The card payment verification process

When you place an order or sign up for a subscription, you may be redirected to your bank to verify your payment.

To maintain high security standards, your bank may give you instructions to verify your purchase. This experience is only applied to some purchases, payments, and subscriptions.

To verify your card payment:

  1. Follow the instructions on your bank's website.
  2. One way a bank may ask you to verify is using a unique security code. Check your phone or email inbox to retrieve your code and enter the code as prompted.
  3. Alternatively, your bank may ask you to verify the purchase using finger-print or facial recognition technology, if you already have this in place.

Once complete, you'll be directed back to Amazon and will get a confirmation that your order went through successfully.

Verification may be required when you use a credit or debit card to complete an order, or sign up for a new subscription, and may be required if you change your payment method. To manage your subscriptions, visit Your Membership and Subscriptions.

What to Do If the Verification Process Fails

If you can't verify your payment at check-out, you can try again through Your Orders.

If you continue to get an error message, or can't complete verification successfully, contact your bank or visit your local branch. They might be able to explain why your verification failed. Then, try completing the process again.

How to Make the Verification Process Smoother

To complete verification successfully, make sure that:

  • You're the account holder. The bank will only send a code to the card owner.
  • You enter the code correctly just as prompted. Look for your code in your text messages and email account, remembering to check your junk folder.
  • Your personal information, including your email address and phone number, is up to date with your bank, and you have the latest online banking app downloaded.
  • Your personal information on Your Account is up to date. If there's an issue with verification, we'll inform you. Add your mobile phone number and download the Amazon app to receive notifications in real time.

Note: If you're having trouble viewing the verification web page, delete your browser's cache and cookies, or try a different browser.

Troubleshooting Payment Verification for Age-restricted Items

When using a payment method other than a Visa or Mastercard credit card to purchase an age-restricted item, ensure:

  • The name you entered:
    • Is in the format of "First Name (space) Last Name" only
    • Doesn't include a title (Mr., Mrs., or Dr.)
    • Doesn't include initials
    • Doesn't include any middle names
    • Is spelled as an exact match to the spelling on your payment method
  • Your legal name matches the information on your selected payment method
  • Your date of birth is correct
  • The flat/premises number comes first in the address field

If you recently moved house, enter details of your most recent residence. If you don't have a permanent UK address, we won't be able to verify you.