then threaten to make it all too exclusive out of reach for too many customers
who were seduced into buying into the prime eco system..

I don't think people were always seduced. Given the "optout" methodology of Amazin' on every purchase, I would quite accurately say people were conned. I had to get out of it and refused to use Amazin' thereafter because I don't like being conned. And I would have had to search the minutia and optout each time, which is a chore I detest. They must have done their sums, but the Visa debacle will lose custom.

I use Ebay, it sells the same things. Mind you it constantly tells me I have been approved for a PayPalVisa but then backtracks with a subject to status quite! a red rag to a bull

Don't Amazin' push their own credit card or something?