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[Palthera]

A normal bank account debit card works just fine for me. I'm not entirely sure what a prepaid debit card is. But mine went straight through my normal amazon account...
I'm in the UK and haven't had any trouble.

[Kobold-Bard]

A normal bank account debit card works just fine for me. I'm not entirely sure what a prepaid debit card is. But mine went straight through my normal amazon account...
I'm in the UK and haven't had any trouble.

Britlanders are ok to use debit cards I think, it seems German Amazon has issues with them though.

[VinRaven]

Where would I ask this question:

Does an APO address count as a "normal" address, or as an International order? I've bought stuff shipped from Ookoodook before without additional shipping costs, but wanted to make sure. (I am guessing that someone will email me if I need to pay an additional amount.)

APO addresses always count as "normal" addresses as long as USPS is being used, since they never cost the sender more than any other domestic package.

The only issue which comes up in shipping to APO/FPO addresses is when senders are only using Fed EX, or UPS, and don't have USPS pick-ups set up, or with electronics going to 220 instead of 110 countries.

[Tanuki Tales]

A little over 22,000 before we hit being the 6th highest funded project! =D

[Savannah]

Until I get an answer, has anyone here managed to pay Kickstarter with a pre-paid debit card from outside the US? Maybe I'm missing something.

Yes, at least two that I remember. Germany and...something in that area, as I recall.

[HeadlessMermaid]

Yes, at least two that I remember. Germany and...something in that area, as I recall.

OK, now I'm positively confused.

[SaintRidley]

OK, now I'm positively confused.

I think it's because they go by different names to be a proper thing over there.

I'll look back through the thread and see what I can find.

What country are you in?

[MaximKat]

they use credit cards and not debit pre-paid cards

There might be some linguistic/cultural misunderstanding, but why are you talking like these are the only 2 options? Pretty much every reasonably developed country has non-prepaid debit cards. I know for a fact that a Ukrainian debit card can be used to make regular Amazon purchases.

[M.A.D]

And come to think of it, does anyone here from outside the US have an Amazon Payments account, and knows for sure that it works? And if so, is it with a non-American credit card? I mean, Kickstarter doesn't charge you until the drive is over, so I wouldn't have known about this problem if I hadn't received an error message for another order.

P.S. I don't intend to get a credit card, ever. Frankly, I never meant to get a pre-paid card and start buying things over the internet either (because I'll get carried away, I'm unwise like that), but I went and issued one specifically for the OotS Kickstarter. It would be a crying shame to not be able to participate at all...

I'm in the UK, and I've been doing transactions using my non-American Debit card with Amazon for 3 years without a glitch. So yeah, I can pretty much say that I'm sure it does work.

[HeadlessMermaid]

I think it's because they go by different names to be a proper thing over there.

I'll look back through the thread and see what I can find.

What country are you in?

Greece. (I know this doesn't sound very reassuring, but no worries, the banking system hasn't collapsed yet. )

I should note that when I contacted Amazon about the Amazon Payments account, I didn't specify country at all. I only asked if non-U.S. pre-paid debit cards are accepted and they said nope. So why it works in the UK (for example) is beyond me.

@M.A.D.:

I'm in the UK, and I've been doing transactions using my non-American Debit card with Amazon for 3 years without a glitch. So yeah, I can pretty much say that I'm sure it does work.

Is it a pre-paid debit card though, or just a debit card associated with a bank account? If the latter, and if it's not a UK-specific arrangement, I can definitely try it. If the former, I remain confused.

@MaximKat:
Yes, I have a normal debit card, and will be very happy if it works. I haven't done it already because when I was checking how to add a bank account to my Amazon Payments, the instructions referred exclusively to US bank accounts. And I assumed it doesn't work. We'll see.

Oh, and thanks everyone. :)

[MaximKat]

Yes, I have a normal debit card, and will be very happy if it works. I haven't done it already because when I was checking how to add a bank account to my Amazon Payments, the instructions referred exclusively to US bank accounts. And I assumed it doesn't work. We'll see.

And here I'm confused again. I'm suggesting to use a debit card (Visa, Mastercard, what have you), not a bank account (which is probably US only, as you've thought).

[SaintRidley]

Found it.

Begin with Duskranger's first post on that page and read for a couple of pages. He seems to have had much the same issue, near as I can tell.

[Duskranger]

Found it.

Begin with Duskranger's first post on that page and read for a couple of pages. He seems to have had much the same issue, near as I can tell.

Yes I had. But I bought a visa pre-paid credit-card.

It's called Visa V3 in my country.

[MaximKat]

What's the difference between prepaid credit and debit cards?

[Duskranger]

What's the difference between prepaid credit and debit cards?

One is from a credit card company, and in my country goes to a maximum of 150 euros (Visa V3).

The other is from the bank and has as much money as you have on your bankaccount (as far as I understood).

[Kobold-Bard]

What's the difference between prepaid credit and debit cards?

Credit card: money isn't yours, paid back at a later date
Debit card: connected to a bank account, money is a direct transfer
Prepaid card: Put money on it from a bank account, its not connected to anything so can only spend the money that has been previously put onto it

Or at least I believe that's right based on my own experience. I could be wrong.

[MaximKat]

One is from a credit card company, and in my country goes to a maximum of 150 euros (Visa V3).

The other is from the bank and has as much money as you have on your bankaccount (as far as I understood).

I mean the difference between a prepaid credit card and a prepaid debit card.

[SaintRidley]

I mean the difference between a prepaid credit card and a prepaid debit card.

Depends on the country. Seems that in some European countries prepaid credit cards are tied to credit card companies and allow online purchases. Prepaid debit cards aren't (?).

Whereas over here (U.S.) there's practically no functional difference.

[M.A.D]

@M.A.D.:

Is it a pre-paid debit card though, or just a debit card associated with a bank account? If the latter, and if it's not a UK-specific arrangement, I can definitely try it. If the former, I remain confused.

Now that you mention it, I think it's the latter. Is the prepaid card similar to an Amazon giftcard?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Now that you mention it, I think it's the latter. Is the prepaid card similar to an Amazon giftcard?

Yes, except it should be accepted everywhere. It behaves, essentially, like a debit card with its own account rather than just in Amazon (or if is is a gift card from another store, only in that store, etc.).

Grey Wolf

[MoonCat]

Yay! I upped my pledge to 25. Now I get everything!

[VinRaven]

Yes, except it should be accepted everywhere. It behaves, essentially, like a debit card with its own account rather than just in Amazon (or if is is a gift card from another store, only in that store, etc.).

Grey Wolf

I think the issue they're having, is that some of the Debit Cards outside of the US are fulfilled by either only by their specific banks at specific ATMs, or by small regional networks not tied into the Visa/MasterCard or Amex worldwide networks.

Using a bank outside the worldwide networks sort of makes it hard* for Amazon to charge them.

*Massive understatement.

[stevem]

Redcloak will tell the absolute truth. Someone will ask him "Why?" and he'll respond:

"Many reasons: I despised her. She continually humiliated me and attempted to supplant me, endangering the success of Ritual. As she served Xykon, I forbore from harming her as I didn't think we need unnecessary distractions and instability. Besides, she was largely insane and not worth my time. But then she surprised me in my chambers, threatened me (again!) and I had enough. I killed her and fed her corpse to her wights."

[HeadlessMermaid]

I think the issue they're having, is that some of the Debit Cards outside of the US are fulfilled by either only by their specific banks at specific ATMs, or by small regional networks not tied into the Visa/MasterCard or Amex worldwide networks.

Using a bank outside the worldwide networks sort of makes it hard* for Amazon to charge them.

*Massive understatement.

I beg to differ. Both my pre-paid and normal debit cards have the word "Visa" written in large, friendly letter on the cover.

By the way, I changed the payment method in Amazon Payments to my normal debit card (of the bank account, not the pre-paid one), and I haven't received any error messages - yet. I'll let you know if I do. Let's see what happens.

[Douglas]

Redcloak will tell the absolute truth. Someone will ask him "Why?" and he'll respond:

"Many reasons: I despised her. She continually humiliated me and attempted to supplant me, endangering the success of Ritual. As she served Xykon, I forbore from harming her as I didn't think we need unnecessary distractions and instability. Besides, she was largely insane and not worth my time. But then she surprised me in my chambers, threatened me (again!) and I had enough. I killed her and fed her corpse to her wights."

Wrong thread.

[Gullintanni]

I beg to differ. Both my pre-paid and normal debit cards have the word "Visa" written in large, friendly letter on the cover.

By the way, I changed the payment method in Amazon Payments to my normal debit card (of the bank account, not the pre-paid one), and I haven't received any error messages - yet. I'll let you know if I do. Let's see what happens.

If it's got Visa or Mastercard written on it, then technically speaking it is a credit card. It behaves exactly like a debit card, but because of it's legal designation as a credit card, it must be accepted by any vendor who accepts Visa or Mastercard.

From a customer's perspective, it would be perfectly reasonable to call it a debit card, but from a Visa/Mastercard/Vendor position, it is a credit card.

EDIT: For clarity, the above only applies to Visa/Mastercard prepaid cards. Those function identically to credit cards, except that rather than having a pre-assigned limit, you have money you load to the prepaid card account.

A Visa/Mastercard Debit Card is an entirely different thing.

[MaximKat]

If it's got Visa or Mastercard written on it, then technically speaking it is a credit card. It behaves exactly like a debit card, but because of it's legal designation as a credit card, it must be accepted by any vendor who accepts Visa or Mastercard.

From a customer's perspective, it would be perfectly reasonable to call it a debit card, but from a Visa/Mastercard/Vendor position, it is a credit card.

I don't follow.

[Porthos]

If it's got Visa or Mastercard written on it, then technically speaking it is a credit card. It behaves exactly like a debit card, but because of it's legal designation as a credit card, it must be accepted by any vendor who accepts Visa or Mastercard.

Maybe in your country, but in the US this is incorrect. I know a fact that some businesses will flat out refuse to treat a VISA stamped Debit Card as a Credit Card (for various reasons that really aren't germane to this thread) and won't accept it as payment.

[Gullintanni]

Maybe in your country, but in the US this is incorrect. I know a fact that some businesses will flat out refuse to treat a VISA stamped Debit Card as a Credit Card (for various reasons that really aren't germane to this thread) and won't accept it as payment.

I think we're miscommunicating, sorry. I'm talking about Visa Prepaid cards. Visa Debit cards are a different product entirely, and vendors are allowed to refuse those, since those aren't actually credit cards. They're tied to a bank account. But see below for information on the Visa prepaid cards, which are subject to all the same rules as a credit card:

http://www.visa.ca/en/merchant/produ...epaidcards.jsp

While some vendors may, in practice, refuse to accept a prepaid Visa or Mastercard, this is typically in violation of the vendor's contract with Visa or Mastercard.

If you were to report to Visa that a given merchant refused a prepaid card, there is a legitimate danger that that vendor would have his contract with Visa revoked. If you have a problem getting your card accepted, call the card issuer and let them know that you're being refused. Visa//Mastercard do not take kindly to vendors turning down their customers.

Again, it has nothing to do with the laws of a given country, and everything to do with the terms of the contracts vendors sign with the card issuers. If you're turned down, call the card issuer, and they'll find a way to get your prepaid card accepted.

[Porthos]

I think we're miscommunicating, sorry. I'm talking about Visa Prepaid cards. Visa Debit cards are a different product entirely, and vendors are allowed to refuse those, since those aren't actually credit cards.

Ok, I was simply going by your initial (and unedited) statement of "If it's got Visa or Mastercard written on it, then technically speaking it is a credit card" as there are many things that are stamped with the VISA logo that aren't credit cards.

But your edit makes your point much more clear.