Forum Topic

Amazon has decided not to accept Visa from January

No problem - it's even more encouragement to buy from elsewhere.

Philippa Bond ● 1304d18 Comments

Barbara  I just believe it is a bit safer to use a credit card with a small limit than a debit card.  Amazon will presumably contact you if they want you to change but you will still have to beware of scammers.  We all have to.  :(

Philippa Bond ● 1303d

I'm sorry in giving "them" my bank account details I meant all and sundry by putting them online.  I just would prefer not to use a debit card at all online. I agree it is an argument between Visa and Amazon that is causing this.  But I prefer not to use Amazon anyway because of their business methods.  When are these very big global companies going to be challenged?

Philippa Bond ● 1303d

My head is going round  What debit card do I use for internet purchases?  Have always used Visa Debit since 2006 with Amazon, no problem  Do all my shopping on line  Rarely go to a shop Opinions please

Barbara Shillabeer ● 1303d

I don't really see this as an issue,  I will just continue using my MasterCard for Amazon purchases. I assume MC charge Amazon less than 1.5%? I suspect a move to MC and a corresponding drop in turnover for Visa might resolve this one way or another. It's just two global organisations having a public argument over a commercial matter, with self interest at heart. There's more important things to worry about; perhaps the decline of the high streets because of Amazon's ability to reduce costs and hence prices?

Michael Ixer ● 1303d

Has anyone thought how Amazon are actually making a stand on their behalf? That 1.5% (or whatever the number is) that Amazon objects to Visa charging, ultimately gets added to waht you pay for your goods. For a while, EU membership put a cap on it. Now Amazon are trying to coax it down. OK so Amazon aren't all sweetness and light. Neither are Visa. To which of these two bald men should I lend a comb?

Michael Winstanley ● 1303d

Although Chargebacks are deemed discretionary I cannot imagine that any bank could refuse to honour a claim when fraud is proven Michael.  However in the very unlikely event of that happening an individual can file a claim in the small claims court up to the maximum of £10,000 and the fees are very reasonable.Make a money claim online - GOV.UKhttps://www.gov.uk/make-money-claimSection 75https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/section75-protect-your-purchases/

Sue Hammond ● 1304d

Thanks, Sue. Are charge backs discretionary if the original transaction cash be shown to be fraudulent? The only time I've come across this is where debit cards are used for execution only share purchases and one has to ensure that if the shares are sold immediately the money from the sale (normally paid using a direct credit) should be held for several days. That's because if the debit cased is stolen the charge back many not come for several days by which time the money would be long gone. As I understand it the banks front normally hesitate to issue a charge back in those instances - but perhaps if the customer has 100 grand in their current account for dealing and the broker will bear the loss the bvank isn't going to argue :-)

Michael Ixer ● 1304d

No Michael you're not paranoid. The Section 75 cover for credit cards is a legal obligation that banks have to give if something goes wrong with a transaction (not just fraud) and is a much easier process than making a debit card Chargeback claim which is discretionary. The point I was trying to make to Philippa was that neither type of card gives retailers access to a person's bank account.

Sue Hammond ● 1304d

Perhaps I'm paranoid. (A side effect of working in infosec?) I only use my debit card for drawing cash, preferably from ATMs inside banks if possible. If a credit card is compromised the bank has to get the money from me; if a debit card and my current account is compromised then I have to get the money back from my bank. I know what position I'd rather be in!

Michael Ixer ● 1304d

I would never choose to use a debit card on the internet.

Philippa Bond ● 1304d

This post was in answer to Philippa.

Sue Hammond ● 1304d

Yes but the majority of credit cards are also issued by banks but neither type of  card gives retailers access to the bank account they are linked to. Scammers find ways to infiltrate all kinds of accounts but are you saying Amazon could/would do it also? Would you say the same about any of the High St retailers?

Sue Hammond ● 1304d

There is a practical issues here that was first highlighted after the hack of Target in the US where credit and debit card details were stolen and then used fraudulently. Those who's credit card details had been stolen just had to report the fraudulent transactions and not pay their monthly bills. If debit card details had been stolen money was taken directly out of their current accounts. They then had to convince banks to return the money and wait for it to be returned, in the meantime they lost the use of that money and some couldn't meet regular payments. I'm sure Amazon is going to act reasonably but, however good thier security is, no firm has 100% effective security, so my advice would be don't use debit cards for on-line transactions.

Michael Ixer ● 1304d

Debit cards are directly linked to bank accounts

Philippa Bond ● 1304d

How would Amazon gain access to bank accounts just by accepting payments made by credit or debit cards Philippa? Or any other retailer for that matter?

Sue Hammond ● 1304d

Who wants to give them access to your current account?

Philippa Bond ● 1304d

Visa will still usable on Amazon Business accounts.

Freddie Francis ● 1304d

It's credit cards they are not accepting  not debit  Apparently too expensive to process

Barbara Shillabeer ● 1304d