Amazon To Stop Taking Visa Credit Cards For Payments From January 2022

[Bikertov]

Just got this email from Amazon this morning, confirmed in various new sites:

 

****************************

Dear xxx, 
 

We’re writing to notify you of an upcoming change to Amazon.co.uk.

Starting 19 January, 2022, we will unfortunately no longer accept Visa credit cards issued in the UK, due to the high fees Visa charges for processing credit card transactions. You can still use debit cards (including Visa debit cards) and non-Visa credit cards like Mastercard, Amex, and Eurocard to make purchases. Please update your default payment method now, or add one of these new, eligible payment methods if you do not have one.

You can update your Prime membership here, and if you have any subscriptions on Amazon.co.uk, you can update them on the ''manage your subscription'' page here.

We know this may be inconvenient, and we’re here to help you through this transition so you can continue enjoying Amazon’s low prices and wide selection. Please visit this help page for more information on payment methods, or go directly to your account. 
 

****************************

 

I sense a fight going on between Amazon and Visa !

[floydraser]

I answered with "what a shame, we wouldn't want Amazon's profits to suffer would we?" but they don't accept replies.

We could happily survive without either of them. Do Amazon have their own credit card by any chance?

I packed up using Ebay to sell because they dumped Paypal and starting handling the money themselves.

[DAVIDH]

Can quite understand this. We passed laws a few years ago preventing the seller from passing on the credit card charge made by the bank, back on to the buyer. So whatever the bank charges the seller to facilitate the sale, the charge has to be absorbed (or added back in to the price of the item.)  In travel that can be as much as 2% of the commission earned by the agent - 20 to 25% of their profit. It's higher on lower priced items of course. It would take a large organisation like Amazon to stand up to the banks, which in essence, are able to charge what they like (within a competitive market). It just adds to the price of the item you want to buy. 

[andyg]

Amazon do indeed have there own branded credit card, it's a master card. Funnily enough we bank with Natwest and received a letter last week informing us our visa debit cards are being replaced with master cards one in the new year. 

[Vaughan]

17 minutes ago, DAVIDH said:

We passed laws a few years ago preventing the seller from passing on the credit card charge made by the bank, back on to the buyer. So whatever the bank charges the seller to facilitate the sale, the charge has to be absorbed (or added back in to the price of the item.)  In travel that can be as much as 2% of the commission earned by the agent - 20 to 25% of their profit.

Yes, but let's not forget that you have travel insurance cover, for airlines and packages, if you pay with a credit card.

But not if you pay with a debit card, even if issued by the same bank.

[Bikertov]

Whilst Amazon do have their branded card, I really don't think it is an effort to push that. It does seem to be a fight with Visa to reduce transaction charges. 

Amazon have 'form' in fighting these sort of anti-customer practices by their suppliers - you may or may nor remember the battle about 10 years ago with the big publishing houses in America over Kindle ebook pricing, when Apple got into the market.

[Hylander]

I thought this was a spam email.

[Bikertov]

2 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

Yes, but let's not forget that you have travel insurance cover, for airlines and packages, if you pay with a credit card.

But not if you pay with a debit card, even if issued by the same bank.

That is a massive 'plus' that should not be ignored, and is why I pay for almost everything on credit card.

We often deal with these matters at work. Time and time again, people lose money when a company goes under because they had no protection - use a credit card and you have that protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. 

See here for more details - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/section75-protect-your-purchases/

[Bikertov]

4 minutes ago, Hylander said:

I thought this was a spam email.

I thought that too at first, so googled it and saw all the news articles.

[floydraser]

41 minutes ago, Bikertov said:

Amazon have 'form' in fighting these sort of anti-customer practices by their suppliers - you may or may nor remember the battle about 10 years ago with the big publishing houses in America over Kindle ebook pricing, when Apple got into the market.

I think if you wrote a book and published it through Amazon, you may have a different view of that. Comedian David Mitchell express a view that he didn't agree with Amazon's business model even though his books are available through them. Publish through them is free but your book is not promoted anywhere. Once you start that you have to sign up to pages of American legal jargon and start paying commission.

[grendel]

its really simple, if amazon stop accepting my payment method, i will just stop buying stuff through them, I am not affected at the moment, but I dont buy that much through amazon anyway, its often a lot cheaper to buy direct from the seller (even if it does still arrive in an amazon box)

 

[DAVIDH]

Nothing wrong with using a credit card for travel, though if the arrangement is Atol protected, such as package holidays, you're protected anyway. Paying by credit card doubles the protection unnecessarily - you can't claim from two insurances. In commerce generally, paying by credit card unnecessarily, such as for items under £100, which aren't covered, just adds to the merchant's costs, which are then passed back to the consumer. 

[annv]

Hi Yes I just received this myself i used a credit card as i received points that i could exchange for books on my Kindle, and i guess Amazon will be saving a great deal of outlay. John

[DAVIDH]

1 hour ago, DAVIDH said:

In travel that can be as much as 2% of the commission earned by the agent - 20 to 25% of their profit

I should have made it clear that I wasn't speaking of myself. I'm a referral partner of Hoseasons. They're the ones who charge the customer's card, and take the card fee hit. 

[ranworthbreeze]

If in the past you have used Amazon then you will have had this notification, I only buy from Amazon when I can't get items from elsewhere. I am not keen that they do not pay their way.

 

[Smoggy]

Much the same as RB I very rarely buy from amazon, just don't like the company so I go elsewhere first if possible.

[Helian]

Surprised. They still take AMEX and my understanding is AMEX fees are much more than either Visa or MasterCard.

[webntweb]

Helian beat me to it. For many years retailers, particularly smaller ones, would not deal with American Express as their fees were much higher than either Visa or MasterCard.

[floydraser]

Often stuff is now more expensive through them and It's worth shopping around. I also don't like the way they try and trick you into signing up for Amazon Prime; you have look very closely for the tiny text which allows you to buy something without signing up, then they try to get you again at the next stage! They got me once. You only get one reminder to cancel before they start charging you.

And they've nicked the Rugby!

[DAVIDH]

59 minutes ago, Helian said:

Surprised. They still take AMEX and my understanding is AMEX fees are much more than either Visa or MasterCard.

Yes, there are adverts allover the radio at the moment, ramming home that you can get cash back on EVERYTHING you buy using an Amex card. But as you say, this is at the expense of the retailer, who will either accept the charge as a loss of profit.... or pass it back in the form of higher prices. 

[Cheesey69]

It appears that now we have left the EU, there was a law stopping credit card companies passing on credit card usage fees at point of sale. 
Visa decided to take advantage of us leaving. 
Amazon said no.  That’s why you can still use debit card using visa network 
The ban isn’t on in Europe. 
According to money expert on LBC

[Bikertov]

That does seem to be the gist of it from the comments on a certain hot deals website.

Visa taking the P and Amazon not accepting it.

[eddybear]

18 hours ago, floydraser said:

Often stuff is now more expensive through them and It's worth shopping around. I also don't like the way they try and trick you into signing up for Amazon Prime; you have look very closely for the tiny text which allows you to buy something without signing up, then they try to get you again at the next stage! They got me once. You only get one reminder to cancel before they start charging you.

And they've nicked the Rugby!

This happened to me a few years ago on ordering something can't remember what now but didn't realise I'd signed up for their prime rubbish, took a lot of phone calls and time to get it cancelled including the first and last order I will ever have with Amazon, the fact they no longer take Visa credit cards Doesn't worry me in the slightest but I hope it affects their business.

[andyg]

Absolutely love amazon, have been a prime member for about 4 years now. Never had any problems that wasn't resolved quickly and satisfactory. We both work long hours and weekends so they are a God send at times. I'm a big believer in you get what you pay for, there deliveries are always on time stuff isn't all damaged etc. I could probably save a few pounds shopping around but often don't have time. Let's face it amazon aren't the only company taking advantage of loopholes, are they...

[Smoggy]

I'm sure they are fine if you are a prime member but if you don't wish to a prime member the whole setup is aimed at tricking you into becoming one, I had to cancel a couple of times when I'd tried to buy something without and I consider myself fairly yech savvy, hence I avoid if at all possible.

Of course once you are a member it's just too easy to go straight to them for everything.