Amazon and Visa credit cards

squirrelpie

I've just received an email from Amazon that says:

"Subject: Visa credit cards will not be accepted, starting 19 Jan, 2022"

There's no explanation. At first I thought it was spam but then I found

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GFBWMNXEPYVJAY9A

and that too says:

"Starting 19 January, 2022 we will no longer accept Visa credit cards issued in the UK."

but again there is no explanation.

Does anybody, especially MSE staff, have any idea of what is going on? And any idea of what alternatives there are if I want to buy something after 19 Jan??????

emmajones1976

This is now the 6th thread on this subject.

emmajones1976

Or, nothing, as 90% sure this is just a warning shot and it will all be resolved by then.

squirrelpie

emmajones1976 said:

This is now the 6th thread on this subject.

Thanks I did a search before posting and didn't see anything!

squirrelpie

IanManc said:

squirrelpie said:

I've just received an email from Amazon that says:

"Subject: Visa credit cards will not be accepted, starting 19 Jan, 2022"

There's no explanation. At first I thought it was spam but then I found

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GFBWMNXEPYVJAY9A

and that too says:

"Starting 19 January, 2022 we will no longer accept Visa credit cards issued in the UK."

but again there is no explanation.

Does anybody, especially MSE staff, have any idea of what is going on? And any idea of what alternatives there are if I want to buy something after 19 Jan??????

Mastercard credit cards.

Mastercard debit cards.

Visa debit cards.

Yes but I don't have a mastercard credit card and I don't want to use a debit card (reduced protection!)

No explanations anybody?

emmajones1976

Visa are whacking their fees up.

Apply for a Mastercard.

northwalesd

The email I've received from Amazon is quite clear why theyre (potentially) doing it - ""due to the high fees Visa charges for processing credit card transactions."

As above, it might all be sorted before then.

sausage_time

Or get an Amex card?  Some sweet deals there.

The_Green_Hornet

Or get an Amazon Mastercard?

GalacticaActual

I also received the email from Amazon this morning.

• Amazon UK offer personal customers a Mastercard credit card option
• Amazon UK offer their business customers an Amazon Business American Express Card

According to an article on Engadget, Amazon have imposed surcharges for Visa credit card customers in Singapore and Australia in the past few months:

The companies may be engaging in a public war in an effort to get better terms from each other. Amazon has been putting pressure on the credit card brand over the past few months and started imposing a 0.5 percent surcharge on Visa credit card purchases on its Singapore website on September 15th. A month-and-a-half after that, Amazon also started imposing a surcharge on Visa transactions in Australia. In both instances, the company offered customers a gift card (AU$20 and SG$30) to add an alternative payment method that isn't a Visa credit card.

https://www.engadget.com/amazon-stop-accepting-uk-issued-visa-credit-cards-101233882.html

imarr17

In UK (and EU) it is illegal to impose surcharges on purchases made by credit card so that route wouldn't be possible here.