# Amazon Gift Card - auto renewal



## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Ever since I first had a kindle - so about 11 years give or take - like a lot of us I've maintained a gift card balance on my Amazon account so I don't have a whole bunch of small charges to my credit card each month for the books I buy.

I also have it set to auto renew - whenever my balance gets below a certain figure it automatically tops it up. 

The other day I bought a book which cost more than the balance left and it charged the remainder of the book price to my credit card and THEN topped up the balance on the gift card. It's never done that before - in all these years I've never had the cost of a book, or part of the cost, charged to my card. 

Is this a new way of doing things for Amazon? It seems unlikely that this is the first time I've bought a book that cost more than the balance remaining. I suppose it IS possible it's never happened that way before and it's not exactly a major problem, but I spent about 20 minutes trying to find out what this seemingly random charge on my credit card was for.

I think I have lockdown syndrome - I'm getting excessively irritated by the most inconsequential things. 

Note to self: Get a grip!


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

hands linjeakel a grip. (and some chocolate)
[normally i would put asterisks before and after the above, but single ones changed it to italics, and doubles changed it bold. how am i supposed to denote an action now?]

i don't like autoreload, so i can't help, and i don't mind books being charged to my CC, as it gets me more points to buy my next GC.


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

Linjeakel said:


> I think I have lockdown syndrome - I'm getting excessively irritated by the most inconsequential things.
> 
> Note to self: Get a grip!


I can't answer the first part since I don't use gift cards exclusively. But I can sympathize with the second part. My temper is hair trigger for some reason. Little stuff is annoying the heck out of me. Hopefully, maybe, the end is getting closer to see?


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

after going out today, i'm happy to go back into my hole and away from stupid people who don't know how to walk.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

FWIW, Linda, I think it's always been that way. Or at least for a while. I have mine set the same way. My 'recharge amount' is $10 so it's rarely an issue unless I'm buying something OTHER THAN an ebook, which might actually cost more than $10. I don't generally use 'one click', though I have it turned on as you have to to buy kindle books. But I put non ebook purchases in the cart. USUALLY I'm not buying things that are going to be more than my GC balance but I've gotten so I do pay attention and if it shows any amount going on my card, I go and do a manual fill up first -- or just skip the GC and put it all on my CC, depending on what it is.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

I'm the same Ann, I always go through the cart (except we call it a basket ) for anything other than my kindle books and always change it to pay by credit card. Unless my order is for a very small amount, one or two quid say, I never use my GC for anything but e-books and apps where you have no choice but to 1-click.

I've got mine set to auto renew at £5 - and to be fair it's rare I pay more than that for a kindle book - but occasionally I do have to when it's something I really want. (St Cyr series, I'm looking at you  ). I must have just been lucky that it never happened before when my balance was low. Of course, I wouldn't have had to waste 20 minutes trying to track down what the heck I was being charged for if I checked my confirmation emails from Amazon to see how much they were charging me every time. (Who does that though, honestly? Answer: Not me, obviously!)

telracs - thanks for the chocolate * munches * (you have to leave a space between the word and the asterisks!)


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

A basket, eh? I would have guessed a trolley.  

I don't much check acknowledgements either -- just file 'em away in case something goes wrong!


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

* passes sugarfina bubbly bears *

ah, much better.

oh, and actually, i do look at my amazon e-mails when i buy a book...


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