How to Bypass Buy Now with 1-Click on Amazon’s Kindle Store

I rarely buy books, whether hardcover, paperback, or e-book. Instead, I borrow e-books from either Kindle Unlimited or my local library (via the Libby app). However, once every blue moon, I want to read a title unavailable from either of these sources — or I see the book has a library wait time longer than I’m willing to wait.

I ran into this problem recently after binge-reading all seven books in the outstanding Murderbot Diaries Series (by Martha Wells). For the first time in months, I was fishing for a new novel.  

Last year, I read The One by John Marrs, the first of several books set in the same speculative fiction universe. I had tagged the rest of the series in Goodreads and decided I’d next read book two, The Passengers.

However, all my library accounts in Libby showed a long wait for the title. I decided to make an exception and buy the Kindle Edition of The Passengers. Then I ran into a snag.

I wanted to purchase the book with my Amazon gift card balance. However, the default call to action for Kindle e-book purchases is Buy now with 1-Click and that flow doesn’t allow you to change your payment method.

Although counterintuitive, the solution is to use the Buy for Others button instead.

On the next screen, you’ll see a more traditional checkout interface, including the option to change your payment method. I used that option to designate my gift card balance. Then, in the recipient field, I entered my email address (the same one I use to log in to Amazon).

After placing my order, I received several email messages from Amazon, including the one for the recipient.

Finally, I clicked on Accept this Kindle Book to add the title to my account (and download it onto my Kindle Paperwhite e-reader).

Problem solved.

Your Turn

If you have any Kindle reading hacks you’d like to share, I welcome your comment.

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