Amazon to stop accepting UK issued Visa Credit Cards

John Lewis for a tv as they offer a 5 year warranty.

Grumpy David wrote:Nice bit of drama watching 2 massive companies battle it out in public.

I do wonder how many UK customers are actually impacted by this. It's pretty rare in my experience for credit cards to be Visa Credit. I've only ever had Mastercard credit cards. By comparison, it's pretty rare to have mastercard debit, visa debit is much more common.

Also isn't it AMEX that is notoriously expensive for sellers to process?

I've been trying to avoid buying from Amazon as much as I can and it's often easier and without a financial penalty. I'm looking at John Lewis for a new TV and they charge the same amount as Amazon. My local Argos is inside my nearest Sainsburys so for smaller/cheaper items it's just as handy to pick it up in store.

I'm pretty sure Barclays only do Visa credit cards.

Knoyleo wrote:

Buffalo wrote:Amazon is a godsend to a lot of people, get off the high horse

I really don't think criticising amazon qualifies as the lofty heights of moral puritanism you seem to think it does.

Yeah but all the sneering whenever Amazon come up on here is getting a bit boring now though mate. Amazon are exceptionally handy and useful for a lot of people despite the company’s tax situation or whatever else it is. They’ve created lots of jobs up here, and their range of goods coupled with their delivery service is a godsend to a lot of people like me who can’t leave the house so well.

There was a time when being a Barclaycard customer was considered a bit special.

Buffalo wrote:

Knoyleo wrote:

Buffalo wrote:Amazon is a godsend to a lot of people, get off the high horse

I really don't think criticising amazon qualifies as the lofty heights of moral puritanism you seem to think it does.

Yeah but all the sneering whenever Amazon come up on here is getting a bit boring now though mate. Amazon are exceptionally handy and useful for a lot of people despite the company’s tax situation or whatever else it is. They’ve created lots of jobs up here, and their range of goods coupled with their delivery service is a godsend to a lot of people like me who can’t leave the house so well.

Surely your local artisans can manufacture everything you need and have it delivered for the same price?!?!!

Buffalo wrote:

Knoyleo wrote:

Buffalo wrote:Amazon is a godsend to a lot of people, get off the high horse

I really don't think criticising amazon qualifies as the lofty heights of moral puritanism you seem to think it does.

Yeah but all the sneering whenever Amazon come up on here is getting a bit boring now though mate. Amazon are exceptionally handy and useful for a lot of people despite the company’s tax situation or whatever else it is. They’ve created lots of jobs up here, and their range of goods coupled with their delivery service is a godsend to a lot of people like me who can’t leave the house so well.

Typically when people are talking about not shopping at amazon, we mean those who can afford to or are able to. If getting your essentials on amazon is the only way to fit your budget, or nobody else will deliver to you, then you're probably not the one these comments are directed at.

Nobody should have to make themselves significantly worse off for the sake of taking a moral stand against what is an interchangeable corporate entity, in a gesture that will likely make no real difference to their bottom line. But if you shop with amazon purely for convenience, or because you're just trying to get a few quid off your latest home gadget, maybe you should consider if that's worth all the gooseberry fool that comes with it.

Victor Mildew wrote:

Buffalo wrote:

Knoyleo wrote:

Buffalo wrote:Amazon is a godsend to a lot of people, get off the high horse

I really don't think criticising amazon qualifies as the lofty heights of moral puritanism you seem to think it does.

Yeah but all the sneering whenever Amazon come up on here is getting a bit boring now though mate. Amazon are exceptionally handy and useful for a lot of people despite the company’s tax situation or whatever else it is. They’ve created lots of jobs up here, and their range of goods coupled with their delivery service is a godsend to a lot of people like me who can’t leave the house so well.

Surely your local artisans can manufacture everything you need and have it delivered for the same price?!?!!

Out of the two I think I'd rather be perpetually and irrationally annoyed by the artisan bakers than praise the race-to-the-bottom business model that's made Amazon so rich.

Grumpy David wrote:
Also isn't it AMEX that is notoriously expensive for sellers to process? .

Yep, AMEX are famously expensive for transaction fees which is why it’s accepted in much fewer places. I only ended getting a MasterCard because AMEX was such a roll of the dice when travelling. My understanding is that AMEX targets much higher earners with their rewards and so don’t give a strawberry float about lower end retailers not accepting it because the higher end ones do.

So framing this as being against Visas processing fees is utter bollocks - it’s a push behind Amazons own MasterCard. I’m sure a deal will be struck, but I’m genuinely unsure who’s going to get hurt more by the split. Amazon must have run the numbers and decided it was worth it, but it’s an interesting one. I don’t think many people have an issue with multiple credit cards, and so while I’m sure people will grab a MasterCard to shop on Amazon, I doubt many would entirely switch from their previous provider solely based on being able to buy from Amazon.

ay good thing my bank switched over to mastercard

Skarjo wrote:So framing this as being against Visas processing fees is utter bollocks

Visa didn't have to up their fee's from 0.3% to 1.5% because they could after the UK left the EU.

It's not a Pro Amazon argument either but Visa UK deserve some criticism.

Definitely sounds like a corporate game of chicken that's gone public since Visa wouldn't blink.

Despite Amazon's very dubious reputation, I would doubt that people will side with Visa and veto Amazon- it's going to cause them some hassle in a lot of cases, and generally folks avoid change/hassle.

I'd be surprised if this doesn't get sorted between them and forgotten about. Amazon negotiates a special deal that is never disclosed, continues to exploit its market dominating position, and life carries on.

Lime wrote:Despite Amazon's very dubious reputation, I would doubt that people will side with Visa and veto Amazon- it's going to cause them some hassle in a lot of cases, and generally folks avoid change/hassle.

I would have thought the hassle is in getting a new credit card. If someone gets to checkout and their card isn't accepted, they can get the same product up on a different website and order it there in a few clicks - way easier than applying for and waiting on a new credit card, surely?

I agree on the sentiment that people generally avoid change/hassle, but changing credit card sounds like the bigger change and hassle!

OrangeRKN wrote:

Lime wrote:Despite Amazon's very dubious reputation, I would doubt that people will side with Visa and veto Amazon- it's going to cause them some hassle in a lot of cases, and generally folks avoid change/hassle.

I would have thought the hassle is in getting a new credit card. If someone gets to checkout and their card isn't accepted, they can get the same product up on a different website and order it there in a few clicks - way easier than applying for and waiting on a new credit card, surely?

I agree on the sentiment that people generally avoid change/hassle, but changing credit card sounds like the bigger change and hassle!

I also can't see many people wanting to have a credit check marked against them just so they can shop on Amazon. It's a pretty easy no I think.

Opening up a new account with a financial company is a bit of a hassle nowdays; so much proof and evidence of identity is required. And you get more usernames and passwords to add to the pile.

Download app, take a photo of ID, take a selfie, deposit money.

I can’t remember when it’s ever been less hassle.

If Amazon didn't funnel their UK business through Luxembourg for tax-dodging reasons then they wouldn't have to pay the higher VISA fees.

satriales wrote:If Amazon didn't funnel their UK business through Luxembourg for tax-dodging reasons then they wouldn't have to pay the higher VISA fees.

These are not connected in any way at all.

OrangeRKN wrote:

Lime wrote:Despite Amazon's very dubious reputation, I would doubt that people will side with Visa and veto Amazon- it's going to cause them some hassle in a lot of cases, and generally folks avoid change/hassle.

I would have thought the hassle is in getting a new credit card. If someone gets to checkout and their card isn't accepted, they can get the same product up on a different website and order it there in a few clicks - way easier than applying for and waiting on a new credit card, surely?

I agree on the sentiment that people generally avoid change/hassle, but changing credit card sounds like the bigger change and hassle!

I was thinking more that people would see Visa as being the 'worse' party in this case and be more pissed off with them than Amazon, I don't think I put it very clearly!

Does anyone know how the fees of Visa and Mastercard compare? This might indicate whether this is really a push to get people to adopt the Amazon (Mastercard based) credit card rather than a real issue with high fees from Visa.

jiggles wrote:Download app, take a photo of ID, take a selfie, deposit money.

I can’t remember when it’s ever been less hassle.

I had to send off my passport (actual one and not a photocopy), birth certificate (actual one and not a photocopy) and utility bill (actual bill and not a home printed version) by registered post to prove my identity for an account. Maybe this isn't always the case but it can be.

Photek wrote:

satriales wrote:If Amazon didn't funnel their UK business through Luxembourg for tax-dodging reasons then they wouldn't have to pay the higher VISA fees.

These are not connected in any way at all.

Aren't the higher fees only for UK to EU transactions?
Amazon could base themselves in the UK for UK transactions and avoid the higher VISA fees, but then they would have to pay taxes.