Well since I live in the US and have a major CC, none of the whining in this article is an issue to me. Doesn't Amazon have stores in many countries besides the US anyway? Seems like having a major CC to shop on the internet is kind of like needing to have an internet connection to use the internet. Not sure why this is an issue!? - Jeff P. Henderson

I guess you missed the points of the post then .. Yes Amazon does have sites for other countries but the availability of products sucks. It is nowhere near what is found on the main site. And why when there are other options available to buying things *SHOULD* those options not be made available. To only have credit card access to goods is like cutting of your nose to spite your face .. - Steven Hodson

Any idea what the percentage of people who have online access to Amazon who also don't have a CC or don't want to use their CC to pay online is? I'll bet it's a pretty small number. To support customers like that probably costs merchants more than otherwise and may not be worth it to them. I think it's safer to pay online with a CC (especially one with low hassle policies on stopping payment like Amex) than other methods. That's about the only way I really feel safe buying things online anyway. - Lindsay is :)

c'mon Lindsay let's get real here for a second. One how are they even going to know how many people on line don't have a credit card because unlike Jeff might think it isn't a requirement or a necessity to access the web. And beside please tell me exactly how hard would it be for a company the size of Amazon to implement support for PayPal .. shit PP would probably fall all over themselves to help make it work. - Steven Hodson

I didn't read the article, but Amazon has Amazon Payments. It's their own Paypal-like service. I've used it several times. - Rochelle

I used Bill Me Later on one of my more recent purchases. Quite easy, too. The "only available in the US" notice would piss me off as well, however, if the product were featured prominently on the front page, only to see that I can't get to it. It's like going to the ITunes UK store, and seeing the absolute latest by a band that I adore, only to see that I can't buy it, because I'm not in 'the proper territory'. I know why it's done. Doesn't make it suck any less. - Helen Sventitsky

@Rochelle - from the Amazon Helps section on Amazon Payments "Marketplace Payments by Amazon lets you use the same credit card you have on file with Amazon.com to pay for items you buy from others." once more with the needed credit card crap - Steven Hodson

@Helen I just took a look at Bill Me Later and it looks interesting but the problem I see is that A) it requires the last 4 digits of a SSN. Won't work for a Canadian SIN (it's 3 digits) .. B) I can't clear my account using PayPal. It is cool that you can do it with checks or money orders - that is really nice to see - Steven Hodson

Steven, what about getting a PayPal debit card? Then you could use that at Amazon because it's like a MasterCard but pulls from your PayPal (which I assume is attached to a bank account). - Lindsay is :)

Steven, that's part of the service. However, you can also link your Amazon Payments to your bank account and bypass the need for a credit card. - Rochelle

@Rochelle - thank you I'll look a little deeper in that but I don't hold out hope that the main Amazon will support Canadian banks ... however if I am wrong I will definitely correct myself here :) - Steven Hodson

@Lindsay I have been waiting forever for PayPal to bring the debit card option to 'Canada' :) I would grab it in a heartbeat - the same thing with their credit card option but alas it also is only US based - to clarify I have tried but everytime I do they keep transferring me to the .ca domain and letting me know that option isn't available here - Steven Hodson

Move. - Gus

Yeah, no idea about Canadian stuff. Good luck! - Rochelle

So now it finally comes out... these are reasons why you DON'T want to move to Canada! ;) Good to know! I guess I'm spoiled here. I love Amazon's services, especially Prime. - Lindsay is :)

@Gus I am sure that was meant in jest even though the smiley was missing (if not then your attitude is as pompous as Jeff's) - Steven Hodson

Lindsay, me too. Prime is what makes my life worth living. Plus being just a few miles from Amazon HQ, we get Prime 2-day shipments sometimes overnight! - Rochelle

Heh! I live near the Amazon distribution facility in Fernley, NV. I don't have prime, and I get Amazon-stocked items, that would normally take two days, overnight, as well. :D - Helen Sventitsky

@Steven, not trying to be pompous, I just don't understand why it is such an issue to be required to have a credit card in order to buy on line. Banks practically throw them at you if you have a bank account and a job. To reiterate my analogy from above, complaining about having to have a CC to buy stuff on line is akin to complaining you have to pay for internet access to use the internet. Also, several people pointed out alternative payment methods for those who chose not to have a CC. - Jeff P. Henderson

Another thought, If you live in Canada, is it not possible to get a CC from a US bank or even open a bank account at a US bank? This can be done quiet easily on line these days. Money can be moved around electronically between banks with very little effort. - Jeff P. Henderson

All very good points and comments, I just wanted to also comment on the Canadian thing. Every website I go, Amazon is a good example, the canadian version of the website, if there is one, sucks. There are normally not as many things as the US version. I hate this and causes many problems. - Brendon Wadey

Yes you can open a US Bank, but costs to move and convert money to that bank account is almost the same cost as anything else, and is more trouble sum to do. - Brendon Wadey

somebody call the Waaaambulance. - Sean McGee

@Jeff maybe you weren't trying to sound pompous but buddy that is how you came off. As for the credit card thing - here's an idea - open up new accounts at these places where you buy stuff but as a person without any credit cards - you'll definitely find a difference. As for having CC thrown at you by banks not if your credit has been ruined by two ex-wives they don't. and I also reinterate - I *WANT* to use an already working and viable alternative - I mean I *REALLY REALLY do but they won't let me - Steven Hodson

@Sean KMA! - Steven Hodson

I don't have any credit cards either. I do have a debit card that gets me by, but that's it. - Karoli

@Brendon - thanks :) - Steven Hodson

Karoli - so do I but it doesn't help one bit with online purchases :) - Steven Hodson

Really? Mine works fine...is that a Canadian thing? - Karoli

Chances are - yes ... Bank issued debit cards up here are strictly for use with your account or Interact machines to withdraw money or pay for goods and services. I have yet to see any retailer accept a ScotiaBank debit card or a CIBC debit card or any of the remaining 4 or 5 banks. - Steven Hodson

@Steven, sorry to have rubbed you the wrong way. I can see your frustration with the options available. Less that perfect credit, which is common these days, does also limit payment options. Since I have always had access to credit cards, I have not had to experience many of the frustrations you have. I have experienced inability to buy from foreign web stores though. Not often, but it has happened to me and it IS frustrating when I find what I want then find out they will not ship to a US address. - Jeff P. Henderson

Sounds like Canadian banks are rather restrictive. The debit cards issued by major banks here in the US generally have a Visa or MC logo on them and are usually accepted anywhere where a regular CC is accepted. I know there are some online retailers who do not accept debit cards, but I'm seeing less and less of these as time goes on. - Jeff P. Henderson

@Jeff .. now we have the egos out of the way :) yes it can be frustrating but I will bet you a dollar to donuts that for every person on the web with a CC there are two without - that leaves a vast amount of buying potential left untapped. Yes Canadian banks are restrictive but that is because of both government regulation and the fact that in the banking history of Canada the same 4 or 5 banks have been doing business since the country was founded. It's a semi monopoly pretty well. - Steven Hodson