Not feeling confident giving out your credit card information to do a little online shopping? Amazon is making it easier to pay for goods online using cold, hard cash.
The digital retail giant is rolling out Amazon Cash — a way to build up your Amazon Balance using physical tender just by visiting brick-and-mortar stores.
Armed with a unique bar code that can be printed or saved to a phone, Amazon users can now load up their Amazon accounts with a single in-store transaction at participating shops such as CVS, Speedway, Sheetz, Kum & Go, D&W Fresh Market and more.
A little gift to yourself
The system isn't unlike purchasing a gift card to use on your Amazon account, a common practice for those who'd rather not use their debit information online or minors without a bank account.
In fact, money added to a user's Amazon Balance using Amazon Cash is automatically pooled together with their Gift Card Balance.
Essentially, the main difference between self-gifting cards and Amazon Cash is that Cash is more efficient, with funds going to your Amazon account immediately after purchase and presumably producing less waste.
In addition to desktop shoppers, iOS and Android users can access their Amazon Cash barcode via the official Amazon app. Currently, the program is available in the US at a select number of grocery and drug stores, though Amazon says more retailers are expected to join in soon.
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