Manitoba Walmart stores to stop using Visa cards, no timeline for the rest of the country

Walmart Canada has announced that stores in Manitoba will no longer accept Visa cards starting Oct. 24, but hasn’t provided any details on when the change will be coming to the rest of the country.

A spokesperson from the retail giant confirmed that signage announcing the change is set to go up in the affected stores Thursday.

Spokesperson Alex Roberton said Manitoba was chosen second because it provided a “seamless transition” but didn’t elaborate on why. He confirmed that the policy is still on track to roll out nationwide, but wasn’t able to provide a timeline for any other provinces.

The move comes as the retail giant and the credit card company remain locked in a battle over merchant fees.

READ MORE: Visa vs. Walmart: Credit-card giant not flinching as Walmart begins not accepting cards

Walmart pledged in June that it would stop accepting Visa at its more than 400 Canadian stores, saying it pays more than $100 million in fees annually for customers using credit cards.

Manitoba is the second location to stop accepting Visa cards; in July the policy rolled out in three stores in Thunder Bay, Ont.

WATCH: Walmart stops accepting Visa cards at 3 Canadian stores  

1:47 Walmart stops accepting Visa cards at 3 Canadian stores

The credit card company called the decision to expand the ban on their card “disappointing.”

“Walmart’s decision to further limit Visa acceptance in Manitoba is disappointing,” a Visa spokesperson said in an email to Global News.

“Visa remains committed to actively working with Walmart so that Canadians can use their Visa cards wherever they wish to shop.”

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Visa said it had offered Walmart one of the lowest rates for any merchant in the country but the retailer wanted more.

In a separate statement issued on Wednesday, finance minister Bill Morneau said that Visa has met a previous, voluntary commitment to reduce its interchange fees, but there was no immediate data on how high the fees actually are.

*With files from the Canadian Press