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What to do if your supplier does not accept your preferred points card any more
If you run a small business, you probably care less about card schemes and more about one simple thing. When you press “pay”, does it work and does it give you the breathing space you were expecting?
That is why it feels so painful when a route you relied on to pay bills with a specific card suddenly disappears. Maybe your supplier never took it in the first place. Maybe the bill payment platform you used has stopped supporting it. Either way, the result is the same. Your usual method fails and you are left scrambling to keep suppliers and HMRC paid on time while protecting your cashflow and rewards.
This guide walks through your options if you can no longer use your preferred points card to pay a supplier and explains how Bluechain and Visa can help you build something more stable for the long term.
Why sudden payment route changes hurt small businesses
Card schemes and payment providers review their risk models all the time. That is normal. The problem is what it feels like on the ground.
When a connection changes or is switched off, the impact to you can be significant.
Payments silently failing
A card payment route that worked yesterday suddenly declines or errors. You only find out when a supplier chases for payment or a tax bill remains unpaid.
Loss of working capital headroom
If you were using a credit card to create an extra month or two of breathing space between paying a bill and getting paid by your customers, losing that route overnight can be a real shock. The alternative is often an overdraft or short-term borrowing at a much higher cost.
If you have been using your credit card to improve your cashflow and the service is cut off without notice, you are left with the difficult decision to either pay your card statement or pay your supplier if you do not have sufficient cash in the bank to do both.
Extra admin and lost trust
You or your team then have to re-enter payment details, change processes and deal with unpaid suppliers. Confidence in the whole setup takes a hit.
Recent posts on points and small business forums show exactly this pattern. Business owners thought they had found a simple way to pay suppliers and HMRC with their preferred credit card, only to see that route switched off with very little notice. The common theme is frustration and a desire for something more reliable.
This is not about blaming any one provider. It is about recognising a simple truth. If your payment strategy relies on a single card scheme or a single route, you are exposed if that connection changes.
Why Bluechain partnered with Visa
Bluechain’s whole focus is to help UK businesses simplify their payments. That means thinking like an infrastructure provider, not just a path to extra points.
Visa operates one of the largest digital payment infrastructures in the world and has a very public focus on giving businesses of all sizes better tools. Their small business toolkit covers everything from accepting card payments to accounting integrations and digital business support. That approach aligns closely with Bluechain’s vision for B2B payments.
That is why partnering with Visa made sense to us: to supercharge how UK businesses manage making and taking payments.
Together we are building what we see as a missing infrastructure layer for B2B. The partnership leverages the combination of Visa’s global infrastructure and Bluechain’s technology to support businesses of all types, across industries that face challenges in how they manage their B2B transactions daily. Bluechain sits in the middle to handle billing, collections, reconciliation and all the complexity behind the scenes.
In the words of Bluechain’s CEO Tim Annis, “The goal is to build the infrastructure layer that business payments have been missing and give businesses more control over their working capital while cutting down financial admin.”
Alessandro Figueroa, who leads B2B partnerships at Visa Europe, has described the partnership as “a way to bring smarter payment tools directly into everyday business workflows so companies can unlock more flexibility, visibility and efficiency.”
Put simply. Visa brings reach and reliability. Bluechain adds technology, flexibility and a deep focus on the B2B problem.
Your options when you cannot use your preferred credit card to pay a supplier
If your supplier does not take your preferred credit card or the service you used has stopped supporting it, you still have choices. Here are the main ones, with pros and cons.
Option 1: Pay by bank transfer and accept no rewards
The most straightforward option is to move that payment back to a bank transfer.
That keeps things simple, but it means:
- No extra headroom from your card statement terms
- No card rewards or points on that spend
- Less flexibility if you wanted to line up payments with when your customers pay you
For some businesses this is fine. For others, it removes one of the few levers they had to ease cashflow pressure.
Option 2: Move spend to a Visa or Mastercard cashback card
Many Bluechain users have responded to changes by switching more spend onto Visa or Mastercard cards that pay cashback.
The idea is simple.
- You still pay your supplier or HMRC by card
- Instead of earning one type of points, you consistently earn cashback
- The cashback goes straight back into your business, to be used however you like, and you keep the same cashflow benefits because you still only settle your card on the statement due date
There are several business credit cards in the UK that offer uncapped cashback on spend and allow you to redeem rewards as statement credits or cash. Some also offer the option to convert those rewards to Avios if you want travel points as well as money back.
The exact card is up to you. The key point is that you do not have to give up rewards or working capital just because one card is no longer an option for that payment route.
Option 3: If Avios is your priority, look at other Avios-earning credit cards
If your main focus is earning Avios, there are now other options in the market that let you earn Avios on Visa or Mastercard.
Two common routes people consider are:
Personal Avios cards
Barclays issues personal Avios credit cards under the Barclaycard brand on the Mastercard network. These cards let you earn Avios on everyday spend and, on some versions, pay a monthly fee in exchange for a higher earn-rate and extra benefits such as an annual upgrade voucher. These are personal products and are not designed specifically for business spend, so you need to consider accounting, tax and product terms carefully before using them for company expenses.
Business cards that convert rewards to Avios
Some business card providers, such as Capital on Tap, offer a Visa business credit card where you earn rewards points or cashback on all spend. You can then choose whether to take that value as cash or convert it to Avios. This can be a neat way to keep your business spend clearly separated while still collecting Avios for travel.
Important note. This article is for information only and is not personal financial advice. Always check the latest terms and conditions with card issuers and talk to an adviser if you are unsure what is appropriate for your business.
Option 4: Use Bluechain to pay non-accepting suppliers with Visa or Mastercard
The remaining challenge is simple. Many suppliers, landlords and government bodies do not accept any cards at all.
That is where Bluechain comes in.
With Bluechain you can:
- Pay almost any business invoice or personal bill using a Visa or Mastercard, even if the recipient only accepts bank transfers
- Extend your cashflow by up to 56 days, depending on your existing card terms and when you line up the payment relative to your card statement date
- Keep earning rewards on your chosen cards, whether that is cashback, points or Avios
- Keep your accounting simple using integrations with platforms like Xero and Sage that automate reconciliation
Unlike many platforms, Bluechain charges no subscription fee and offers unlimited transactions as standard. There is a simple 2.5% fee on Visa and Mastercard payments. We know every business is different, so if you would like to discuss your specific situation, we are here to help.
The result is a more stable structure. You are no longer at the mercy of a single card route. You choose whichever Visa or Mastercard product suits your business and Bluechain takes care of paying the supplier and keeping the books tidy.
How Bluechain and Visa can help you build something more stable
If recent changes have cut off your normal route, here is a practical way to rebuild your payment strategy on firmer ground.
Map your affected spend
List the bills you were paying with your previous card. Common examples are VAT and corporation tax, rent, key suppliers, professional services and utilities. Always look out for invoices that have an early payment discount or might let you pay directly.
Decide your card strategy
Choose whether you care more about cashback, Avios or a mix of both. That will help you decide between a pure cashback business card, a business card that can convert rewards to Avios or a personal Avios card if that is appropriate for your situation.
Move those payments onto Bluechain with Visa or Mastercard
Add your chosen card or cards to Bluechain, then start routing target bills through the platform. You keep your supplier relationships intact while your card gives you certainty over when the money leaves your current account.
Use statement dates to create headroom
Time your payments so they fall just after your card statement date. That way you can create up to 56 days of headroom between the supplier invoice and when you actually settle with your card provider. That breathing space can be used for salaries, stock, unexpected bills or investing in growth.
Review costs and discuss rebates
Once you have a clear view of your volumes, speak to Bluechain. We can often provide advice, best practices and in some scenarios rebates. The goal is to keep your effective cost as low as possible while preserving stability and flexibility.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use Amex with Bluechain?
At the moment Bluechain focuses on Visa and Mastercard for supplier payments in the UK. That reflects where we can deliver the most stable and scalable experience for businesses today.
Is it a problem to use a personal credit card for business expenses?
It can create complications from an accounting and tax point of view, and not all issuers allow it under their terms. If you are considering this route for Avios, make sure you read the card terms and speak to your accountant.
What makes Bluechain different from other bill payment platforms?
Bluechain is built specifically for B2B. There are no subscription fees and no caps on how many payments you can make. The focus is on turning non-cardable spend into card spend in a way that works smoothly with your existing finance systems, rather than selling you a complex bundle of tools you may not need.
Is this financial advice?
No. This article is for general information and is based on what we are seeing in the UK market. Always do your own research and seek professional advice if you are unsure which card or payment route is right for your business.
Next steps
If your usual credit card route has disappeared and you are unsure what to do next, we are here to help.
You can:
- Explore our latest guides and case studies in the Bluechain resources section
- Book a short call with the team to map out your options
- Start routing a small number of supplier payments through Bluechain with a Visa or Mastercard and see how it fits into your workflow
Payment routes will always evolve. Our job is to give you a stable, flexible way to keep your suppliers paid on time, maintain your cashflow buffer and still earn rewards on your spend, even when card schemes and providers change direction.
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