The kinetics and mechanism of the oxidative decolorization of methylene blue (MB + ) as a cationic dye by persulfate using silver(I) catalyst in aqueous acidic medium were studied. The effects of different parameters like [H + ], [Ag + ], reactant concentration, micelles, and temperatures were investigated. The kinetic data showed that the oxidative decolorization of [MB] + by persulfate obeyed pseudo-first-order kinetics by taking a large excess of [S 2 O 8 2− ] over [MB + ]. The observed rate constant increases with increasing of [H + ]. A plausible mechanism for the silver(I) enhanced decolorization of [MB] + by persulfate is suggested which is consistent with the experimental rate law. The effect of micelles such as SDS and Triton X-100 on the reaction rate is investigated. The rate of reaction decreases with increasing [SDS] but is not affected by Triton X-100. The mechanism of the electron transfer process between [MB] + and S 2 O 8 2proceeds through an outer-sphere mechanism. Thermodynamic activation parameters ΔH* and ΔS* were calculated. The experimental data may be useful for the layout of wastewater treatment containing various types of dyes.