Cietan Kitney, Head of Product Asia Pacific at Visa, recently confirmed that Visa may decline purchases to “protect the brand,” despite wanting to make its payment service available to legal and legitimate products and services. This decision has sparked discussions in the industry about the implications of such actions on businesses and customers.

During a Q&A session in Osaka, Kitney addressed concerns related to credit card companies refusing to process payments for sites and services, even those offering legal adult content in Japan. He emphasized the importance of maintaining honesty and integrity while implementing global and local policies.

In the past two years, several sites and services in Japan, including Nico Nico, Melonbooks, and Toranoana, have faced challenges with Visa and Mastercard refusing to process customer payments. This trend has raised questions about the criteria used by payment service providers to determine which transactions to approve or decline.

It is crucial for businesses and consumers to understand the implications of payment service providers’ decisions on their operations and financial transactions. The evolving landscape of online payments requires a balance between regulatory compliance and customer satisfaction, which Visa and other companies must navigate carefully.