Kindle books via Amazon Gift Certificates

Zoot · 12-24-2007, 05:14 PM

[Edit: This now appears sto have changed and Gift Certificates / Gift Cards are working fine for buyin gKindle books!]

It would appear that he fine print on the Amazon Gift Certificate prevents their use in purchasing any electronically downloadable content including Unbox videos and Kindle e-book items.

Indeed, it normally tries to spend any Gift Certificate money I have whenever I buy something from Amazon, but when buying a Kindle book it skips the GC balance and goes straight for the credit card.

This is really quite annoying. I have a Kindle, a long list of books I'd like to own for it, and $150 in useless Amazon credit received as Christmas gifts.

Z.

Nate the great · 12-24-2007, 05:22 PM

Sucks, don't it?

I'm in the same position. I have $100 in gift certificates from relative who quite naturally assumed that I would be able to use them to buy ebooks.

tsgreer · 12-24-2007, 05:58 PM

Ick. That does suck. Maybe you can use them for a booklight to go with it or maybe an extra charger...

HarryT · 12-25-2007, 09:29 AM

Don't you ever buy DVDs or anything like that? Use the credit for that - I buy all my DVDs from Amazon.

zartemis · 12-25-2007, 11:11 AM

I have no inside information, but I suspect that the gift certificate issue may change. When I got an Amazon credit for shipping snafus, it went toward Kindle books. I couldn't see it listed anywhere in my account, but as soon as I bought a Kindle book, the amount was applied toward my purchase. They've done this for a few other customers as well.

I suspect they will soon have a way to apply gift certificates to your Kindle account. Indeed, I was sure I saw discussion to that effect on the Amazon forums indicating it already was, but now I can't find that discussion; it may have been deleted. Maybe someone mistakenly saw a upcoming feature displayed on the site prematurely and Amazon pulled it and the discussion thread.

bwit · 12-25-2007, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zartemis

I suspect they will soon have a way to apply gift certificates to your Kindle account.

You're right! I had a couple of Amazon reward certificates so I added them to my account. I then purchased a book in the Kindle store and the funds were subtracted from my gift certificate account.

Thanks for the idea.

Bob

Nate the great · 12-25-2007, 11:49 AM

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...00127480&#gift

Quote:

Can I give Kindle and Kindle content as a gift?

We make it easy to send Kindle as a gift:

1. Place Kindle in your Shopping Cart.
2. Click the Cart icon at the top of our web site when you are ready to complete your purchase.
3. In the Cart, check the box next to "Add gift-wrap/note."
4. Click the "Proceed to Checkout" button and follow instructions to complete the purchase.

Designating your Kindle purchase as a gift ensures that the device is not automatically registered to your Amazon.com account, which means that purchases from the Kindle Store made by the gift recipient will not be charged to you, and prices for the Kindle purchase will not appear on the packing slip. When the gift recipient opens Kindle and turns it on for the first time, he or she will need to register Kindle to an active Amazon.com account at www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle.

If you'd also like to give the gift of reading material for Kindle, you may want to give an Amazon Gift Card. Your gift recipient will be able to apply the Gift Card balance to his/her Amazon.com account and make purchases from the Kindle Store.

bwit · 12-25-2007, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...00127480&#gift

Sure you can do this for the Kindle itself but Amazon only supports 1-Click purchases for content in the Kindle store. I've not seen anywhere that states that gift certificates will be used if registered in your account.

Bob

Nate the great · 12-25-2007, 12:00 PM

Read my quote again.

Quote:

If you'd also like to give the gift of reading material for Kindle, you may want to give an Amazon Gift Card. Your gift recipient will be able to apply the Gift Card balance to his/her Amazon.com account and make purchases from the Kindle Store.

Nate the great · 12-25-2007, 12:11 PM

I can positively say that you can use gift cards to buy Kindle ebooks. I bought myself one, and used it to buy a Kindle Edition textbook.

bwit · 12-25-2007, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I can positively say that you can use gift cards to buy Kindle ebooks. I bought myself one, and used it to buy a Kindle Edition textbook.

Great. Thanks.

Bob

sarahw2275 · 12-26-2007, 09:47 AM

This could open the kindle up to those of us outside the US. I know that some forum members buy connect store gift certificates for those who have a Sony Reader. Anyone willing to purchase an Amazon gift certificate for me? I can pay you by Paypal.
Thanks

Nate the great · 12-26-2007, 12:18 PM

Unfortunately, they still require a US credit card, even if it's not charged. I am waitng to hear back from them on this point.

Zoot · 12-27-2007, 01:20 AM

Yep, all the books I've bought in the last couple days have automatically come out of my GC balance now, so it no longer seems to be an issue!

Z.

12-24-2007, 05:14 PM	#1
Zoot Connoisseur Posts: 89 Karma: 34 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: Amazon Kindle	Kindle books via Amazon Gift Certificates [Edit: This now appears sto have changed and Gift Certificates / Gift Cards are working fine for buyin gKindle books!] It would appear that he fine print on the Amazon Gift Certificate prevents their use in purchasing any electronically downloadable content including Unbox videos and Kindle e-book items. Indeed, it normally tries to spend any Gift Certificate money I have whenever I buy something from Amazon, but when buying a Kindle book it skips the GC balance and goes straight for the credit card. This is really quite annoying. I have a Kindle, a long list of books I'd like to own for it, and $150 in useless Amazon credit received as Christmas gifts. Z. Last edited by Zoot; 12-27-2007 at 01:21 AM.

12-25-2007, 12:11 PM	#10
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	It worked. I can positively say that you can use gift cards to buy Kindle ebooks. I bought myself one, and used it to buy a Kindle Edition textbook.

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12-24-2007, 05:22 PM	#2
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Sucks, don't it? I'm in the same position. I have $100 in gift certificates from relative who quite naturally assumed that I would be able to use them to buy ebooks.

12-24-2007, 05:58 PM	#3
tsgreer Lovin' the e-book life... Posts: 633 Karma: 2509 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Colorado Device: Ebookwise 1150, Sony PRS-505, Amazon Kindle, BeBook (with OpenInkpot)	Ick. That does suck. Maybe you can use them for a booklight to go with it or maybe an extra charger...

12-25-2007, 09:29 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Don't you ever buy DVDs or anything like that? Use the credit for that - I buy all my DVDs from Amazon.

12-25-2007, 11:11 AM	#5
zartemis Addict Posts: 283 Karma: 2002 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle3, Kindle2, Nook, NookColor	I have no inside information, but I suspect that the gift certificate issue may change. When I got an Amazon credit for shipping snafus, it went toward Kindle books. I couldn't see it listed anywhere in my account, but as soon as I bought a Kindle book, the amount was applied toward my purchase. They've done this for a few other customers as well. I suspect they will soon have a way to apply gift certificates to your Kindle account. Indeed, I was sure I saw discussion to that effect on the Amazon forums indicating it already was, but now I can't find that discussion; it may have been deleted. Maybe someone mistakenly saw a upcoming feature displayed on the site prematurely and Amazon pulled it and the discussion thread.

12-26-2007, 09:47 AM	#12
sarahw2275 Connoisseur Posts: 63 Karma: 48 Join Date: Sep 2006	This could open the kindle up to those of us outside the US. I know that some forum members buy connect store gift certificates for those who have a Sony Reader. Anyone willing to purchase an Amazon gift certificate for me? I can pay you by Paypal. Thanks

12-26-2007, 12:18 PM	#13
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Unfortunately, they still require a US credit card, even if it's not charged. I am waitng to hear back from them on this point.

12-27-2007, 01:20 AM	#14
Zoot Connoisseur Posts: 89 Karma: 34 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: Amazon Kindle	Yep, all the books I've bought in the last couple days have automatically come out of my GC balance now, so it no longer seems to be an issue! Z.