Unknown Charges From Amazon: What Are They? How To Avoid?

If you are an ardent shopper at Amazon or a subscriber of some of its services, you may have wondered about unexpected debit or credit card charges. This article will give you all the information you need about unknown charges from Amazon and what to do in case of fraudulent activity on your account.

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What Are the Unknown Charges From Amazon?

Unknown Amazon charges may stem from gift orders, purchases by shared account users, or recurring subscriptions like Prime. Banks might hold funds for altered or canceled orders, releasing them per their policies. So, please review unfamiliar charges in account payments and transactions.

Why Do I Have an Unknown Charge in My Amazon Account?

There are many possible reasons for the unknown charges. They include:

Annual subscription renewal: Amazon Prime members have a yearly subscription fee. One of the unknown charges could be the renewal fee.
A digital service payment. Monthly charges occur if you purchase a digital service such as a Kindle Unlimited or a channel subscription to the prime video.
Bank authorization. Anytime you place an order on Amazon, they will contact your bank to confirm if the payment method is valid. The bank will then reserve the funds until you finish the transaction process. This reservation will appear in your statement but not in the actual balance. The holding period varies in different banks. Contact your bank for information on how long they hold authorization for online orders.
An Amazon pay transaction: All Amazon pay orders start with p01 followed by 14 digits. You should check your payment history in your Amazon pay account.
Someone used your card: A family member, a coworker, or a friend who has access to your card might have used it to make an order. Ask within your circle if someone ordered using your card.
Your order was split into various shipments or when an order was sent to multiple shipping addresses. In this case, the orders will appear on your statement as separate charges.
You may have various cards associated with your Amazon account. When you use different cards for Amazon transactions, you may get confused about the one you used on your last order or subscription.
If your preorder or backorder is shipped without your knowledge

How Do I Report an Unknown Charge on Amazon?

Suppose you notice an erroneous or unauthorized transaction confirmation, payments on your account, or transaction initiated through the service. You should contact customer service at (866) 216-1075 as soon as possible.

You can also write to

‘Transaction Disputes

Amazon Payments, Inc.

P.O. Box 81226

Seattle, WA 98108-1226’

After contacting customer care, they will ask you to provide them with the following details.

Your name, email address linked to your payment account, and phone number
A description of the error and explain why you believe it is erroneous or unauthorized.
The amount you suspect to have been spent
When the transaction occurred or the email of the transaction confirmation
Your bank's telephone number if the error is associated with a transfer from your bank account.

Customer care may ask you to send a written complaint within 10 days. Amazon will try to solve the error within 10 days. But it may take longer, 45 days for domestic or 90 days for international transactions, for Amazon to investigate the complaint.

How to Find Out What Amazon is Charging

You should check the order summary section in your account to find the amount Amazon charges for every shipment. The order summary section will also show you the total costs for all your orders on Amazon.

Fraudulent Purchases

In most cases, unauthorized charges happen accidentally and are resolved whenever you report to Amazon. However, there are times when unknown charges result from fraud. Fraudulent purchases occur when your account is hacked.

Here is what to do when your account is hacked.

Change your password. If you realize someone has ordered items with your account, log into your Amazon account and click on the accounts and lists. Click on your account, log in and security, and change your password. Use random numbers and letters, not actual words, for a more secure password. Also, change the password for the linked email address.
Recheck the information in your account. Verify if the person who accessed your account has changed some of your account details. Check the linked credit card details, billing, and shipping address. You should also look at the email address and phone number. Call the Amazon security department and report the account breach if there are any changes.
Check the purchase history details. Look through your purchase history and ensure you recognize all the purchases. Scrutinize your archived orders section and check if there is any fraudulent activity. Hackers usually hide their purchases in the archived order section. You can find it in the ordering and shopping preference section.
Turn on the 2-step verification process. It is hard to hack an account that has a 2-step verification. The feature allows Amazon to send a text with a security code whenever you open your account.
Unlink your credit/debit card accounts. Unlink your accounts so that hackers may not be able to use your account in case they hack again. You will have to enter your account details every time you buy something.
Check all credit cards you have linked to the Amazon account. Look into the transaction history of all your linked credit cards and ensure that there are no unauthorized purchases.

Why Did Amazon Charge Me Twice on Credit Cards?

Amazon may have charged you twice if you accidentally ordered the same item twice. It is a common issue, especially when you have slow internet.

Amazon has a system that ensures an item is in stock before charging your credit card. However, they cannot know if you erroneously ordered an item twice if you fail to cancel it. Therefore, they will charge your account twice for the 2 orders.

Conclusion

Unknown charges to your account may happen for various reasons. The charges can occur when a friend, a family member, or a coworker uses your card to purchase an item at Amazon. It can also be a monthly or annual fee for an Amazon service subscription such as Amazon Prime membership, prime video, or unlimited Kindle. Unknown charges can also be fraudulent activities from hackers. Be on the lookout!