UK fans face Olympics ticket hurdles

UK sports fans will not be able to pay by card for tickets for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, nor will they be able to withdraw cash at any Olympic sites unless they have a card which runs on the Visa payment system, much to the annoyance of consumer champion Which?

An exclusive deal negotiated between Visa and the London 2012 organisers will mean that millions of UK adults - who only carry either a Mastercard or an American Express card - will be excluded from using the payment terminals and cash machines at the games.

Bizarrely, the restrictions only apply to UK cardholders. Non-UK cardholders will still be able to use other cards to buy tickets.

Peter Vicary-Smith, Chief Executive, Which? says: "We think it's outrageous that some UK sports fans should be discriminated against in this way. We want the London 2012 Committee to take steps to ensure there's a level playing field and that UK consumers have equal access to the Games, whether or not they are Visa cardholders. If it doesn't, we'll call on the government to step in."