Please put my OCD to rest. I just purchased an item at school that I REALLY would not like my parents at home to realize I bought. The card is under me, the shipment address is to me, but the billing address is what's worrying me. It has always been my home address, but out of extra caution I set it to my school address for this purchase. Is there any chance a bill or receipt would be sent to my home address, even though I'm using debit? Does it matter what billing address you use? Thanks.
The billing address is used to confirm that the credit card is not being used by someone it shouldn't. Amazon will not send any bills or receipts to that address. It's an additional layer of security meant to ensure that credit cards are used by their owners.
No, nothing is ever sent to the billing address. The only reason for the billing address is as a verification step to help confirm that it is in fact your card and you know the billing address on it.
If you provide an invalid billing address, it is possible the bank will decline the payment. It is a verification. Like when they ask you on the phone what is your phone number and date of birth -- it's not so they can eventually give you a call to wish you happy birthday. They don't care what the answer is, they only care that it MATCHES what they have on file.
It is also possible the payment will go through anyway, even though you provided an invalid billing address, because banks have gotten very sophisticated with their fraud detection techniques and can use a lot of other methods to determine if you are who you are claiming you are. But if they have some concerns, the invalid billing address might be the tipping point that makes them throw the red flag and say "Hey, let's decline this until we can talk to this guy and figure out what's going on here".
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What is the purpose of the billing address on Amazon?
The billing address is used to confirm that the credit card is not being used by someone it shouldn't. Amazon will not send any bills or receipts to that address. It's an additional layer of security meant to ensure that credit cards are used by their owners.
More on reddit.comDoes the billing address of the buyer appear on a package being shipped to another person?
Yes, if you have a debit or credit card through Amazon.com, or another form of payment where they are handling the account, that's where the bill or notice would go if you are late on payments.
That address can also be used to verify that the owner of the card is the real owner of the card when they check with the bank or card issuer and compare against the billing address listed on the order. It's one factor in helping against fraud.
But most of the time nothing is sent there.
The credit card company knows your billing address, and it is used for verification. For that credit card there is a direct relationship to the billing address.
For some transactions the credit card is not charged until the product is shipped. They will not charge you for the item until a back ordered item is available. You can also pre-order books, movies, computer games to make sure you get an anticipated item in the first wave. In instant transactions the check for a valid card is done during the order process, and a hold is placed on the amount of the purchase. In these delayed transactions they will use the billing info at the time or order fulfillment.
In some business transactions the billing address has zero relationship to the mailing address. The payment could be by credit card (personal or corporate) or by business account or invoice system.
Scenarios where shipping address doesn't equal billing address:
- You live in an apartment, and want a package sent to a place that can accept the box.
- It is a gift and want it sent directly to the recipient.
- It is your kids text books and want it sent to the college campus.
- You are out of town and want it sent to where you are.
- You want to hide it from somebody in your household.
- The student is using the parents credit card.