Shares of PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) fell Friday, as Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) told users this week it will soon stop accepting Venmo as a payment method.
The company said it will no longer let users pay using Venmo beginning Jan. 10, according to a notice sent out to Amazon customers. Amazon will still accept Venmo debit and credit cards, the notice states. Venmo announced the move in a separate notice posted to its website.
“Due to recent changes, Venmo can no longer be added as a payment method,” the company said. “Venmo will remain available to users who currently have it enabled in their Amazon wallet until 01/10/24.”
The move is an abrupt reversal. Amazon announced last October it would add Venmo as a payment method at checkout, giving shoppers more options to pay for their purchases. Venmo is a popular payment service that lets users instantly send money to one another.
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the change and said shoppers will still be able to use “nearly a dozen other payment methods.” The company didn’t elaborate on why it is removing Venmo as a payment method.
A Venmo spokesperson told the media that the company and Amazon agreed to disable the payment service as an option, adding: “We have a strong relationship with Amazon and look forward to continuing to build on it.“
PYPL shares forged ahead nine cents Friday to $58.57, while those for Amazon skidded 75 cents to $146.14.
