The service is free of fees, and funds are available to spend on Amazon.co.uk immediately after loading in – restricted to spending on eligible products (though Amazon says this is in the “millions”).
Users must first get a barcode linked to their account, through the Amazon website or mobile app – either can be sent to their mobile or printed on paper. Then the shoppers take the barcode and cash to one PayPoint in convenience shops, grocery stores and petrol stations. Here, the cashier scan the code and add the cash to their balance.
Cash loaded into Amazon this way cannot be withdrawn, it is designed to help the unbanked or underbanked to maintain a spending balance on Amazon’s platform.
According to Amazon, more UK retailers are “coming soon”. In reality users of Amazon Top Up are purchasing an Amazon Gift Card that’s added to their UK account Gift Card Balance. The balance expires 10 years after the cash being loaded in if it’s not spent.
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