Amazon UPI has had a drastic change! You can now pay using Amazon Cash for UPI transactions for merchants as well as individuals.
Before this change, Amazon cash was always valued a bit lesser than Hard Cash. As per my thumb rule, I always valued Amazon cash as 3% lesser value than INR.
In this article will be discussed
· When it started?
· How to enable it?
· Restrictions on it.
· Comparison with Paytm UPI
When it started?
Amazon started rolling out this feature batch wise in September. At the start it also had the option of using credit cards to Load Amazon Cash. Which was too good to last. Aand it didn't!
But now, most of us must have this feature enabled.
How to enable it?
You need to enable Amazon UPI. The Amazon UPI need to be set up with your Bank account linked with your Mobile Number.
Simply Use the “Scan any QR” option in the Amazon mobile application.
When you try to pay for any UPI transaction, have to choose “Show more ways to pay”.
Toggle to ”Amazon Pay Balance”. And it is set up.
Restriction On use
This news must have got any CardGyani’s brain start thinking of all the possibilities for exploitation. But do hold your horses, Amazon has played it smartly.
Amazon Balance comes in two parts.
· Amazon Cash: This has been added to Amazon via UPI, debit card and Credit card.
· Amazon Gift Card: This has been added to Amazon by adding the alpha numeric code.
Amazon Gift cards can be bought for generally upto 5% cash back on many portals of like HDFC’s Smart Buy, Axis Grab Deals, SBI’s Gyftr offer or even Yescart.
Only Amazon Cash can be used for UPI payments. So these discounted Amazon Gift cards will not work for UPI payments ☹
Earlier Amazon Cash could be topped up via Credit, debit cards as well as UPI.
Amazon Cash Top up via credit cards is no longer allowed.
However, debit cards still work. Many debit cards like HDFC or IDFC give cash back which is still a good option.
Hack not working: You may know of the hack of using merchants like Uber, Zomato to topup wallets via credit cards. It does not work here. I have tried on Uber where only UPI option is shown (even debit card is disabled via this route).
Comparison with Paytm
Amazon is following Paytm’s foot steps.
There are major difference between them and are compiled in the table below.
Comparison for wallet transactions | Amazon UPI | Paytm UPI |
Receiver’s UPI | Any | Paytm Only |
Can transfer | Only Amazon Cash, Amazon Gift card not allowed | Can transfer wallet balance as well as gift card |
Transfer to own account | Not Allowed | Allowed |
Load with credit card | Not Allowed | Allowed but chargeable |
Speed of payments | A bit slower | A bit faster |
Conclusion
These changes makes Amazon cash more convenient and more equivalent to cash. Only they should introduce the option to transfer the Amazon cash back to your account like Paytm.
All CardGyanis have lost a place to store money for the occasional offers.
After UPI, the concept of wallets is dying and so are the cashback/offers with them. Let me know your thoughts about the same.