The US have a monopoly on credit card payments with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club, etc.

Even with online payment systems like PayPal, GPay, Apple Pay.

The only Canadian option that I know of is the new Shop Pay, which is owned by Shopify. (And we all know the founder CEO, Tobias Lutke is a far-right fascist traitor who loves the idea of being a 51st state.)

Right now Visa and Mastercard are controlling what stores can sell, and what services can be provided. Censoring online content, like asking Steam and Itch.io to remove certain games.

What are examples of alternatives in other countries? I know that Japan, for example, has their own independent ones, I think?

Do you think they might be refused by American companies in order to keep their monopoly?

I’d like to know what you think.

  • @[email protected]
    26•3 days ago

    I think we need our own everything. If it isn’t being done in Canada and we are relying on someone else for it, we should be on that whenever and as soon as possible. Especially considering how unstable the geopolitical situation is.

    • Canaconda
      11•3 days ago

      We’re also an international destination for education, travel, and business. We absolutely could present an alternative to VISA and expect international participation.

    • @[email protected]
      11•3 days ago

      Don’t get all isolationist, my friend. Having domestic options is a good idea, but you will be dependent on international countries somehow. And that’s true for the world, right?

      So, maybe soften your stance. Or don’t, as you prefer.

      • Evkob (they/them)
        12•3 days ago

        I read their comment as proposing to aim for potential self-sufficiency. That doesn’t necessarily imply isolationism. Developing homegrown options isn’t mutually exclusive with global trade.

        It can just mean having domestic alternatives to assert our sovereignty in case, say, a fascist movement takes over the government of our largest trading partner with who we share the world’s longest border, or something like that. Purely a hypothetical, of course.

      • @[email protected]
        5•3 days ago

        I see no reason to soften my stance as it isn’t isolationist to say anything we can do on our own we should be doing on our own considering the unstable geopolitical climate. That’s true for every country, wouldn’t you agree?

        • @[email protected]English
          2•3 days ago

          Except,

          If it isn’t being done in Canada and we are relying on someone else for it, we should be on that

          and

          anything we can do on our own we should be doing on our own

          don’t mean the same thing. The former is “everything we’re not doing” and the latter is “everything we’re not doing but can.”

          At least the light is bright from the gas.

          • @[email protected]
            6•3 days ago

            If it isn’t done in Canada, we should be on that. Whatever we can do ourselves, we should be doing on our own.

            I know you understood what I meant, especially considering the further elaboration you cited, so if you respond I expect you to do so in good faith.