AMEX not accepted or surcharge

[cmon0005]

Anyone notice that takeamex submissions are barely acknowledged or replied to these days?

 

[liamsal]

Anyone notice that takeamex submissions are barely acknowledged or replied to these days?

I submitted one a week ago and got a reply saying it was being 'investigated' a few days ago. Haven't heard anything since.

 

[lathiat]

I am sortof happy about the new RBA surcharge rules. The rules are interesting in that you cannot charge an average fee, only the exact fee for that card type, or the lowest of all card types you accept.
I also understand why they have the fees in some industries, PC hardware has been one one of my favourites because the margins are so low. But I really baulk at some companies who, in my opinion, should just roll the bloody fee in.. my number 1 pet peeve here is car parks who seem to almost always surcharge for card payments.

3% (particularly at places that don't take AMEX) is also a joke, you can get much better rates than this even as a very small business.

A couple interesting things to keep an eye on:
- Airlines seem to be working around the exact rate issue by having a card fee "cap"
- EFTPOS are finally getting contactless payments. They are so late to the game it's not funny, and must be losing a LOT of transaction value to contactless. I wonder what held them up, if there was some kind of policy, patent, procedural or something issue and not just mismanagement: https://www.eftposaustralia.com.au/products/eftpos-chip-contactless/

 

[albyd]

I think the surcharging issue might do more to drive people back to eftpos (assuming debit MC/Visa is surcharged like a credit card even thought it's cost is like eftpos) to avoid surcharging despite eftpos' best efforts to make itself irrelevant.
I agree should just be rolled into the price and for most industries I'm sure merchants have included it in their figuring when pricing. No one's stripped it out of their pricing just opportunistically charging it now too.

 

[Finale]

We were in a restaurant that wanted 3% to use Amex, free for Visa/MC. These restaurants totally forget about International Visa/MC. I run an online store for a friend and looking at NAB merchant statement International MC and Visa fees are 1.90% and 2.09%. then there is Visa/Mastercard service fee of 0.459% plus 0.10 transaction fee. Using international visa/mc will cost like 2.4% or 2.5%. Some domestic premium cards already cost over 1.5% (0.9% to 1.22% + 0.459%). The difference in fee is definitely not 3%.

I ended up using my US credit card just to make sure they pay more fee hoping they will realize Amex isn't that bad. Charging 3% is just wrong.

 

[TomVexille]

We were in a restaurant that wanted 3% to use Amex, free for Visa/MC. These restaurants totally forget about International Visa/MC. I run an online store for a friend and looking at NAB merchant statement International MC and Visa fees are 1.90% and 2.09%. then there is Visa/Mastercard service fee of 0.459% plus 0.10 transaction fee. Using international visa/mc will cost like 2.4% or 2.5%. Some domestic premium cards already cost over 1.5% (0.9% to 1.22% + 0.459%). The difference in fee is definitely not 3%.

I ended up using my US credit card just to make sure they pay more fee hoping they will realize Amex isn't that bad. Charging 3% is just wrong.

No chance that they realise IMO

 

[trippin_the_rift]

We were in a restaurant that wanted 3% to use Amex, free for Visa/MC. These restaurants totally forget about International Visa/MC. I run an online store for a friend and looking at NAB merchant statement International MC and Visa fees are 1.90% and 2.09%. then there is Visa/Mastercard service fee of 0.459% plus 0.10 transaction fee. Using international visa/mc will cost like 2.4% or 2.5%. Some domestic premium cards already cost over 1.5% (0.9% to 1.22% + 0.459%). The difference in fee is definitely not 3%.

I ended up using my US credit card just to make sure they pay more fee hoping they will realize Amex isn't that bad. Charging 3% is just wrong.

Online retailers and physical restaurants are different categories of risk and will have varying merchant rates, fraud mechanics and

I like your idea using a foreign card but agree with TV they won't know or care.
3% would be justified by them a way to recoup ALL associated costs with accepting cards including accounting, monthly merchant fees, and training.

I avoid anyone who tries to charge bull**** card fees. Tell the retailer you won't pay any credit card taxes. It's not your fault they couldn't negotiate a better deal with Amex. The more people who subscribe to this the faster we can weed out the craziness.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Some small restaurants are charged 2.9% by Amex.

 

[albyd]

No chance that they realise IMO

That works for me. My US Citi card honors category bonuses even outside the US. I use my it for dining where Amex not accepted or surcharged for 2x earn (1.5 at current $A) and 3x for travel (2.25 to the $A).

 

[BillytheFIsh]

I saw an interesting official looking sign at a retailer today:

I can't imagine this is official Amex stock, so they must have made it themselves.

(I paid with Amex with no surcharge though... the assistant plugged in the price to the POS machine without asking me how I was going to pay and didn't seem to care what card I used)

 

[Mr_Orange]

I saw an interesting official looking sign at a retailer today:

I can't imagine this is official Amex stock, so they must have made it themselves.

(I paid with Amex with no surcharge though... the assistant plugged in the price to the POS machine without asking me how I was going to pay and didn't seem to care what card I used)

I like it when surcharges need to be manually applied. It's easier to sneak the Amex in without being detected.

Funny one today too.... Cafe had one of those fancy CBA tablet card machines that displayed the Amex logo on the screen along with Visa/MC.... Tapped the Amex, "Card not supported". Confirmed with the staff that they don't take Amex. WTF is there an Amex logo displayed then??

 

[DeKa]

I think the surcharging issue might do more to drive people back to eftpos (assuming debit MC/Visa is surcharged like a credit card even thought it's cost is like eftpos) to avoid surcharging despite eftpos' best efforts to make itself irrelevant.

I think so too - but one of the problems with EFTPOS is the per day limit (which is the same as the ATM withdrawal limit).

 

[Chicken]

I saw an interesting official looking sign at a retailer today:

I can't imagine this is official Amex stock, so they must have made it themselves.

Just logged into merchant services on AmEx web site, went through all the POS freebies, and there is no such sign, so this one you saw would be a custom made.

Cafe had one of those fancy CBA tablet card machines that displayed the Amex logo on the screen along with Visa/MC.... Tapped the Amex, "Card not supported". Confirmed with the staff that they don't take Amex. WTF is there an Amex logo displayed then??

Yep, caught out a few times, so I know that I need to ignore the AmEx logo. I have also seen (I think Westpac), where it has JCB logo but not AmEx. Um, the only acquirer for JCB in Australia is AmEx. What is the JCB logo on screen doing if you don't take AmEx?

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

The POS machines usually have all the logos, it's up to the merchant if they wish to setup a specific merchant facility to accept Amex. If they don't have such a facility, the card won't work.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Can you all stop shopping at places which surcharge, thanks!

 

[Tremere]

Funny one today too.... Cafe had one of those fancy CBA tablet card machines that displayed the Amex logo on the screen along with Visa/MC.... Tapped the Amex, "Card not supported". Confirmed with the staff that they don't take Amex. WTF is there an Amex logo displayed then??

I think thats actually an issue with the CBA machine, one of the cafes I go to has one, tap doesn't work with AMEX but chip does. I just tell the staff to stick it in the chip input and its all good.

 

[kyle]

Just received an email from Sheraton Gold Coast. New surcharge rates (old 1.5% on everything):

Visa: 1.1%
Mastercard: 0.8%
Amex/JCB/Diners: 2.9%

Surely Amex must charge them way less than that!

 

[unfunkable]

Nope . Amex for my store had 2 Tiers. 1.95% if we didn't pass on a surcharge or 2.95% if we did pass on a surcharge

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Just received an email from Sheraton Gold Coast. New surcharge rates (old 1.5% on everything):

Visa: 1.1%
Mastercard: 0.8%
Amex/JCB/Diners: 2.9%

Surely Amex must charge them way less than that!

Perhaps most Amex/JCB/Diners are international cards which have a higher merchant cost.

I now walk out of Australian stores which surcharge. You should too.
This practice of surcharges is simply bad business and shows a lack of respect to the customer.

 

[lathiat]

I think thats actually an issue with the CBA machine, one of the cafes I go to has one, tap doesn't work with AMEX but chip does. I just tell the staff to stick it in the chip input and its all good.

Having recently got the ANZ AMEX with Apple Pay, what I have noticed is that there are quite a few terminals which do not support AMEX on contactless (VISA/MC only) but do for chip or swipe - no difference whether using the card or apple pay for the contactless - VISA contactless works fine on the same terminal. The biggest culprit I've seen is BP, with whatever terminal/bank they are using.