacks, especially during peak trading periods
• We use volume leverage to secure wholesale-style rates that beat what you can negotiate directly with banks
• Our service is completely free to you because the acquirer pays our fee
• We specialise in high-risk sectors and know which UK banks accept your industry

Take control of your Amazon payment costs today

Every card transaction your Amazon customers make costs you money in processing fees. The question is whether you are paying more than you should. Most UK businesses are, simply because they lack the leverage and market knowledge to negotiate effectively.

We handle this complexity for you. We compare card processing fees across multiple providers, negotiate using our combined client volumes, and secure rates that would be impossible for a single business to achieve alone.

The best part? You pay nothing for our service. The bank pays us, you keep the savings.