Amazon’s ‘Pay by Bank’ Signals Major Shift Away from Cards in UK E-Commerce

Retail giant backs direct bank payments, signaling a major shift in how Britons shop and pay online.

Amazon has introduced a new way to pay on and it could quietly change the future of online shopping in the UK. Called Pay by Bank, the new feature allows customers to pay directly from their bank accounts, without using a debit or credit card. Instead of typing in card numbers or worrying about expiry dates, shoppers simply connect securely to their bank through their banking app and approve the payment using familiar methods like fingerprint, face ID, or PIN.

The move marks a significant step toward account-to-account (A2A) payments, a system encouraged under the UK’s National Payment Vision. In simple terms, it means money moves straight from a customer’s bank to Amazon, cutting out traditional card networks.

But the biggest draw may be speed. Refunds can land back in customers’ bank accounts within minutes after a return is processed, far quicker than the days-long wait many card users experience.

“Pay by Bank gives customers a new payment option, and a number of benefits including faster refunds,” said Jonathan Boumphrey, Country Manager for UK & Ireland at Amazon. “It takes just seconds to set up and is part of our continuous work to enhance the shopping experience.”

The system works with more than 99% of UK banks and will soon support Prime membership payments as well. All purchases remain protected under Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee and UK payment regulations. For shoppers, it’s simpler and faster. For the payments industry, it may be a sign that the card-dominated era is starting to shift.