The Ruling on the Visa Credit Card
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
The matter. What is the ruling on the card right?
The Shaykh:
A Visa card means you advance a sum of money to the banks, and then they give you this card. You go and buy from certain stores that have an agreement with them. You buy from them, and then they bill you. They pay the store on your behalf and take an extra amount from you. This is riba (usury or interest). This is a riba loan, because their paying on your behalf is a loan, and they took an extra amount for it, so it is riba. A decision has been issued by the Senior Scholars Committee and the Permanent Committee that it is haram (forbidden). In our view, it is haram, because the stores pay on your behalf with an extra amount that they take from you, either in advance or later. I do not know; this is all the same. All Visa cards have the same ruling, because they take money for it. They take money for it. Some of them take it and call it fees. They call it fees. This is deception. Deception regarding the extra amount. They call it fees or commission. Names do not change realities. This is riba because they pay on your behalf in exchange for this extra amount that they take. Yes. Yes.
Another questioner:
I.
The Shaykh:
It is not possible that it does not carry a burden. They take it when you cut the Visa. You give them four hundred riyals or more. They call it a commission or fair fees.
Another questioner:
I subscribe.
The Shaykh:
This is the Italian money. No, no, it is not possible that they forbid it without anything.
Another questioner:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
No, no, it is not possible that they give the card without it. The card you withdraw from the banks is for your bank account and balance recorded in the bank. You insert the card, and money comes out according to your need. There is nothing wrong with that. But Visa, no. Visa, you go to the stores and buy from them and do not pay anything. The bank or the store pays, and then he bills you later and takes an extra amount from you. There is something in this matter. There is a difference between the card and the type. Yes. A need for food.
Another questioner:
Understood, Abu Fahd.
The Shaykh:
A need for riba. Convert the money and take it from there. Convert it to a bank here that transfers it to a branch in the country you want to go to. You will find it there. Withdraw it from there. Transferring is a very easy matter. Oh. In exchange for riba. Everyone, whether he has a balance or not, the important thing is that this is not permissible because riba is taken on it. No? It is upon you, and upon you pays the curse. Yes.
The matter. What is the ruling on the card right?
The Shaykh:
A Visa card means you advance a sum of money to the banks, and then they give you this card. You go and buy from certain stores that have an agreement with them. You buy from them, and then they bill you. They pay the store on your behalf and take an extra amount from you. This is riba (usury or interest). This is a riba loan, because their paying on your behalf is a loan, and they took an extra amount for it, so it is riba. A decision has been issued by the Senior Scholars Committee and the Permanent Committee that it is haram (forbidden). In our view, it is haram, because the stores pay on your behalf with an extra amount that they take from you, either in advance or later. I do not know; this is all the same. All Visa cards have the same ruling, because they take money for it. They take money for it. Some of them take it and call it fees. They call it fees. This is deception. Deception regarding the extra amount. They call it fees or commission. Names do not change realities. This is riba because they pay on your behalf in exchange for this extra amount that they take. Yes. Yes.
Another questioner:
I.
The Shaykh:
It is not possible that it does not carry a burden. They take it when you cut the Visa. You give them four hundred riyals or more. They call it a commission or fair fees.
Another questioner:
I subscribe.
The Shaykh:
This is the Italian money. No, no, it is not possible that they forbid it without anything.
Another questioner:
Yes.
The Shaykh:
No, no, it is not possible that they give the card without it. The card you withdraw from the banks is for your bank account and balance recorded in the bank. You insert the card, and money comes out according to your need. There is nothing wrong with that. But Visa, no. Visa, you go to the stores and buy from them and do not pay anything. The bank or the store pays, and then he bills you later and takes an extra amount from you. There is something in this matter. There is a difference between the card and the type. Yes. A need for food.
Another questioner:
Understood, Abu Fahd.
The Shaykh:
A need for riba. Convert the money and take it from there. Convert it to a bank here that transfers it to a branch in the country you want to go to. You will find it there. Withdraw it from there. Transferring is a very easy matter. Oh. In exchange for riba. Everyone, whether he has a balance or not, the important thing is that this is not permissible because riba is taken on it. No? It is upon you, and upon you
Allah has cursed the one who gives riba and the one who receives it, so the one who pays him is the one who receives the riba.
لعن الله آتي الربا وموكله فالذي يدفع له موكل للربا
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، تابع باب الوضوء - 2 — islamhouse.com (1:00:12)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.