Amazon to stop accepting Visa credit cards in the UK
17 November 2021, 09:43 | Updated: 17 November 2021, 14:12
Amazon has told customers it will stop accepting payments made using Visa credit cards in the UK from January next year.
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Amazon emailed customers this week to confirm it will stop accepting payments made using Visa credit cards issued in the UK "starting January 19 2022".
The online retailer said it will no longer accept the credit cards due to "the high fees Visa charges for processing credit card transactions".
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Customers will still be able to use debit cards, including Visa, and non-Visa credit cards.
Visa has said it is "very disappointed" with the decision.
A spokesperson for Amazon said: "The cost of accepting card payments continues to be an obstacle for businesses striving to provide the best prices for customers.
"These costs should be going down over time with technological advancements, but instead they continue to stay high or even rise.
"As a result of Visa's continued high cost of payments, we regret that Amazon.co.uk will no longer accept UK-issued Visa credit cards as of 19 January, 2022."
The company said in the email: "We know this may be inconvenient, and we're here to help you through this transition."
A Visa spokeswoman added: "UK shoppers can use their Visa debit and credit cards at Amazon UK today and throughout the holiday season.
"We are very disappointed that Amazon is threatening to restrict consumer choice in the future. When consumer choice is limited, nobody wins.
"We have a long-standing relationship with Amazon and we continue to work toward a resolution, so our cardholders can use their preferred Visa credit cards at Amazon UK without Amazon-imposed restrictions come January 2022."
