10,000 bonus points per 20 transactions

[simongr]

I actually struggled to remember my PIN yesterday as my cash withdrawals have reduced so much....

 

[bravoecho1]

I've had increasing difficulty from some merchants on accepting an Amex Card for small amounts. The reason being I buy the paper usually from a supermarket or a service station (previously it had been a newsagent each day), and when driving after a night shift, I will buy a coffee or a can of some caffeinated drink (Coke/Pepsi) to enjoy on the drive home. Most 7-Eleven Service Stations in NSW as well as Mobil/Woolworths Plus/Caltex/Coles Express/Shell stations will accept Amex for things like newspapers.

However, on some cases at 7-Eleven stations, I've had very negative responses when trying to buy a coffee or a paper - in one case, the shop assistant became quite angry, complaining about people buying things with Amex for small amounts. My solution was to ask him one more time, "will you sell me the paper with an Amex or not?" and when he raved again, I said "thank you", left the paper with him, and walked out. I then went 500 metres down the road, and bought the paper at a Mobil, with no questions.

But the issue here is micropayments, and what it costs a merchant to accept Amex. Some merchants are trying to tell me that it costs them over $1 to accept a payment of $2 on an Amex card. It was covered in only superficial detail many pages back in this forum, but it wasn't ever really sorted. Are there merchants that pay large amounts for micropayments on Amex, or is it always a flat percentage of the sale? If it's the latter, then the merchants really don't have a leg to stand on.

The other thing is that some employees of merchants (like Starbucks) believe that I get stung with additional fees for charging small payments to the card. I have to keep explaining that I don't and that if I charge a $3.05 coffee to my Amex, then that's all I pay Amex - no extra.

Does anyone that has knowledge of Amex merchant agreements give the definitive word on how merchants are charged by Amex (flat fee/flat percentage/mix of the two)?

Beardoc,

I think the problem is that everyone is on different agreements. In times gone by everyone was on a pretty similar system where the merchants were stung quite a lot for processing the card and then had to wait up to 30 days to receive the funds.

These days a lot of merchants now have an agreement where there is no difference (or maybe a very small difference in some cases) between AMEX, Visa or M'Card but then again there maybe merchants out there who are still on old agreements.

 

[nlagalle]

Does anyone that has knowledge of Amex merchant agreements give the definitive word on how merchants are charged by Amex (flat fee/flat percentage/mix of the two)?

for the smaller merchants the merchant fee these days is quite low (I was offered 1.1% for amex). however Amex take their merchant fee out when they deposit the money into your account (which happens each night). so it does make the book work a bit harder.

Also remember that the merchant terminals make the calls to get authorisation too so the phone call needs to be factored in too. so a $2 transaction would cost at least .20 cents not counting the extras. Bigger businesses have dedicated links so don't have to worry about phone bills.

Nick

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Also remember that the merchant terminals make the calls to get authorisation too so the phone call needs to be factored in too. so a $2 transaction would cost at least .20 cents not counting the extras. Bigger businesses have dedicated links so don't have to worry about phone bills.

Nick

Indeed. Sometimes you have to wait while the call is initialised and made.

Plus from several that I have spoken with some are clearly on less generous deals.

Not all are paid within 24 hours either (according to them), which is another reason some businesses do not want to take it.

 

[yo yo ma]

I actually struggled to remember my PIN yesterday as my cash withdrawals have reduced so much....

I am not in this promotion but still use credit card for all purchases possible... I never carry cash around and was weird having to use it last week at the school fete - they didn't accept credit card!

 

[serfty]

SWMBO had a fun weekend; any way enough transactions occurred for another 5K bonus to post - now onward to the next 10 - let's see if this account is capped ...

Fun indeed! :shock:

Enough further transactions posted today to take me over 30 for the month - and another 5K in Bonii ...

... so we are not capped

 

[nlagalle]

I sent my partner to one shopping centre on Sunday and I was at another (early Christmas shopping), grand total of 18 transactions for the day! all legit and nothing under $20 either... but all the shopping is done now!

 

[glass]

There are so many charities you can supportt with amex. I wonder if they and/or amex start getting pissed off with so many small charges tho.

 

[straitman]

Wow :!:

This thread went 11 hours without a post

 

[tgh]

Compared to some here .. our transaction count is abysmal.

The temptation to make a lot more movember donations and to help out some other worthy causes is almost irrepressible...

 

[simongr]

There are so many charities you can supportt with amex. I wonder if they and/or amex start getting pissed off with so many small charges tho.

Why would Amex get pissed off with so many small charges? The whole point of the promo is to increase the use of the card on everyday purchases...

 

[oz_mark]

There are so many charities you can supportt with amex. I wonder if they and/or amex start getting pissed off with so many small charges tho.

Of coures it is the government/tax office that set the threshold for tax deductibility at $2.00 not Amex. So if they have a beef with small donations, I suggest they take it up with the government!

 

[rodgerbranch]

Compared to some here .. our transaction count is abysmal.

The temptation to make a lot more movember donations and to help out some other worthy causes is almost irrepressible...

Uppss... Sorry my mistake

As far as I see from the forum, most people getting any points are those who had a chat with AMEX and were in the 10T5K and make little transactions, or those who were changed to the 10T5K Promo. People who believe they are in the 5T5K Promo and UNLIMITED are yet to see what is NEXT.

 

[simongr]

You better be careful... Amex is trying to reduce the No of point they have to pay as much as they can. I don’t think they are planning on giving an ABYSMAL No of points to anyone. No matter what you say, they will cut you off. Just check these posts for people who complained to Amex trying to get their full points. You will see that no one yet has been able to twist AMEX’s arm and get away with a large amount of points. Those who haven’t approach AMEX and asked if their ABYSMAL transaction will be accepted are holding on to a prayer that AMEX will Give them 100’s of Thousands of points. Some even fixed they mind in the 1M mark :mrgreen:

Dictionary.com

abysmal
–adjective
1. of or like an abyss; immeasurably deep or great.
2. extremely or hopelessly bad or severe: abysmal ignorance; abysmal poverty.

I think if you ask Lindsay Wilson he will confirm that he has received a hopelessly bad number of points under this promotion...

At this point none of the 300+ transaction people who were on 5/5 have reported the number of points received so you have no basis in fact for commenting on whether people have received very large numbers of points or not.

Secondly, people who have provided evidence of the 5/5 offer to Amex have yet to hear back and thus again no determination either way has been made.

Note to self - buy more troll food - seem to be running out...

 

[tgh]

Thanks very much for your input roddgyer..

I have noticed your substantial input to this thread, and find your comments to reflect a unique vision and a special perception, truly beyond the understanding that normal people are able to attach to simple words.

Might I humbly suggest that your unique talents are , perhaps , a little wasted on such a humble discussion as this ?

You clearly are destined for bigger things, and I'm sure that the other list members would not wish to stand in your way if you found it difficult to continue to support the thread.

Cheers

 

[vet]

Compared to some here .. our transaction count is abysmal.

The temptation to make a lot more movember donations and to help out some other worthy causes is almost irrepressible...

I have Will Power but no Won't Power,

 

[QF WP]

They (the charities) may like larger donations, but they'd be happy to be getting any donations at the moment, particularly in the lead up to Xmas (times are tough in the charity industry - so many with an unknown resource of philanthropy to tap). Online donations are the cheapest on a "cost to serve" basis, I would think.

Amex will be happy as they get their cut and it is after all" everyday spend".

We are happy as the transactions are counting towards bonus points and we are doing our community service - giving to others less fortunate than outselves.

The beneficiaries of the charities are happy...they can access increase benefits at Xmas...

All winners when I look at it.

 

[QF WP]

Month      Transactions       Points Credited      Points Owed 
September^      23                5,000                  5,000
October         70                    0                 35,000
Movember#       56                    0                 25,000

^ from date of registration (18/9)
# up to and including 18/11, with at least 2 transactions to post (BP and Cabcharge) and 5 thus far today. Goal is 90, so I'm ahead of target

Now yesterday was a good day - but the next couple will rival it.

So how is everybody else going? I'm finding places to eat for lunch that I didn't realise took Amex (Red Rooster - min $10 charge at my local store), so as long as I stick to the healthy options I'll be alive long enough to spend the bonus points...

 

[QF WP]

You better be careful... Amex is trying to reduce the No of point they have to pay as much as they can. I don’t think they are planning on giving an ABYSMAL No of points to anyone. No matter what you say, they will cut you off. Just check these posts for people who complained to Amex trying to get their full points. You will see that no one yet has been able to twist AMEX’s arm and get away with a large amount of points. Those who haven’t approach AMEX and asked if their ABYSMAL transaction will be accepted are holding on to a prayer that AMEX will Give them 100’s of Thousands of points. Some even fixed they mind in the 1M mark :mrgreen:

Ah rodgerbranch, nothing like misreading a comment and going off on your own tangent

tgh commented on their own abysmal transaction count, not Amex's bonus point crediting...

Thanks for the dictionary research, simongr. The second one seemed to perfectly fit tgh's comment.

I think if you ask Lindsay Wilson he will confirm that he has received a hopelessly bad number of points under this promotion...

100% agree there. Wish I was with others who were being credited ATM. Still, I wait patiently for Amex to catch up

Now back to normal discussion...

 

[serfty]

serfty stats

             Eligible            Bonus                Bonus
Month      Transactions       Points Credited      Points Owed 
September       25               10,000                      0
October         62                    0                 30,000
Movember        31               15,000                      0