AMEX not accepted or surcharge

[lovestotravel]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

I spent Friday night doing the ring around of all my local take away places, ranging from Chinese, Indian, Fish & Chips and Pizza

These are my findings:

My old favourite Pizza place which is a large one with room for about 200 people to sit inside and eat, has changed ownership and the new owners do not want to accept Amex according to the Manager who I spoke to. I did tell him to pass on that I will never be eating there due to that. He will probably laugh as soon as he hangs up and that will be it but oh well.

Two other small pizza shops are listed on the Amex website as accepting Amex, but upon speaking to them they accept VI/MC but not Amex anymore.

Three local fish and chip ships do not accept Amex

One of the local fish and chip shops still accepts Amex and the owners are really nice so they have my business at least twice a month now solely due to that! No surchage or minimum spend either! :mrgreen:

One out of the 5 local Asian restaurants accepts Amex

There were many others that I rang...

Out of a total of about 15 take-away restaurants

3 accept Amex
14 accept credit cards but on VI/MC
1 cash only

Have reported the 14 on the Amex website and will keep reporting them every 2 months

Shame as I only have a limited range or restaurants to pick from now.

The main problem is that I live in a newly developing area, which is surrounded by a generally scummy area where most people just pay cash for everything. The surrounding suburbs are not a very affulent area and I would hazard a guess that not many people around here have Amex...

It is funny when I eat out in nicer suburbs and every shop takes Amex due to the type of customers that visit them....

 

[lovestotravel]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Except that a large business with a high credit card throughput should be in a position to negotiate a better deal with organisations like Amex and Diners, such that the difference between the Visa/Mastercard fees and Amex/Diners fees should not be in the order of 2-3%.

Correct! I purchased a car from a VERY large European car dealership a few weeks back and they said they rate for Amex is 2.55%.

I paid a $10,000 deposit on the Amex with no surcharge but after insisting the only way I was going to buy the car was if I could pay the whole lot on Amex.

This caused the Manager's quite a bit of grief as they had already given me a very good price on the car and my trade-in....

The only way I could get it was to pay the 2.55% surcharge which was a tad over $2,000.

I get 255000 Singapore miles from it, which is worth alot more than $2000 but the % is very high for a car dealership which would be putting alot of $$ through Amex.

I told them to ring Amex and get them to reduce the rate down to 1.5% or thereabouts, but they were not really interested...

 

[bambbbam2]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

such that the difference between the Visa/Mastercard fees and Amex/Diners fees should not be in the order of 2-3%.

From a story published just today
Debt-shy Aussies turn to debit cards | Banking | News.com.au

"RBA statistics showed merchants fees for credit card transactions, as a percentage of the purchase price, were 0.88 per cent for Bankcard, Visa and MasterCard in the March quarter.

It was 2.01 per cent for American Express and 2.07 per cent for Diners Club cards."

 

[NM]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

The only way I could get it was to pay the 2.55% surcharge which was a tad over $2,000.

I get 255000 Singapore miles from it, which is worth alot more than $2000 but the % is very high for a car dealership which would be putting alot of $$ through Amex.

I told them to ring Amex and get them to reduce the rate down to 1.5% or thereabouts, but they were not really interested...

My experience with using Amex for car dealerships is mostly for deposit for new purchase and for servicing. I have had no surcharge for the deposit ($2000) and never paid a surcharge for service work. So they obviously have a significant Amex throughput for the service dept and happy to wear a reasonable amount for the purchase deposit. I may hav ebeen able to push them for a larger deposit, but did not bother at the time. Purchase balance was paid via bank cheque (free due to bank relationship).

 

[codash1099]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Except that a large business with a high credit card throughput should be in a position to negotiate a better deal with organisations like Amex and Diners, such that the difference between the Visa/Mastercard fees and Amex/Diners fees should not be in the order of 2-3%.

Shopped recently at an electronics store where they had no surcharge for Visa but wanted 5% for Amex.

The small not-for-profit educational organisation I work for is charges roughly 1.5% for Visa/MC and 3% for Amex Diners. Throughput is quite small.

 

[lovestotravel]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Yes never had a surcharge for the deposit but I have had flat out refusals previously for accepting Amex for the balance.

Now I will simply shop around for paying the balance via Amex, whoever takes it wins basically

Next car purchase is in Jan 2010, so will see what happens again then!

The Subaru service department now charges 2.55% for Amex but no charge for VI/MC up to $3,000 over that then they charge something for VI/MC.

 

[NM]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Shopped recently at an electronics store where they had no surcharge for Visa but wanted 5% for Amex.

I my opinion, that is unjustifiable. There is not way Amex is charging them 5% more than Visa/Mastercard.

The small not-for-profit educational organisation I work for is charges roughly 1.5% for Visa/MC and 3% for Amex Diners. Throughput is quite small.

My 4yo's day care centre has no surcharge for Amex. My older kids previous school, had no surcharge for Amex. Their current school is Visa/MC only. So looks like the 4yo will be starting school at the school she is currently attending day care with no Amex surcharge. At least this will be an incentive while I hold an Amex card. But currently seriously considering dropping the Amex altogether.

 

[lovestotravel]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

But currently seriously considering dropping the Amex altogether.

I think we all go though these phases

End of the day the travel insurance and airline redemption to most airlines keeps me there with an earn rate of 1.5 for every $1

If there was a VI card out there with the above then I would instantly swap. But the chances of that happening is very minimal! Especially with the QF direct earn changes.

Hopefully V Australia can actually grow and then eventually they will be a 2nd international airline that operates to the USA, Europe (Virgin Atlantic), Japan (Coming soon I have heard) and NZ.

No more "Do you take Amex" question to be asked ever again!! :mrgreen::mrgreen:

 

[auriga]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

End of the day the travel insurance and airline redemption to most airlines keeps me there with an earn rate of 1.5 for every $1

If there was a VI card out there with the above then I would instantly swap.

Totally agree. Amex is the best for me as far as reward points are concerned, but their acceptance is just not quite good enough. Home insurance with NRMA is now due, cannot pay with Amex.:evil:

 

[drron]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Shopped recently at an electronics store where they had no surcharge for Visa but wanted 5% for Amex.

The small not-for-profit educational organisation I work for is charges roughly 1.5% for Visa/MC and 3% for Amex Diners. Throughput is quite small.

5% is over the top and ripping off their customers.Deserve to be dumped as a place to shop.
However things may get worse as this FT thread on SPG Amex relates-
Who Can I Contact From Starwood To Let Them Know I Will No Longer Be Able To Keep... - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[codash1099]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Shopped recently at an electronics store where they had no surcharge for Visa but wanted 5% for Amex.

The small not-for-profit educational organisation I work for is charges roughly 1.5% for Visa/MC and 3% for Amex Diners. Throughput is quite small.

Fat fingers.

Those % are what the organisation is charged by the C/C companies. It tends to put some of the charges added by retailers into perspective.

 

[wxxnxs]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

The only situation I am worrying about is may be in the near future more and more retails will starting charging top CC fees for AMEX, just follow the common way as others, but the most holpless thing is AMEX is not working to fix that problem, I do believe AMEX will start fixing that problem until 90% retail shops don't take that card.

 

[zzyss]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Out of interest: can somebody please explain to me the recent change in law for restaurants where they have to include the surcharges for Sundays, Public Holidays, etc. as part of the menu price? I've heard that instead of having 5% surcharge on weekends or whatever, some restaurants are "dodging" the law by putting a flat rate surcharge of $5 or whatever.

Then, might it be possible to get the government to implement something similar for credit card surcharges?

 

[oz_mark]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

This change came about as a result of the component pricing amendments to the trade practices act that came into law recently. That is, if, in this case, a restaurant makes a representation about part of a price a consumer will pay, then it must also specify a single price that includes all quantifiable charges.

So, if a restaurant has a menu that has a statement such as '10% surcharge on Sundays', this is actually a quantifiable amount that must be included in a singe price for each item on the menu. Realistically that would mean that they have a separate Sunday menu with the higher prices.

A surcharge of $5 on Sunday is, on the other hand, not something that can be quantified in the other single prices and can therefore listed separately. Thus you may pay that $5 across one item or it may apply to many items.

It's not really a dodge of the law, more of a reflection that different prcing structures can lead to different outcomes under the component pricing law.

As for credit card surcharges, if the surcharge is avoidable by using other payment methods (e.g. BPay, Poli), then it does not need to be specified as a single price as at the time the representation is made, the seller may not know the method of payment.

 

[lovestotravel]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Where I get my car serviced now charges 2.55% for Amex and even when I was happy to pay with it, they were not really happy to accept it and kept asking if I wanted to pay with another card.

I had to repeat myself 4 times saying I don't mind the $8 surcharge, here is the card.

I only shop/eat at establishments that accept Amex, which is my choice, I don't want to go by the rules of a business that does not see the benefit in forcing me to use cash/VI/MC. I want to pay how I want to pay and if they want me as a customer they need to accept Amex

 

[Moody]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

I my opinion, that is unjustifiable. There is not way Amex is charging them 5% more than Visa/Mastercard.

My 4yo's day care centre has no surcharge for Amex. My older kids previous school, had no surcharge for Amex. Their current school is Visa/MC only. So looks like the 4yo will be starting school at the school she is currently attending day care with no Amex surcharge. At least this will be an incentive while I hold an Amex card. But currently seriously considering dropping the Amex altogether.

My brain must be fried from too much Tour de France, because I've re-read this post 3 times and it still sounds like you are choosing your youngest child's school on the basis that they accept Amex.

That's obviously not true but maybe you should edit your post so that others don't also come to such a ridiculous conclusion.

 

[Moody]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

The main problem is that I live in a newly developing area, which is surrounded by a generally scummy area where most people just pay cash for everything. The surrounding suburbs are not a very affulent area and I would hazard a guess that not many people around here have Amex...

It is funny when I eat out in nicer suburbs and every shop takes Amex due to the type of customers that visit them....

Could you please tell me your postcode so that I can forever avoid visiting it.

 

[lovestotravel]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Could you please tell me your postcode so that I can forever avoid visiting it.

Pick any newly developing suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne, there are hundreds of thousands of people living in these areas, I am one of them

Full of morons with old Holdens and attitudes.

Luckily the estate that I live in is away from the real scum and I am surrounded by Mercs/BMW's, including the one in my garage

My point being this is not a real Amex friendly area, yet about 2kms further out there are many million $ + mansions....

 

[NYCguy]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Full of morons with old Holdens and attitudes.

The cars may change with the location, but the attitude?

 

[NM]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

My brain must be fried from too much Tour de France, because I've re-read this post 3 times and it still sounds like you are choosing your youngest child's school on the basis that they accept Amex.

That's obviously not true but maybe you should edit your post so that others don't also come to such a ridiculous conclusion.

I only found out the school accepts Amex after Mini#4 started attending day-care there and we booked her in to start school next year. The acceptance of Amex was a bonus not a decision factor. The school attended by Minis#2&3 is for years 7-12 only so Mini#4 will be starting at a different school that offers primary and high school at the one campus. Both schools are walking distance from our home.