Recently bought a number of items from Amazon.com and paid for them using a single-use Secure Online Account number from Discover. I got a notice from Amazon a bit later that there was a problem processing my credit card number. After several retries, I called Discover to find out the scoop.
They told me Amazon was attempting to process the order with a number that had already been used.
OK.
So, I removed all the credit card numbers Amazon had on file for my account, and tried again. It worked.
Sort of.
Two items in my shopping cart went through. The rest were in limbo again.
After thinking it through, I realized that Amazon doesn’t charge your card until an item ships. Since I had so many items in my cart, they were very likely going to ship at different times. So, my single-use credit card number won’t ever reliably work.
The moral, then, is to pay for each item separately when using single use numbers if you think that the items you’re buying are likely to ship at different times.
FYI, the reason why your Discover secure online account number doesn’t work for follow up orders or orders in multiple parts is because Amazon started to use multiple sellers accounts for their accounting.
It’s a recent change as a single secure online account numbers did work for multiple orders at Amazon in the past.
Discover card secure online account numbers are multiple use(transactions), but only for one online store(one domain). When you shop at Amazon, you need to know who you are buying it from. Are you buying from amazon.com directly or from amazon marketplace?
If the seller information has “Fulfillment by Amazon” or the seller is Amazon.com, it means your Discover secure online account number will be charged by Amazon.com. If you buy from another seller in amazon, your Discover secure online account number will be charged by Amazon MarketPlace. What’s the difference? It’s still coming from Amazon.
Amazon MarketPlace and Amazon.com are two different domain. One of the security feature of Discover secure online account numbers is that you can use it for multiple transactions only on the first online store it was used, only one domain. For example, if your first purchase at Amazon was a new CD from a seller with “Fulfillment by Amazon” on the seller information, that Discover secure online account number will show a charge from Amazon.com. That number will only accept transactions coming from Amazon.com domain. Since Amazon MarketPlace is a different domain(also different merchant ID from amazon.com), any transactions from Amazon MarketPlace(other sellers) will be rejected.
These are evident when you log in to your Discover secure online account number. Once logged in, click on past purchases. It’ll list all your secure account numbers and the online store(domain) associated with it.
>>They told me Amazon was attempting to process the order with a number that had already been used.
Yes. That number has been used in the first domain, can’t be use in a different domain. That security feature works.
What’s the solution, (for me)?
Generate 2 secure online account numbers, one for Amazon.com domain and another for Amazon Marketplace.
Your amazon account will now have two Discover card.
While shopping, you can mix purchases from other sellers and amazon.com. Upon checkout, these will be grouped separately(different order numbers), one coming from amazon.com and another from amazon marketplace. Once you know which order number is amazon.com and which is amazon marketplace(other private sellers), click the change payment option and apply the secure online number to the appropriate order number.
Check the FAQ on Discover Secure Online Account Number.
http://www.discovercard.com/customer-service/faq/soan.html