this post was submitted on 27 Mar 2025
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How to get rid of Mastercard and Visa? (feddit.org)
submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by minilemmy@feddit.org to c/buyeuropean@feddit.uk
96 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Hey guys!

Visa and Mastercard are the 8th and 15th biggest companies in the world, worth more than 1.1T USD (!!!).

For any purchase made with a credit or debit cards and you give them 2-3% of your money.

That's one the biggest waste of money from EU you can imagine.

I'm trying to find viable alternatives but except paying cash it seem there is no real alternative. Even in where I live there is an alternate payment service but they take the money from my mastercard, duh...

And the idea would be to have something even my grandma can use, not some nerdy solution, any thoughts?

Edit: Bitcoin would be a solution if widely adopted, but more realistic would be something accepted by every cashier machine, and if possible using the NFC of your phone, a kind of "Apple/Google" Pay, that goes directly from your bank to the bank's shop. Where I live all debit cards are either visa or mastercard...

Edit2: There is an EU initiative that seem to be starting with WERO, never heard of it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Payments_Initiative

Edit3: It seem that Paysafecard and Skrill are EU solutions and sometimes proposed in the payment method, but not with STRIPE payment solutions

(page 2) 46 comments
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[โ€“] pmtriste@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago

Here in Portugal we have MB Way which is handled on a separate network. I understand that it might interoperate with Bancomat (Italy) and Bizum (Spain) also just since November, but I haven't tried yet. Almost everybody in Portugal (except non-integrating expats) seem to use it, though there are spots here and there that refuse for reasons that are unclear to me.

[โ€“] jagermo@feddit.org 5 points 6 days ago

Contact the ECB and demand a digital Euro

[โ€“] Buffalox@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I'd like to know if something works for all of EU. Because that's the only reason for me to have Visa.
Everything in my own country can be handled with "Dankort" our national universally accepted debit card. We also have local Mobile pay which is also pretty universal here.

But those don't work for purchases outside Denmark.

[โ€“] epyon22@programming.dev 5 points 6 days ago (11 children)

What about just old school cash?

[โ€“] Flamekebab@piefed.social 2 points 6 days ago

Sounds like you're working for your car. Simplify, man.

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[โ€“] AlexisFR@jlai.lu 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Use the Carte Bancaire network in France,we have that at least.

[โ€“] minilemmy@feddit.org 3 points 6 days ago (2 children)

You mean Carte Bleue? Yes but unfortunately i'm not in France

[โ€“] Wrongdoer1@lemm.ee 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Many EU countries have their system but we need to make a European common system. It's been a project from EPI (European payment initiative) and I understand Wero is kind of the first step.

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[โ€“] knightly@pawb.social 4 points 6 days ago (8 children)

Just use cash.

I get that it can be a hassle to carry around, but it's the only "real" alternative if you want to keep third party companies from profiling you based on your spending habits and selling that personal info to advertisers.

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[โ€“] Mallspice@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago (5 children)

If you donโ€™t need a credit card, donโ€™t get one.

If you have one, cancel it and use a bank card. If you canโ€™t do that, pay off your debts then do that.

A lot of people suck with money because the idea of going into debt, taking loans, and paying interest is normal and sometimes good to them but really Itโ€™s weird and should be avoided for the sake of harmony.

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[โ€“] Comment105@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

I don't know, ~~but from a cursory search Revolut looks like a credit/debit card option based in the UK?~~ I'm not personally familiar.

I also thought Re:Member would be an option, but that seems to be Mastercard with a mustache and sunglasses.

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[โ€“] Eiri@lemmy.ca -1 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Debit card maybe?

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