Amazon had a dispute with Visa in November, 2021. The company claimed their rates were too high in the United Kingdom and other key markets. Amazon sent out an email to customers stating that on January 19th, 2022, customers will no longer be able to place orders for any products, using Visa, on the Amazon.co.uk website. They clarified that no other credit cards, such as Mastercard, AMEX or Visa debit cards, would be included in the ban. Visa credit cards issued outside the UK will also be exempt. It seems that Amazon and Visa have just come to an agreement, so Visa cards will once again be accepted.
Details of the deal were not disclosed, but Visa and other payments cards have faced increased pressure about their fees as more shoppers have turned online during the pandemic. The spat had highlighted the growing clout of retailers in the fee battle. Neither side said what fees would be levied in future – an issue which came to the fore particularly in Britain after an EU-enforced cap on card fees is no longer in place following Brexit.
“Visa is pleased to have reached a broad, global agreement with Amazon. This agreement includes the acceptance of Visa at all Amazon stores and sites today, as well as a joint commitment to collaboration on new product and technology initiatives to ensure innovative payment experiences for our customers in the future,” a Visa spokesperson said in an email to Reuters.
Visa is the top credit card in the world and it is solid that Amazon came to an agreement. This ensures that UK customers will be able to purchase audiobooks, ebooks, magazines and Kindle devices with Visa, instead of being forced to take out a new card.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
