All Sky and Virgin Media users warned over UK ban from 'August 17'

Sky and Virgin Media users have been warned over eBay issued an American Express ban. Amex will be banned as a payment method on eBay, the US auction site and retailer has warned, and now broadband providers have warned they don't accept it either.

As well as Sky and Virgin Media, other brands to not accept Amex include Arriva and National Express and Stagecoach. Greggs, Poundstretcher and Home Bargains are also named, as well as Decathlon and footwear retailer Deichmann.

The UK Passport Office also doesn't accept Amex. Amex has a full list of retailers and businesses that accept the credit card brand on its website. If you are unsure, you should ask before paying and have a backup payment method such as a VISA or Mastercard credit/debit card or cash with you.

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Amex offers a range of reward credit cards, where you earn cashback and points on your spending. However, if you shop on eBay regularly you’ll need to switch payment methods or use an alternative, such as PayPal, customers and users have been warned.

The online marketplace eBay will stop accepting payments from American Express (Amex) cards from 17 August due to ‘unacceptably high fees’, it has said. In a statement it said: "At a time when payment processing costs should be declining because of technological advancements, investments in fraud capabilities and customer protections, credit card transaction fees continue to rise unabated because of a lack of meaningful competition."

Amex said: "Our research tells us that in the US the cost of acceptance for American Express is comparable to what eBay pays for similar cards on other networks." Most airlines and big train firms such as Avanti, ScotRail, TFL and Trainline accept American Express, but we found several bus firms that don't, including Arriva, National Express and Stagecoach.

Bill’s, Costa Coffee, Dominos, Five Guys, McDonald’s, Pizza Express and Starbucks also accept Amex but Greggs and KFC do not. Amazon, Argos, B&Q and the Post Office do accept it, though.