What is Amazon Pay? How to use the online retailer's virtual payment service on other sites

• Amazon Pay is a service offered by Amazon to let you use your account to make purchases at third-party retail sites.
• You can use this method to securely and conveniently make purchases without entering a payment method at the website.
• Hundreds of websites accept Amazon Pay at checkout, but there's no comprehensive list online — often, you will simply discover that a site accepts Amazon Pay when you reach checkout. 
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

Amazon Pay is a payment method accepted by a variety of websites and online retailers. It allows you to use your existing payment method already associated with Amazon on sites that support the service. 

It's designed to offer a safe, secure, and convenient payment option on third-party retail sites. Rather than adding your credit card or other payment method to a new site you might not completely trust, you can choose to use Amazon Pay, which automatically uses your existing Amazon account to complete the purchase. 

How to sign up for Amazon Pay

One of the advantages of using Amazon Pay is that there is, in fact, no sign-up process — if you have an Amazon account and associate a credit card or other payment method with it, there is no further set-up needed. It is simply available and works automatically when you try to make a purchase at a participating website. 

Where you can use Amazon Pay

There is no comprehensive list of sites and retailers that use Amazon Pay. Currently, hundreds of websites make use of Amazon Pay. In general, you won't see if a site supports Amazon Pay until you get to the shopping cart or checkout page. If a site supports Amazon Pay, you should see a button with the Amazon Pay logo, often in a "fast checkout" category with other options like Google Pay and PayPal. 

Amazon Alexa also uses Amazon Pay to process payment for products you order from Amazon using your voice.

How to use Amazon Pay

Amazon Pay is intended to be convenient, so it seamlessly integrates into the checkout process. To make a purchase using Amazon Pay, start the checkout process like you would for any purchase at a retail site. 

1. When you reach the checkout page and need to enter your payment method, click "Amazon Pay." 

2. In the pop-up window, sign into your Amazon account or continue through your account if you're already logged in. 

3. Follow any necessary prompts to complete the purchase.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• How to set up two-factor authentication on Amazon to protect your account data and payment information
  

• How to reload your Amazon gift card balance online, or set up an auto-reload schedule

• How to change your Amazon account password or reset it if you've forgotten it

• How to set up and use Google Pay on your Android phone to make contactless payments at thousands of stores

• How to set up and use Apple Pay on your iPhone to make contactless payments at thousands of stores