AMEX not accepted or surcharge

[ChrisFlyer]

You should get bonus points with them, too.

Correct - which is why I chose them! It'll be $1=1.5QFF instead of the normal $1=1QFF (CBA Gold QFF Amex). I know they're an MR partner as well, but all of my cards are QFF direct earn.

 

[Mal]

Regarding Medibank Private, I have submitted feedback to both Medibank and Amex. Hopefully they will work out their 'issues' and we'll see Amex acceptance being returned.

Once again I think the real lesson is that Amex are "coughs" when they deal with merchants, and merchants aren't prepared to put up with them. The lesson needs to be learnt by Amex.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Once again I think the real lesson is that Amex are "coughs" when they deal with merchants, and merchants aren't prepared to put up with them. The lesson needs to be learnt by Amex.

I have to disagree due to personal experience, but obviously this is my experience only and can really depend on who you get at the call centre...

But for my business, AMEX really were the best and most efficient to deal with - CBA got soooooooooooooooooo many things wrong with my EFTPOS setup (wrong trading name, receipt message, terminal features and settings, no imprinter plate... the list goes on... and they still haven't fixed some things after about 10 phone calls), and Diners gave me my merchant number 3 weeks ago, but apparently they're still "waiting for it to initialise within their system" before it can be added to my terminal... surely it shouldn't take this long???

Amex in comparison do anything I ask in one phone call, I always get someone with English as a first language when I call, etc etc etc... And yes, while their merchant fee is higher (almost double standard Visa/MC, but only ~0.1% higher than corporate/platinum Visa/MC (which many people would then use if it wasn't accepted)), their service and time savings due to being able to see all transaction details via their website (and time & cost savings in not having to make several phone calls for every issue) more than makes up for it...

Again, just my personal experience, but I'm sure (as with any company), the experience for some isn't quite as good as this.

 

[Mal]

I have to disagree due to personal experience, but obviously this is my experience only and can really depend on who you get at the call centre..

I understand, but the general trend in industry is to either remove Amex facilities, or to surcharge for them.

In many cases, a company starts accepting Amex, but later stops accepting it.

Why is this? It's something Amex needs to analyse and resolve.

 

[oz_mark]

And yes, while their merchant fee is higher (almost double standard Visa/MC, but only ~0.1% higher than corporate/platinum Visa/MC (which many people would then use if it wasn't accepted)),

I wonder if there will come a time when Platinum Visa/MC start to get surcharged.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

I wonder if there will come a time when Platinum Amex/MC start to get surcharged.

I can't see a store surcharging for only platinum Amex (and not all Amex cards instead), as Amex merchant fees are exactly the same regardless of the type of Amex card used (bank-issued or Amex-Amex, foreign, business/corporate, platinum, etc etc). Although for Visa/MC (at least in my case with CBA), you pay more for "premium" (includes platinum, visa signature, corporate/business etc, international, CNP, etc), and less for basic Visa/MC...

 

[oz_mark]

I can't see a store surcharging for only platinum Amex (and not all Amex cards instead), as Amex merchant fees are exactly the same regardless of the type of Amex card used (bank-issued or Amex-Amex, foreign, business/corporate, platinum, etc etc). Although for Visa/MC (at least in my case with CBA), you pay more for "premium" (includes platinum, visa signature, corporate/business etc, international, CNP, etc), and less for basic Visa/MC...

I meant to type platinum Visa/MC (not Amex).

 

[ChrisFlyer]

I meant to type platinum Visa/MC (not Amex).

Ahh ok - well in that case, your post makes much sense! haha

 

[Mal]

I wonder if there will come a time when Platinum Visa/MC start to get surcharged.

I'm sure I've seen reports of this occurring already. But personally haven't seen it. Would be easy to implement in some IT systems, but very difficult for some staff to work out if they tried to do it manually.

 

[wxxnxs]

I understand, but the general trend in industry is to either remove Amex facilities, or to surcharge for them.

In many cases, a company starts accepting Amex, but later stops accepting it.

Why is this? It's something Amex needs to analyse and resolve.

The reason might be more banks are willing to issue dual cards and AMEX earning ratio is obviously better than V/M, 2 of big four CBA & ANZ started replacing single v/m to dual one year ago. Porbably more people are chaning to AMEX card for the payment and Medibank may pay more commission in that case. That's why a company starts accepting first and then stops.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Just tried to use AMEX in STA Travel for ~$5000 (for Trafalgar Tours - Italy), and was told by the agent there that there would be a 3.5% Amex/Diners surcharge. I then pointed out in the back of the tour book that Trafalgar accepts Amex with no surcharge (although you have to do still have to book through a travel agent), so why can't they just enter my card number when booking it with them? She stated that this was most likely only for travel agents to use their credit cards and not client cards (what BS - she most likely just wanted the points for herself...), as there would be no technical reason preventing my card from being processed through the Money Direct website...

As she refused to even look into it (and was quite rude about the whole thing - "well if you want your free AMEX travel insurance..." (after I refused to buy it from her)), we got up and just left, and are now in search of a competent travel agent who can help us to book directly, or who have a lower AMEX surcharge. Does anyone have any travel agent suggestions in this regard? (They were the only agents that I could find open today, otherwise I would have also sussed out surcharges in Flight Centre, Harvey World etc etc etc). Many thanks!

UPDATE: I've been able to find out from the Flight Centre website that their Visa/MC/Amex surcharge is 1.98%, which would make it almost $100 cheaper than paying 3.5% at STA. Are there any travel agents that charge even less than this (or not at all)?

 

[koonyaflyer]

Hi ChrisCh
You are correct in saying that Trafalgar tours do not have any surcharge for American Express Card. All that STA needs to do is to is to pass your Amex card details through to Trafalgar who will act as merchant on the transaction, and will then remit the commission back to STA.

As you mentioned Trafalgar uses Money Direct, and as a tool available to travel agents I would be surprised if STA do not use this tool.

I can suggest that any Amex Travelscene or Harvey World office would have not difficulty in processing your payment directly with Trafalgar. I am sure that if you are committed to the agent you are using at STA the mere mention that you will move the booking to another agent who will send your Amex details directly to Trafalgar, will galvanise them into action!

Good luck - I am sure there will be a lot of agents happy to take your 5K booking.

 

[Mal]

Porbably more people are chaning to AMEX card for the payment and Medibank may pay more commission in that case. That's why a company starts accepting first and then stops.

I'm sure Medibank pays more commission for Amex transactions rather than Visa Classic transactions.

However, if Amex want to charge more, then they need to advise Medibank why they should still accept the card. They are failing miserably in this sphere.

 

[JohnK]

Just got a letter from Medibank Private. They will no longer accept Amex for payment from 24 September 2010. Only VISA and Mastercard will be accepted.

No letter received yet. Anyway if Medibank Private stops accepting Amex then the post office can have the commission instead.

Switch to MBF is the plan I would say!

Why? Change health cover for a measly ~840 Amex MR points a year. No thanks, the MR points are not that important.

Just tried to use AMEX in STA Travel for ~$5000 (for Trafalgar Tours - Italy), and was told by the agent there that there would be a 3.5% Amex/Diners surcharge. I then pointed out in the back of the tour book that Trafalgar accepts Amex with no surcharge (although you have to do still have to book through a travel agent), so why can't they just enter my card number when booking it with them? She stated that this was most likely only for travel agents to use their credit cards and not client cards (what BS - she most likely just wanted the points for herself...), as there would be no technical reason preventing my card from being processed through the Money Direct website...

There is an online travel agency in the USA which beats any Australian travel agent on tour prices by ~10% and they accept Amex. Well they did when I booked with them in 2007 (without surcharge) and even if there is a surcharge now the saving more than makes up for it.

I forget their name (have an email from them somewhere) but if you google the Trafalgar tour code you will more than likely get the link to the US travel agent.

 

[RB]

There is an online travel agency in the USA which beats any Australian travel agent on tour prices by ~10% and they accept Amex. Well they did when I booked with them in 2007 (without surcharge) and even if there is a surcharge now the saving more than makes up for it.

I seem to recall people using overseas travel agents have no recompense when the wheels have fallen off their arrangements ( cruises comes to mind). Again a situation where you have to decide if the risk is worth it ( maybe fine for Trafalgar)

 

[wmetz]

Is there anyway to pay my QLD car rego next month on AMX.. Can I pay at post office
with my AMX or can I atleast pay part of the bill (Third party Insurance) part with RACQ then pay rest at Mains Road.. For me any points is good, especially if no surcharge involved. Thanks

 

[NM]

Is there anyway to pay my QLD car rego next month on AMX.. Can I pay at post office
with my AMX or can I atleast pay part of the bill (Third party Insurance) part with RACQ then pay rest at Mains Road.. For me any points is good, especially if no surcharge involved. Thanks

I am not aware of any way to pay it with Amex, nor the ability to split the payment of CTP vs Rego components. I pay mine using BPay from my Visa card.

 

[JohnK]

I seem to recall people using overseas travel agents have no recompense when the wheels have fallen off their arrangements ( cruises comes to mind). Again a situation where you have to decide if the risk is worth it ( maybe fine for Trafalgar)

I don't quite understand. Why wouldn't there be any recompense if the wheels fell off?

I booked a Cosmos tour fro US travel agent, received documentation from Cosmos and had travel insurance in place as I purchase a yearly policy.

I am not trying to sway people's decisions but I got 2-3 quotes from Australian travel agents and the price they wanted was a total rip-off.

 

[Mal]

Is there anyway to pay my QLD car rego next month on AMX.. Can I pay at post office
with my AMX or can I atleast pay part of the bill (Third party Insurance) part with RACQ then pay rest at Mains Road.. For me any points is good, especially if no surcharge involved. Thanks

None that I know of. Tried to use Amex there for a licence transaction a few days ago and it was strictly visa/mc types only.

Feel free to report them. Can't see why it shouldn't be accepted.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

I have already reported them, and even emailed someone there personally. Their first reply was that they were currently holding negotiations with AMEX, and their second reply was that the fee was "simply too high" and therefore it would continue to not be accepted. Why they don't just add it with a surcharge, I'll never know...