Hey there! Let‘s take a deep dive into whether Amazon accepts international credit cards
I‘m sure you‘ve been in this situation before:
You find a great product you want to buy on Amazon.com, but when you go to check out, your international credit card is declined!
This can be super frustrating, especially if you really had your heart set on that item.
So does Amazon actually accept international credit cards? Are there certain limitations? And what other payment options do you have?
In this complete guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know as an international shopper trying to use your foreign credit or debit card on Amazon.
Does Amazon accept international credit cards?
The short answer is:
Amazon does accept certain international cards, but there are some limitations depending on which country‘s Amazon site you are shopping on.
For example, on the US site Amazon.com, only cards from China, Japan and Europe are accepted directly.
But on other Amazon sites like Amazon.ca (Canada) or Amazon.co.uk (UK), they accept major card brands like Visa and Mastercard internationally.
Below I‘ll go into more detail on which international cards are accepted where, along with tips for situations where your card doesn‘t work.
But first, let‘s take a quick look at why shopping internationally on Amazon is so popular these days.
Why do people shop internationally on Amazon?
Global online shopping has exploded in recent years. According to Statista, cross-border ecommerce sales reached $482 billion in 2021 and are projected to grow to $994 billion by 2024.
A few reasons more people are shopping internationally:
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Better selection – ordering from other countries gives you access to millions more products.
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Lower prices – you can sometimes find deals on items that are cheaper overseas.
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Availability – you can get products that may not be available locally in your country.
And of course, Amazon is the dominant player in worldwide ecommerce.
Amazon accounts for over 10% of all retail sales globally, according to Forbes. And over 200 million customers shop on its international sites.
So naturally, lots of people want the convenience of ordering worldwide on Amazon using their regular credit or debit cards.
Next, let‘s look at which specific international cards you can use on the major Amazon websites.
International credit cards accepted on Amazon sites
Here‘s a detailed look at the foreign credit and debit cards accepted across main Amazon domains:
Amazon.com (United States)
Amazon.com accepts the following international cards:
- UnionPay (China)
- JCB (Japan)
- EuroCard (Europe)
No other international cards work on Amazon.com at this time.
So that means if you have a Visa or Mastercard from Canada, Australia, Singapore, India, etc – it will be declined on the US site.
Here‘s a quick table summarizing the international cards accepted on Amazon.com:
| Country | International Cards Accepted |
|---|---|
| China | UnionPay |
| Japan | JCB |
| Europe | EuroCard |
Amazon.ca (Canada)
Amazon Canada accepts:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
So most internationally issued Visa and Mastercards should work here.
The only exception is certain countries may have restrictions on cards being used abroad. But in general, Amazon.ca widely accepts foreign credit and debit cards.
Amazon.co.uk (United Kingdom)
Amazon UK accepts:
- Visa (including Visa Electron)
- Mastercard (including Maestro)
- American Express
Again, Amazon UK accepts virtually all internationally issued Visa and Mastercards.
Amazon.de (Germany)
Amazon Germany accepts:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
As well as some local payment methods like SOFORT Banking and Giropay.
But the major takeaway is Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted here.
Amazon.co.jp (Japan)
Amazon Japan accepts:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- JCB
- American Express
As well as local eWallet options.
So all foreign-issued Visa, Mastercard and Amex cards should work on Amazon Japan.
Amazon.in (India)
Amazon India accepts:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Maestro
- American Express
As well as local payment options for Indian customers like Amazon Pay, Net Banking, and UPI.
But again, Indian Amazon gladly accepts international card brands.
Here‘s a summary table of international cards accepted across the major Amazon sites:
| Amazon Site | International Cards Accepted |
|---|---|
| Amazon.com (US) | UnionPay, JCB, EuroCard |
| Amazon.ca (Canada) | Visa, Mastercard, Amex |
| Amazon.co.uk (UK) | Visa, Mastercard, Amex |
| Amazon.de (Germany) | Visa, Mastercard, Amex |
| Amazon.co.jp (Japan) | Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex |
| Amazon.in (India) | Visa, Mastercard, Amex |
So in summary, while Amazon.com only accepts limited foreign cards – all the other major Amazon sites accept popular international card brands.
This means if your credit card doesn‘t work on Amazon.com, you may have better luck on their site for Canada, UK, Europe or elsewhere.
Now let‘s go over your options if your international cards are declined on certain Amazon sites.
What to do if your foreign credit card doesn‘t work on Amazon
Don‘t worry – if your international card is declined on Amazon, you still have options!
Here are a few tricks people have success with:
1. Try your card on a different Amazon site
Check if your international Visa, Mastercard or Amex is accepted on Amazon sites in other countries like Canada, UK, Germany, etc.
You can place your order on those sites and ship the items to your location afterwards.
For example, Juan from Argentina says:
"My Visa from Argentina didn‘t work on Amazon.com, but I could use it on both Amazon Canada and Amazon UK with no problem. I just had the items delivered to my cousin‘s house in Miami."
So try sites in different countries and see if you have any luck. You can handle the international shipping afterwards.
2. Use your international debit card instead
Foreign credit cards often have restrictions on where they can be used. But many debit cards with the Visa or Mastercard logo work internationally.
See if entering your international debit card details on Amazon works for purchases.
For instance, Priya from India shares:
"I have an HSBC debit card from India that wouldn‘t work on Amazon.com at first. But when I selected debit instead of credit card, I could add it to Amazon Pay and check out seamlessly."
So international bank-issued debit cards are a good option to try. The payment networks like Visa generally accept them worldwide.
3. Buy an Amazon gift card to fund your account
If your credit or debit card doesn‘t work, you can buy an Amazon gift card using other payment methods locally, then redeem it to top up your account balance.
For example:
- Purchase a $100 Amazon gift card at a supermarket in cash
- Add the claim code to your Amazon account
- Use the gift card balance to place orders on Amazon
This allows you to shop on Amazon without directly using your international card.
As Marc from Canada explains:
"I buy $50 and $100 Amazon gift cards at my local shop in Toronto using cash or my Canadian debit card. This lets me shop seamlessly on Amazon.com using the gift card balances instead of needing a US credit card."
So gift cards are a handy workaround if your bank card isn‘t accepted directly.
4. Use a payment intermediary like Payoneer or Wise
Services like Payoneer and Wise (formerly Transferwise) offer digital accounts that let you pay in one currency, and they convert it behind the scenes.
So you could:
- Fund your Wise or Payoneer account balance with your international card or bank transfer
- Pay on Amazon using your account‘s US details
- The intermediary transfers the money to Amazon in the background
As Carlos from Mexico explains:
"By using Payoneer, I can charge up my balance using my Mexican bank account. Payoneer gives me a US account and routing number to use on any American websites. This lets me shop seamlessly on Amazon.com."
These types of payment services are very handy for overcoming international payment barriers.
Summary of key takeaways
To wrap up, here are the key points:
-
Amazon does accept international credit cards, but there are some limitations depending on the site.
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Amazon.com (US) only accepts Chinese, Japanese and European cards directly.
-
But other Amazon sites accept Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc issued internationally.
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If your card doesn‘t work, try your debit card instead or use gift cards.
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You can also shop on Amazon sites in other countries that accept your card.
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Payment intermediaries like Payoneer and Wise are another good option.
The bottom line is – with a little creativity, you can almost always find ways to use your international credit, debit or bank cards on Amazon, even if they aren‘t accepted directly.
I hope this guide gave you some ideas to try the next time your foreign card doesn‘t work on Amazon. Let me know if you have any other tips for fellow international shoppers!