Amazon says it is halting plans to reject Visa credit card payments in the UK, amid an ongoing row over what the retailer says are high processing fees charged by the provider.
After advising customers to register alternate methods of payment last November, the company says Visa will continue to be accepted beyond the initially planned cut-off date of January 19.
In an email sent to potentially affected customers, Amazon UK says it is working with Visa to find a solution to the issue and, in the meantime, is keen to avoids a pain point for the millions of UK shoppers who rely on Visa plastic.
“The expected change regarding the use of Visa credit cards on Amazon.co.uk will no longer take place on 19 January. We are working closely with Visa on a potential solution that will enable customers to continue using their Visa credit cards on Amazon.co.uk,” Amazon writes in an email.
“Should we make any changes related to Visa credit cards, we will give you advance notice. Until then, you can continue to use Visa credit cards, debit cards, Mastercard, American Express, and Eurocard as you do today.”
The stay for Visa probably means one of a couple of things. Either an accord between the two companies is close, or Visa called Amazon’s bluff and hasn’t yet moved on its processing fees yet. The latter would mean Amazon, as mighty as it is, isn’t too enthralled about cutting off Visa credit card holders.
For its part, Visa initially said Amazon has been “threatening to restrict consumer choice in the future” by cutting off one of the most popular card providers. Now the company is echoing Amazon’s sentiments. The company said (via Guardian): “Amazon customers can continue to use Visa cards on Amazon.co.uk after January 19 while we work closely together to reach an agreement.”
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Amazon has not given Visa users, or the financial institution itself, a new deadline for the conclusion of negotiations, which suggests those customers won’t be cut off any time soon.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
