Online shopping giant, Amazon, has told its customers it will stop accepting payments made using UK Visa credit cards from January 19, 2021.
It said it has made the decision due to the ‘high fees Visa charges for processing credit card transactions.’
Shoppers will still be able to make payments with debit cards – including Visa debit cards – and non-Visa credit cards such as Mastercard and Amex when they checkout with Amazon.
An Amazon spokesperson explained the reasons behind the company not accepting Visa credit cards by saying: “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.
“With the rapidly changing payments landscape around the world, we will continue innovating on behalf of customers to add and promote faster, cheaper, and more inclusive payment options to our stores across the globe.”
Visa has responded to Amazon’s decision by saying: “We are very disappointed that Amazon is threatening to restrict consumer choice in the future.”
A Visa spokesperson added: “UK shoppers can use their Visa debit and credit cards at Amazon UK today and throughout the holiday season.
“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.”
Customers who currently use a Visa credit card to shop with Amazon will need to update their default payment option or add a new, eligible payment method if they wish to continue shopping on the online store.
Amazon has also asked customers to update their prime memberships due to the change, along with any subscriptions on the site if you have a default payment method with a Visa credit card.
For more information on Amazon payment methods, visit the customer service and help section at Amazon.co.uk
