Not for FFXI it isn't. I can buy the virtual cards for FFXIV, but I just don't see a reason. They never offered that for FFXI, and who knows how long it will last with FFXIV. I'd rather just be able to setup the auto-pay as I had before. It worked, and there was never any issue of an item not being available or having to go through some extra step or two in order to just play. I feel that if a company is that inflexible about payment (And SE has been legendary in that regard), that perhaps they simply no longer desire my business.