Amazon payment plans: What you need to know

Written by: Taylor Medine
• Updated •3 min read
This date may not reflect recent changes in individual terms.
Man sitting at home, using his phone to shop on AmazonImage: Man sitting at home, using his phone to shop on Amazon

In a Nutshell

An Amazon payment plan can help you spread out the cost of your Amazon purchase over time. There’s no interest or extra fees, but not every product is eligible. And you’ll have to meet certain requirements to qualify.
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If you want to spread out your Amazon purchase over time, an Amazon payment plan may offer a solution.

Certain items sold on Amazon may qualify for an Amazon payment plan, which lets you split up payments over five months. But not all customers or products qualify.

Let’s take a closer look at how Amazon payment plans work.

How an Amazon payment plan works

Want to use the Amazon payment plan for your Amazon purchase? Not all purchases and customers are eligible — but if you and your purchase qualify, you’ll see an option to select monthly payments as a payment option during the checkout process.

If available, once you select the monthly payment option, you’ll be able to split your Amazon purchase into five payments. Your first installment will include taxes and shipping, and it’ll be charged to the primary payment method you have on file with Amazon.

From there, four more payments will be charged automatically every 30 days after the shipment date until your purchase is paid in full. It’s worth noting that Amazon doesn’t charge interest or fees for this plan, and you can pay off your balance at any time.

But keep in mind that if Amazon isn’t able to collect one of your monthly payments using your primary payment method, it may try to use other cards that you have on file. But if those cards are expired or otherwise unusable, Amazon could shut your account and may go so far as to block your device access to Amazon content, which may include content you’ve purchased through Audible or Kindle. So it’s a good idea to always keep your credit card information up to date.

How to qualify for an Amazon payment plan

To use an Amazon payment plan, you’ll have to meet the following conditions to qualify:

  • Reside in the United States
  • Have an active Amazon account that’s at least one year old
  • Link a valid credit card to your account
  • Demonstrate a good Amazon payment history

There’s also some fine print regarding eligible products that qualify. Amazon monthly payment plans may only be available for new products sold and shipped by Amazon.com and certain refurbished products sold and shipped by Amazon Digital Services. Also be aware that an Amazon payment plan may not be available to every customer and may not be available to you for all qualifying products.

And you can only finance one product per category at a time. For example, if you’re looking to use the monthly payment option for a Kindle e-reader and an Alexa-enabled device simultaneously, you’ll be out of luck since they’re both part of the “wireless products” category.

Can I use an Amazon payment plan with bad credit?

Your eligibility to use an Amazon payment plan won’t be affected by your credit scores since Amazon doesn’t do a credit check. But you’ll have to meet other specific Amazon requirements as mentioned above.

Next steps: Other ways to finance your Amazon purchase

If your Amazon purchase isn’t eligible for an Amazon monthly payment plan or you don’t qualify, here are a few alternatives to consider.

  • Use a credit card with a 0% APR offer: If you’re looking for another interest-free way to finance an Amazon purchase, you could consider applying for a new credit card that has an intro 0% purchase APR offer. Just remember that standard interest kicks in after a time, so you’ll need to pay off the entire balance to make the most of this method.
  • Apply for the Amazon Store Card: An Amazon Store Card may offer a promotional financing option for qualified borrowers on certain purchases. But if you don’t pay your balance in full before the promotional period is over, you could be on the hook for interest.
  • Find another financing partner: Using a buy-now, pay-later app to split up your payments on an Amazon purchase might be an option. Check out our roundup of the 5 best “buy-now, pay-later” apps.
About the author: Taylor Medine is a freelance writer who’s covered all things personal finance for the past seven years. She enjoys writing financial product reviews and guides on budgeting, saving, repaying debt and building credit. … Read more.