U-NEXT Streaming Service Drops Visa & Mastercard Payments for Adult Content
Japanese streaming service U-NEXT has announced that it has 'temporarily suspended' the use of Visa and Mastercard credit card payments for adult content, making it the latest company offering adult content to drop the Western credit cards."Thank you for u...
I would get a JCB card if they resumed business in the country, but JCB probably views it as too much regulatory hassle or insufficient revenue.
DLSite, which underwent a similar route (including exempting AmEx) in earlier months, has a partner site dl-pay.com to buy "points". Even though the only listed payment option is PayPal, it actually allows you to normally use a credit card without any noticeable markup (within ~4% of exchange rate). Process is dead simple: insert email, use emailed link, choose CC, enter data, and immediately get redemption code.
Large companies will find convenient ways to separate you from your hard earned money. U-NEXT audiences probably has access to JCB or other still accepted payment options, but if they don't, then U-NEXT will surely find an alternative for their valued customers.
In summation: fuck the mainstream international banking cartel, and all Western governments. Viva Japan.
I wonder what the history behind the pull-out was. Legislative or just too far behind Visa/MC to make it worthwhile.
Edit: Apparently AmEx and Discover still have reciprocal agreements with JCB. Anywhere that takes JCB should accept AmEx (https://www.americanexpress.com/jp/services/coverage/). Don't know how well that plays with online retailers.
I've been trying to piece together a timeline, but the closest piece of Federal legislation passed before closing all consumer CC accounts was the FOSTA-SESTA bill but it could be unrelated. As for the "halt issuing new cards", no clue still.