Amazon has allowed shoppers to pay for purchases with the popular Venmo app since November 2022. What that means is that customers who didn’t want to use credit to buy on Amazon were able to use funds from their linked bank accounts or available Venmo balances instead.
However, the retail giant announced in December 2023 that they’ll no longer be accepting Venmo as a payment option. They sent emails to Amazon shoppers, and Venmo shared the news on their site. This will be effective starting on Jan. 10, 2024.
The news is kind of a bummer since Amazon would often run special promotions where you’d earn free Amazon credits if you added Venmo as your default payment method. But if you want to learn more about how this might change things, read on below.
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You can still use a Venmo credit or debit card to shop on Amazon.
Starting Jan. 10, 2024, Amazon will stop accepting Venmo balances or bank accounts linked via Venmo. Venmo shared this info on their site:
“Due to recent changes, Venmo can no longer be added as a payment method. Venmo will remain available to users who currently have it enabled in their Amazon wallet until 01/10/24. ”
Amazon also sent shoppers a message to their associated email accounts notifying them about the change.
While neither company disclosed the reasoning behind this change, a Venmo spokesperson shared in a statement that it was a mutual decision. “We have a strong relationship with Amazon and look forward to continuing to build on it,” he said.
Shoppers should update their default payment methods if it’s currently set to Venmo.
If your current default payment method is set to Venmo, you need to change it or add another payment method (like a credit or debit card) to continue shopping on the site.
In addition to credit and debit cards, Amazon currently allows purchases via prepaid cards and gift cards, as well as dedicated Amazon Store and gift cards. They also allow payment via Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts, for eligible purchases. EBT SNAP cards are accepted as payment for residents of participating states as well. Customers can also link a bank account to their Amazon profiles and pay that way.
Additionally, if you have any subscriptions linked to your Venmo, including your Prime membership, you’ll need to update your payment method to keep your everything steady.
This change puts an end to special offers linked with using Venmo as a payment method.
Throughout 2022 and 2023, Amazo ran timely special offers where they’d gift Prime members free Amazon credit when adding Venmo as the default payment method. The credit amount typically offered was $5.
Here are some other offers from 2023:
- Spend $25 or more on Amazon using your Venmo payment, and get $5 off. This deal expired on Sept. 7, 2023, at 11:59 pm ET. Shoppers entered code VENMO1 at checkout. This offer did not apply to digital content.
- Spend $75 or more on Amazon using your Venmo payment, and get $10 off. Shoppers entered code VENMO5 at checkout.
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