Visa is at the centre of an Olympics access to cash row after replacing 27 ATMs at various Games sites with just eight that run on its own system.
The move, described by critics as “plainly unacceptable” is part of an exclusivity arrangement Visa has as a sponsor.
It means visitors could run out of cash and have to resort to using Visa credit and debit cards, as no other cards would be acceptable, according to campaigners.
Ron Delnevo of the UK Payments Council said the move appeared to be designed to "compel those visiting Olympic venues to use only Visa cards".
Visa has come under-fire over its move to replace ATMs
It understood Visa requested that the existing ATMs, which would have accepted all Link cards, were switched off and replaced with eight new machines which would only accept Visa cards.
ATMs will be switched off at the Excel Centre, Earl's Court, North Greenwich Arena, Wembley Arena, Wembley Stadium, Wimbledon, Old Trafford, St James' Park and the City of Coventry Stadium.
Visa said visitors could bring cash with them, and pointed out that 115 million Visa cards were in circulation in the UK, meaning there was a "high probability" that most of those attending would have access to one of its cards.
The company said: "At every Olympic Games, Visa creates and manages the entire payment system infrastructure and network throughout all Olympic Games venues.
"Visa installs thousands of point-of-sale devices and a dedicated ATM network at every Olympic Games. Eight ATMs will be installed at London 2012 Olympic venues and this year, for the first time at an Olympic and Paralympic Games, contactless payment technology will be implemented across the event venues providing additional ways to pay."
Payments Council director, Mr Delnevo said: "The Olympics are going to be cash-starved by design. This is plainly unacceptable in a world where 85%-plus of all transactions continue to be made using cash.
"The Olympics do not belong to any sponsor, however much money they have paid for brand awareness.
"The Games are meant to be a celebration of the sporting prowess of men and women from every corner of our planet. Sadly, it seems that the ideals of the Olympics now take a back seat whenever they get in the way of needs of commercial sponsors."
The Olympics are beginning to achieve a reputation for its often bizarre measures designed to satisfy sponsors, be it through sponsor-specific road lanes or 'branding police' patrolling the streets to ensure no non-sponsor logos are seen.
Elsewhere, the International Olympic Committee has come under fire for allowing Saudi Arabia to potentially bring no female athletes to the Games, prompting outrage from equality groups.