Visa The Only Choice For 2012 Games

• News
• Published: 25 Jun 2010 in Money and Credit Cards

Fans wishing to purchase a ticket for the London 2012 Olympics using their debit or credit card will only be able to use the Visa payment method.

Mastercard and American Express cards will not be accepted after Visa secured an exclusive deal with Olympic organisers.

UK cardholders will also only be allowed to use Visa cards at shops and cash machines at the Games' venues. Cash and cheques will also be accepted.

Visa suggests that those spectators who have a MasterCard or Amex but who currently don't have a Visa card will be have the option of getting a Visa prepaid card.

A Visa statement said: "There are 91 million Visa cards in the UK of which more than 70% are debit cards. People who don't currently have a Visa debit or credit card are able to obtain a Visa prepaid card, which can be used to purchase Olympic Games tickets and to pay in Olympic Games venues. People can also choose to pay by cash or cheque."

A total of 28 million residents in the UK have a Visa card, compared with more than 40 million MasterCard cardholders and around four million Amex customers.