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Amazon to stop accepting UK Visa credit cards

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Re: Amazon to stop accepting UK Visa credit cards

#91
post #51

Are you sure this isn't spam? I've received the email. It looks very suspicious to me...

There is coverage in other national media https://news.sky.com/story/amazon-to-reject-customer-payment...

But additionally I use the +servicename trick on Amazon, and the email was delivered to me at jack+amazon@myemail. If it’s phishing it’s incredibly well done as it came from the source to the recipients used by the source

Re: Amazon to stop accepting UK Visa credit cards

#92
post #43
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quite the opposite in the UK, at least over the last 10 years or so. 99% of debit cards are Visa, and most people buying stuff on Amazon would be using a debit card, folks only really use credit cards for large purchases and things like travel, here. Even when it comes to credit cards, I would say Mastercard has like a large chunk - like 80% in terms of institutions (but who knows in terms of actual customers), I wou…

> most people buying stuff on Amazon would be using a debit card, folks only really use credit cards for large purchases Huh? I'm in the UK, have been an Amazon customer for over 20 years and have always used a credit card for everything. I didn't even know you could use a debit card, and can't see any reason you'd want to. Paid off in full every month, better consumer protection, what's not to like?

[deleted]

Re: Amazon to stop accepting UK Visa credit cards

#93
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> most people buying stuff on Amazon would be using a debit card, folks only really use credit cards for large purchases Huh? I'm in the UK, have been an Amazon customer for over 20 years and have always used a credit card for everything. I didn't even know you could use a debit card, and can't see any reason you'd want to. Paid off in full every month, better consumer protection, what's not to like?

You must be an actual anomaly, like yeah, what you are saying makes sense, but you are the only person I've ever heard about who does that here in UK. Everyone I know, me included, just uses debit cards for purchases everywhere including Amazon. I have a credit card but I very very very rarely use it for anything.

>Everyone I know, me included, just uses debit cards for purchases everywhere including Amazon.

This is just as anecdotal as GP or indeed myself. I never use a debit card and don't know anybody that uses them other than for getting cash out of an ATM

Re: Amazon to stop accepting UK Visa credit cards

#94
post #10
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

likely because Visa is increasing their fees in UK since Brexit unshackled them from some EU caps

I like this. If that’s the case, it proves the free market works. You don’t need regulations when corporations can strongarm one another.

This is not an improvement, it's basically saying you don't need to worry about Mothra because Godzilla will turn up to save us. Ignoring those who get trampled under the fighting behemoths.

Re: Amazon to stop accepting UK Visa credit cards

#95

If this is a negotiation tactic, why is it not a global proposal? Perhaps because bank transfer is very developed in the UK, and wire transfers could totally replace credit cards, with lower fees? On mobile devices, the effort to set up a wire transfer or direct debit is only maybe 1 minute for most users, and that's a one time thing, and unlike credit cards they don't expire either. Fees for the use of the system ar…

> Perhaps because bank transfer is very developed in the UK, and wire transfers could totally replace credit cards, with lower fees?

Or, you know, Visa debit cards? Amazon don't actually let you pay with Faster Payments or direct debit AFAIK? And you can't wire transfer money you don't have, which is the whole point of a credit card in the first place.

No, this is going to be something weird about credit.

Re: Amazon to stop accepting UK Visa credit cards

#96
post #75
post #6

Well that's annoying. Visa credit cards are very common in the UK, I myself use one for everything online. I don't know anyone who's got an American Express card in the UK Edit: Could it also be that Amazon offer their own Mastercard credit card and they're trying to nudge people towards that?

Not sure about the UK but here in France Amazon has just started promoting a co-branded Amazon Amex card.

Those have existed in Germany for a long time. I got one, but canceled it after using up the 50€ they gave me because the banking interface of their partner was atrocious.

Re: Amazon to stop accepting UK Visa credit cards

#97
post #82

I've just found another link that isn't paywalled: https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/amazon-stop... This says that only Visa credit cards will be blocked, not Visa debit cards. I have a speculative guess that it might not just be about the merchant cost... It does seem that Visa offers more customer protection than Mastercard from what I can tell, so perhaps too many customers have got Visa involved fo…

If I had to guess this is fall out from the rate increase Visa put in place after Brexit. Now that they are no longer restricted by pro-consumer caps they hiked the rates from 0.3% to 1.5% on credit card payments: https://www.ft.com/content/4820b619-4d35-4c6a-8523-fc685c047...

That's only for cross-border transactions between the EU and UK, and as the article says Mastercard is doing the same thing as well. I know there was a lot of speculation on social media that this was to blame but there's a lot of social media misinformation whenever someone finds a way to blame anything on Brexit... (Also, in practice people were getting ripped off by banks on the exchange rates for those cross-border transactiopns anyway. A lot of these EU measures require being part of the Euro to get the full benefit, and the UK isn't because we'd likely have gone the way of Italy and Greece if we joined.)

Re: Amazon to stop accepting UK Visa credit cards

#99
post #2

I cannot believe that Visa transaction overhead would be higher than Amex - there's something going on behind the scenes here. I don't think this is the end of it either, it smells like a negotiation threat. Visa have a larger market share overall (80%, including debit cards [1]) but Mastercard leads in credit cards. Amex has always been fairly niche because it's not accepted everywhere. [1] https://www.statista.com/…

> I cannot believe that Visa transaction overhead would be higher than Amex - there's something going on behind the scenes here.

I would be willing to bet the fees Amazon gets are vastly different from the fees a small merchant has to endure.

They obviously tried to squeeze a little bit more and now they’ll leave it to the shareholders to pressure the company to accept whatever Bezos wants.

Re: Amazon to stop accepting UK Visa credit cards

#100
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quite the opposite in the UK, at least over the last 10 years or so. 99% of debit cards are Visa, and most people buying stuff on Amazon would be using a debit card, folks only really use credit cards for large purchases and things like travel, here. Even when it comes to credit cards, I would say Mastercard has like a large chunk - like 80% in terms of institutions (but who knows in terms of actual customers), I wou…

We put all our purchases on credit cards here in the UK (London) - but pay them off monthly. Amex Gold and Barclays Platinum Visa (it has 0 overseas fees, but a bit of a stingy limit. mostly just used where Amex isn't accpeted). Amazon lets you spend Amex points, so guessing the tie up runs deep. Best not to read into fights between gods.

100% I pay for almost everything on AMEX to get the points and use Monzo debit for the rest. Amazon has my amex linked and I use it for 100% of purchases.

Most people in the uk chase points and credit cards have much better points and bonus' than debits.

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