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yahoo.comSEP 202 min read$V

Visa Moves to Close Meme Coin Credit Card Rewards Loophole

Visa is closing a loophole that allowed meme coin purchases via credit cards to be processed as digital media transactions, earning rewards. According to a source, Visa will no longer accept the merchant code for these purchases, requiring them to be processed as crypto transactions. Chase and the New York attorney general's office have reviewed the matter, while Crossmint defends its approach citing a 2025 SEC staff statement. Visa's change is expected to take effect next week.

Original reporting
yahoo.com
Published Sep 20, 2026, 4:45 PM UTC
Analysis
AlphAI AI DeskAI-generated
Added to AlphAI Sep 20, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC. Informational, not investment advice.
How this was made
AlphAI summarizes source reporting and applies a structured AI analysis for relevance, timing, sentiment and ticker impact. Always verify material claims with the original publisher.
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Visa Moves to Close Meme Coin Credit Card Rewards Loophole — source image
Source · yahoo.com
Decision brief

The 30-second read

$VNeutralMed
01

Why it matters

The move could curb crypto‑related card spend and affect payment processors that rely on such transactions.

02

Market read

Regulatory tightening of crypto payments may influence card‑issuer earnings and crypto‑payment ecosystem.

03

What to watch

Potential for new fee structures or alternative merchant codes that could offset lost reward revenue.

Relevance 7/10Novelty 8/10Timing: implementation expected next week

Background

Visa announced a policy shift to stop rewarding meme‑coin purchases made with its credit cards, following investigations by The Block and inquiries from regulators.

Company-level read

Ticker impact

$VNeutralMedium confidence
Context

Visa is moving to close a loophole that allowed meme‑coin purchases with Visa credit cards to earn rewards, changing merchant coding rules.

Expected impact

Modest downside pressure on Visa if traders anticipate reduced transaction volume from crypto purchases.

Evidence & confidence

Regulatory tightening may limit a niche revenue stream, but overall Visa business is large and diversified.

Market effects

Sector

Crypto payment processors may face tighter compliance costs; broader card‑issuer sector could see similar scrutiny.

Regional

U.S. market primarily; limited immediate effect on other regions.

Global

Highlights growing regulator focus on crypto‑related financial services worldwide.

Counterpoint

What could challenge this read

The change may be minor as crypto card spend is a small fraction of Visa's volume; impact on stock could be negligible.

Key entities

  • Company
    Visa

    Global payments network implementing the policy change.

  • Company
    Crossmint

    Crypto payments infrastructure firm whose checkout code was used for the loophole.

Read at source← All news

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