AMEX not accepted or surcharge

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I can't believe they don't charge for Diners, I don't know anyone who has one of "those" cards anymore!

Well one of the reasons I ordered from them was for the shop & earn points, but it is annoying when companies are happy to give out FF points, but then charge for Amex... In some cases it defeats the purpose of shopping there when you are hit with a CC surcharge.
 
As they failed to award the shop & earn points, and VA have failed to take any action, chasing them up is on my to-do list... They're also a CBA Awards partner, so if you were to use a CBA Amex, you'd theoretically get bonus points with CBA, get Shop & Earn points (when it works...), and get the usual points as well... perhaps instead of surcharging, kill the CC bonus partnerships that most likely cost more?

Anyway, I've sent them an email, updated the Amex Wiki, and about to do the usual Amex report ;)

EDIT: Seems that Hampers Only and Wine Only (their other businesses) don't (yet) have an Amex surcharge... perhaps testing the waters just before Valentines Day when demand is high?
 
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ChrisCh said:
I've been on a few int'l trips recently, so I'll post about those on here in the next few days... though after spending so long away, Australia really looks like a backwards and 80s country when it comes to making payment!!! Don't get me wrong, it's my favourite country in the world, but why do shops here make it so difficult and tiresome for a customer to just pay? In this economy, they should be trying to get any sale that they can!

Welcomed home with the 1.5% surcharge signs at BNE duty free (yes, I price checked the items I wanted overseas, though as I quality for a duty free discount, it's cheaper here)... the girl was nice though, and "forgot" to apply the surcharge... though for everyone else who was arriving, it's still a bit rich when many arrive with little or no $AUD cash...

Sumo Salad in Chermside (Brisbane) - "cash only"... I haven't seen one of those signs in such a very long time (let alone from a chain business that no doubt has access to preferential pricing from one of the EFTPOS providers) - I didn't know that businesses were still so stupid... Then there is the Coffee Club in Chermside - $10 minimum for plastic, and then refuses Amex after accepting it for many years... to add insult to injury, the coffees were dreadful - definitely won't be returning there in a hurry...

Overseas (Singapore, Hong Kong, China, the UK (Eng., Scot. & Wales), France, Monaco, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany & Switzerland), almost every business accepted plastic and displayed the card decals, and only a few very small stores didn't accept Amex... none of this surcharge rubbish or requirement to make a minimum purchase (despite the CC fee usually being percentage-based rather than a fixed fee)...

Admittedly, I would rather that a business impose a surcharge than not accept Amex at all, but considering the fees are a tax deductible cost of doing business, it just annoys me when businesses make it difficult... Consequently, my business accepts Amex (and Diners) with no minimum purchase amounts and no surcharges, and I never plan on changing that!

[/rant]!
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I suggested to a restaurant owner who charged me 1.5% for Amex , that if he was so afraid of credit cards why not
escalate his menu price by say 2.5% and make no additional charge, and then offer some incentive for cash. No awkward and annoying conversation after the meal. ( which may have been a good experience or bad......depending) and happy people I dash is an option.
It is certainly ow I would do it. It is easy to hide in the already overpriced wine ( don't tell me there is no room for Amex in that price) and 2.5 % on a $40.00 meal is $1.00. ........I won't begin to discuss how some places charge $40.00 for a $20.00 plate. So I am to convinced about he issue. Unless three is an unreasonable time frame in waiting for Amex to disperse the cash
 
Might be putting down a reservation fee for an off the plan property here in QLD this week. Apparently they take AMEX with no/minimal surcharge! :O Quite a significant amount of points as said fee is 1% of total purchase price.
 
Our children's (government) primary school only accepts cheques and CCs for parent donations. They levy a flat 2% if you pay by CC. I suggested to the principal that it seemed odd to be charging 2% to parents for the privilege of donating to the school by CC and that perhaps by removing the 2% they might encourage more donations. So far my suggestions have fallen on deaf ears.
 
Stephen65 said:
Our children's (government) primary school only accepts cheques and CCs for parent donations. They levy a flat 2% if you pay by CC. I suggested to the principal that it seemed odd to be charging 2% to parents for the privilege of donating to the school by CC and that perhaps by removing the 2% they might encourage more donations. So far my suggestions have fallen on deaf ears.
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OMG that is as funny a story as I have heard in a long time - should have been posted in 'A Bit of Humour'.
 
This is an "interesting" one.

Restaurant - Went there recently and good food/service so can't complain

Can book online and earn points for a free meal at some restaurants! Online restaurant bookings are GREAT

They even offer 3 Qantas points per $1 as part of the Qantas restaurants deal & their machine was working....

Went to pay and pulled out the Amex - Straight away - Sorry No Amex..
So pulled out the Visa and was told it was a 2% surcharge for VI/MC and that perhaps I should pay via Cash/Eftpos....

I payed the 2% for Visa which is not worth it as the 2% doesn't over the FF points I get back but the Qantas FF points @ 3 points per $1 makes up for it.

I found this set-up quite funny!

Inner city area - Lots of competition, so no reason NOT to accept Amex
They have paid and continue to pay Qantas for whatever the cost is to get more customers in the door
Then they charge 2% for credit cards.......
They accept on-line bookings and I assume Dimmi (who provides the service) charges a fee for this

The food/service/vibe was very nice so I'll probably be back for the 3 QFF points per $1 but I'll be paying in cash and with lots of coins... I would prefer to use Amex but I just find their non-acceptance when they offer all these other incentives "interesting"



ChrisCh said:
Just heard back from Roses Only... clearly shifting the blame here...



Does someone want to call BS? :p haha
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What a joke, at least be honest and say Amex has higher admin fees/processing costs.....

GPH said:
Unless three is an unreasonable time frame in waiting for Amex to disperse the cash
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Amex tranfers funds just as fast or faster than VI/MC/EFTPOS now
 
ChrisCh said:
Just to make it more interesting, Qantas charges restaurants 6% of the transaction value (ie. $0.02 per point) - yet no "Qantas surcharge" haha
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I was thinking it would be 1% but 2% is quite high... and it further adds to my WTF thoughts about a restaurant that has on-line booking, QFF points, $20 min for credit cards, no Amex and 2% for VI/MC
 
I bought a new Harley 22 months ago from the local dealer. I did not expect to purchase the bike by Amex, but was surprised when they tried to surcharge me for insurance and some accessories. Reported to Amex at the time and received an email yesterday to say they now accept Amex without surcharge. Must have been some detailed negotiations!
 
Had an interesting chat with a retailer yesterday, who had been involved with Centurion offers etc over the last year or so. He mentioned the following.

When the bonus points promotion was happening last year (5 points for every $1) they were being charged not only the 3% Amex fee, but an additional 4-5% extra for the bonus points. Further, they had a 10% discount for Centurion card holders, so really they were out of pocket 18% for every sale from a Centurion card holder. I was surprised at the 4-5% and even more surprised that Amex thinks their points are worth that much.

They no longer do such promotions with Centurion as the uptake was relatively low anyway. Also, Centurion has started to scale back the shopping offers like this one - the person I was speaking to said that there was a competition issue with the ACCC or something similar (I didn't quite understand the full issue, but something along the lines of it was anti competitive for Amex to select shops where Cent cardholders would get discounts, but would knock back other shops to participate).
 
haydensydney said:
Had an interesting chat with a retailer yesterday, who had been involved with Centurion offers etc over the last year or so. He mentioned the following.

When the bonus points promotion was happening last year (5 points for every $1) they were being charged not only the 3% Amex fee, but an additional 4-5% extra for the bonus points. Further, they had a 10% discount for Centurion card holders, so really they were out of pocket 18% for every sale from a Centurion card holder. I was surprised at the 4-5% and even more surprised that Amex thinks their points are worth that much.

They no longer do such promotions with Centurion as the uptake was relatively low anyway. Also, Centurion has started to scale back the shopping offers like this one - the person I was speaking to said that there was a competition issue with the ACCC or something similar (I didn't quite understand the full issue, but something along the lines of it was anti competitive for Amex to select shops where Cent cardholders would get discounts, but would knock back other shops to participate).
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Special promotions aside, surely retailers factor in the on costs , just as they would with rent, wages and even holiday pay and leave loadings etc. in fact any person who is in business that fails to factor these costs will surely fail?
 
haydensydney said:
Had an interesting chat with a retailer yesterday, who had been involved with Centurion offers etc over the last year or so. He mentioned the following.

When the bonus points promotion was happening last year (5 points for every $1) they were being charged not only the 3% Amex fee, but an additional 4-5% extra for the bonus points. Further, they had a 10% discount for Centurion card holders, so really they were out of pocket 18% for every sale from a Centurion card holder. I was surprised at the 4-5% and even more surprised that Amex thinks their points are worth that much.

They no longer do such promotions with Centurion as the uptake was relatively low anyway. Also, Centurion has started to scale back the shopping offers like this one - the person I was speaking to said that there was a competition issue with the ACCC or something similar (I didn't quite understand the full issue, but something along the lines of it was anti competitive for Amex to select shops where Cent cardholders would get discounts, but would knock back other shops to participate).
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I am pretty sure the ACCC would have nothing to do with this and wouldn't care in the slightest about an offer like this.

As for the business paying for the bonus points, of course they have to.

If they are paying the 3% merchant fee they are really getting ripped off and they should be looking at other banks which offer rates around 1.6% quite easily

As for paying 4-5% for the bonus points, Qantas FF points are valued at 1% or 1 cent in the $ quite often, so of course they are valued at this amount for Amex, again no surprise there

Most people redeem them for less than 1% of value, but you can easily get 5% of value back when used for J long-haul flights
 
lovestotravel said:
I am pretty sure the ACCC would have nothing to do with this and wouldn't care in the slightest about an offer like this.
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I was just quoting what the merchant said.

lovestotravel said:
As for the business paying for the bonus points, of course they have to.

As for paying 4-5% for the bonus points, Qantas FF points are valued at 1% or 1 cent in the $ quite often, so of course they are valued at this amount for Amex, again no surprise there
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Of course - but I would have expected Amex to have offered a special deal to the merchant on the points and *not* full retail/normal cost to assist with the promotion. Afterall, whats good for Amex is good for the merchant and vv. Of course I've probably underestimated Amex's hunger for fees.
 
Surcharges were previous.y illegal hence lower acceptance, then the RBA has changed laws to allow them.

Amex have a high merchant fee as apart from the cost of reward points they also include the cost of lending as most Amex cards are charge cards, like the Plat and Centurion. Being a charge card which does not have an interest rate (must be paid in full) and the cost of lending needs to come from somewhere, visa and MasterCard issuers heavily rely on the card member not paying the closing balance at the end of the month and they earn interest, where as on most Amex cards this is not the case.

Retailers also take the mickey as a lot of them are on 2.2% but because it's amex they charge more than the actual merchant fee.

I never understood why service stations surcharge on goods bought from there with their large mark up. Sure on petrol where there is only 2c per litre profit they can surcharge but overpriced milk surely not!
 
Daggs01 said:
Surcharges were previous.y illegal hence lower acceptance, then the RBA has changed laws to allow them.

Amex have a high merchant fee as apart from the cost of reward points they also include the cost of lending as most Amex cards are charge cards, like the Plat and Centurion. Being a charge card which does not have an interest rate (must be paid in full) and the cost of lending needs to come from somewhere, visa and MasterCard issuers heavily rely on the card member not paying the closing balance at the end of the month and they earn interest, where as on most Amex cards this is not the case.

Retailers also take the mickey as a lot of them are on 2.2% but because it's amex they charge more than the actual merchant fee.

I never understood why service stations surcharge on goods bought from there with their large mark up. Sure on petrol where there is only 2c per litre profit they can surcharge but overpriced milk surely not!
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I know a few petrol station owners who would be happy to be earning 2c/litre profit... I don't think it's been anywhere near that for years. That's how they make their money, on the in-store goods.
 
I can only go by what I know. I have a friend who owns a servo and marks up 2c per litre.

Not sure how profitable his servo is but meh its not my concern

Sent from my GT-I9100 using AustFreqFly
 
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