AMEX not accepted or surcharge
- Thread starter aschmid
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So as promised, I found acceptance to be as following overseas (and not mentioning hotels - that's just a given):
HONG KONG
Accepted in major chains like Bonjour, and at the Ngong Ping chairlift. Accepted in almost all of the market stalls/shops in Stanley, but most of my shopping in HK was at the markets, so mostly just cash... Not accepted in Aji Ichiban Japanese candy store chain, or in H&M.
CHINA
Only visited Shenzhen this time - not really accepted at all (though most of the shopping is market stalls).
SINGAPORE
Accepted widely - including seemingly all taxis that accepted any cards, SkyPark, restaurants, and all stores that I visited at Changi airport. Be aware that with Amex, many credit card terminals in Singapore will prompt the clerk for a "4DBC" before processing the transaction, and this seems to confuse many staff. The 4DBC (4-digit bank code) is the four digit verification number on the front of the card, not the card's PIN. If their English is poor, just point to the 4 digits on the front, and it'll work just fine!
UNITED KINGDOM
Widely accepted, particularly in London. Accepted at all tube stations, but if you don't have a chip with a PIN, just head to the window and the clerk can swipe your card instead. Note that not all black cabs accept cards - check before entering. Reasonable acceptance in Scotland too, and seemlingly a little less in Wales (but you can still look for the logos).
FRANCE
Reasonable acceptance. Not accepted for Metro/RER tickets, at the post office, and at some smaller shops/restaurants. However, it was accepted much more widely than some others seem to suggest. I didn't have any issues with my non-chipped Amex card being swiped and providing a signature. One store had to key-enter the number into the terminal because the magstripe reader was broken, but this was done without issue.
ITALY
Reasonable acceptance, but always look for the logos. Not accepted for metro tickets in Milan, or water taxis (and gondolas) in Venice. Accepted widely in Venetian stores.
AUSTRIA
Very widely accepted in Vienna. Same situation for taxis as for the other cities mentioned. Moderate acceptance in Salzburg. Less welcome in Mondsee.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Was only here for the day. Found it to be accepted in some souvenir stores, so just walk along and look for the logos. Note that the souvenirs are usually identical from shop to shop, so you're not really missing out by skipping those that don't accept it (unless they're offering something unique of course). Found card minimums to be from 100-150CZK.
GERMANY
Didn't have to use MasterCard once in Frankfurt or Munich.
CANADA
Very poor acceptance (the worst I've ever seen - odd considering it shares a border with America)!!! Accepted in cabs that take plastic (in Quebec City, Montreal and Vancouver anyway), though most non-chain stores won't touch it, and even some chains and major businesses still refuse. Notable declines include the Snow Village (ice hotel) in Montreal, Vancouver metro, and the Montreal metro (where it seems that only Canadian cards are accepted - both my AUS MasterCards were declined despite being valid). Major accepter: Air Canada (including on board purchases). Some Canadian platinum Amex cards give priority security clearance in certain AC airports.
USA
NYC: accepted *everywhere* except for one souvenir store that were still displaying the logos (the ruined my 7 day streak of no MasterCard usage! haha)... They generally look at you strangely if you ask if they take Amex, as though it was like asking them if they accept cash. Instead, I ended up asking if they "take credit" instead, and only when there were no card logos on display.
Chicago: Accepted practically everywhere, except for photos at the John Hancock observatory. Problems using it in one taxi, but only because the entire Amex network appeared to be down (tried 2 cards from different issuers), and after about a minute each, both cards said "no response". My PayPass Mastercard did work. No problems using Amex in a cab the next day - the network was obviously restored.
San Fran: Seemingly universal acceptance (restaurants, taxis (do check for card logos or ask first though - not all accept plastic), the Super Shuttle from SFO, etc etc)
Vegas: Again, wide acceptance. Taxis charge $3 extra for any card transaction, but again, not all cabs accept. When arriving as LAS and joining the cab line, tell the taxi marshall you want to pay with credit, and he will have you stand at a particular stand to ensure you get a suitable taxi.
LA: All Yellow Cabs take plastic, but some drivers don't like to take them... one said "no chance cash?" when I tried to pay. I told him I only had foreign currency, and would obviously tip him on the credit card, and he removed the cover off the hidden credit card machine quite happily. Wide acceptance, and the "offical card" of Universal Studios Hollywood, so it's accepted everywhere inside (as well as for tickets).
General USA observations: we didn't encounter any credit card minimums or surcharges. Major chains that accept include McDonald's, Walgreens, Starbucks (never found one anywhere in the world that wouldn't accept Amex for just one coffee), and IHOP. Some stores asked for ID - no issues when presenting an Aus drivers licence (I wasn't going to carry my passport around just to use a credit card)! I started the trip in the USA looking for traditional EFTPOS-type machines, and often didn't see any. Many instead have card readers integrated into their register systems (such as in the screen), which are generally completly safe and bank-certified, provided they only swipe the card through one device.
NEW ZEALAND
Have only visited Auckland since having an Amex. Widely accepted, except for the Skytower and their Skywalk/Skyjump/Skydeck activities. Was accepted in the gift shop on the lower floor though! If catching the "Airbus Express" (airport-city bus), Amex can be used to pre-pay online (if you have a printer), or at the kiosk at the international terminal. Only cash is accepted on board though if you haven't already purchased a ticket beforehand.
___________________________
If anyone is travelling to any of these countries and would like a more detail, just let me know and I'll update my wiki (American Express Acceptance Wiki).
HONG KONG
Accepted in major chains like Bonjour, and at the Ngong Ping chairlift. Accepted in almost all of the market stalls/shops in Stanley, but most of my shopping in HK was at the markets, so mostly just cash... Not accepted in Aji Ichiban Japanese candy store chain, or in H&M.
CHINA
Only visited Shenzhen this time - not really accepted at all (though most of the shopping is market stalls).
SINGAPORE
Accepted widely - including seemingly all taxis that accepted any cards, SkyPark, restaurants, and all stores that I visited at Changi airport. Be aware that with Amex, many credit card terminals in Singapore will prompt the clerk for a "4DBC" before processing the transaction, and this seems to confuse many staff. The 4DBC (4-digit bank code) is the four digit verification number on the front of the card, not the card's PIN. If their English is poor, just point to the 4 digits on the front, and it'll work just fine!
UNITED KINGDOM
Widely accepted, particularly in London. Accepted at all tube stations, but if you don't have a chip with a PIN, just head to the window and the clerk can swipe your card instead. Note that not all black cabs accept cards - check before entering. Reasonable acceptance in Scotland too, and seemlingly a little less in Wales (but you can still look for the logos).
FRANCE
Reasonable acceptance. Not accepted for Metro/RER tickets, at the post office, and at some smaller shops/restaurants. However, it was accepted much more widely than some others seem to suggest. I didn't have any issues with my non-chipped Amex card being swiped and providing a signature. One store had to key-enter the number into the terminal because the magstripe reader was broken, but this was done without issue.
ITALY
Reasonable acceptance, but always look for the logos. Not accepted for metro tickets in Milan, or water taxis (and gondolas) in Venice. Accepted widely in Venetian stores.
AUSTRIA
Very widely accepted in Vienna. Same situation for taxis as for the other cities mentioned. Moderate acceptance in Salzburg. Less welcome in Mondsee.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Was only here for the day. Found it to be accepted in some souvenir stores, so just walk along and look for the logos. Note that the souvenirs are usually identical from shop to shop, so you're not really missing out by skipping those that don't accept it (unless they're offering something unique of course). Found card minimums to be from 100-150CZK.
GERMANY
Didn't have to use MasterCard once in Frankfurt or Munich.
CANADA
Very poor acceptance (the worst I've ever seen - odd considering it shares a border with America)!!! Accepted in cabs that take plastic (in Quebec City, Montreal and Vancouver anyway), though most non-chain stores won't touch it, and even some chains and major businesses still refuse. Notable declines include the Snow Village (ice hotel) in Montreal, Vancouver metro, and the Montreal metro (where it seems that only Canadian cards are accepted - both my AUS MasterCards were declined despite being valid). Major accepter: Air Canada (including on board purchases). Some Canadian platinum Amex cards give priority security clearance in certain AC airports.
USA
NYC: accepted *everywhere* except for one souvenir store that were still displaying the logos (the ruined my 7 day streak of no MasterCard usage! haha)... They generally look at you strangely if you ask if they take Amex, as though it was like asking them if they accept cash. Instead, I ended up asking if they "take credit" instead, and only when there were no card logos on display.
Chicago: Accepted practically everywhere, except for photos at the John Hancock observatory. Problems using it in one taxi, but only because the entire Amex network appeared to be down (tried 2 cards from different issuers), and after about a minute each, both cards said "no response". My PayPass Mastercard did work. No problems using Amex in a cab the next day - the network was obviously restored.
San Fran: Seemingly universal acceptance (restaurants, taxis (do check for card logos or ask first though - not all accept plastic), the Super Shuttle from SFO, etc etc)
Vegas: Again, wide acceptance. Taxis charge $3 extra for any card transaction, but again, not all cabs accept. When arriving as LAS and joining the cab line, tell the taxi marshall you want to pay with credit, and he will have you stand at a particular stand to ensure you get a suitable taxi.
LA: All Yellow Cabs take plastic, but some drivers don't like to take them... one said "no chance cash?" when I tried to pay. I told him I only had foreign currency, and would obviously tip him on the credit card, and he removed the cover off the hidden credit card machine quite happily. Wide acceptance, and the "offical card" of Universal Studios Hollywood, so it's accepted everywhere inside (as well as for tickets).
General USA observations: we didn't encounter any credit card minimums or surcharges. Major chains that accept include McDonald's, Walgreens, Starbucks (never found one anywhere in the world that wouldn't accept Amex for just one coffee), and IHOP. Some stores asked for ID - no issues when presenting an Aus drivers licence (I wasn't going to carry my passport around just to use a credit card)! I started the trip in the USA looking for traditional EFTPOS-type machines, and often didn't see any. Many instead have card readers integrated into their register systems (such as in the screen), which are generally completly safe and bank-certified, provided they only swipe the card through one device.
NEW ZEALAND
Have only visited Auckland since having an Amex. Widely accepted, except for the Skytower and their Skywalk/Skyjump/Skydeck activities. Was accepted in the gift shop on the lower floor though! If catching the "Airbus Express" (airport-city bus), Amex can be used to pre-pay online (if you have a printer), or at the kiosk at the international terminal. Only cash is accepted on board though if you haven't already purchased a ticket beforehand.
___________________________
If anyone is travelling to any of these countries and would like a more detail, just let me know and I'll update my wiki (American Express Acceptance Wiki).
Last edited:
greenfrog86
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So as promised, I found acceptance to be as following overseas (and not mentioning hotels - that's just a given):
HONG KONG
Accepted in major chains like Bonjour, and at the Ngong Ping chairlift. Accepted in almost all of the market stalls/shops in Stanley, but most of my shopping in HK was at the markets, so mostly just cash... Not accepted in Aji Ichiban Japanese candy store chain, or in H&M.
CHINA
SINGAPORE
UNITED KINGDOM
Widely accepted, particularly in London. Accepted at all tube stations, but if you don't have a chip with a PIN, just head to the window and the clerk can swipe
FRANCE
ITALY
AUSTRIA
CZECH REPUBLIC
GERMANY
Didn't have to use MasterCard once in Frankfurt or Munich.
CANADA
USA
NEW ZEALAND
___________________________
If anyone is travelling to any of these countries and would like a more detail, just let me know and I'll update my wiki (American Express Acceptance Wiki).
Wow! That's quite a post....
I've edited the quote above to save on some space and to make it a little clearer what my points below relate to...
Hong Kong
I'm not surprised you couldn't use Amex at H&M as they seem to be allergic to Amex right around the world in their stores. I'm pretty sure the US stores don't take it either...
United Kingdom
I love how much the UK folk love their cards - it seems to be very common for people to use their debit cards when paying for dinner etc however. Many restaurants will happily split dinner with each guest paying for themselves on a separate card.
Germany
I've only been to Berlin but was led to believe it was the case across much of Germany that restaurants very much prefer cash over plastic. Many many places I went to were cash only, except for places that get a lot of tourists.
So I'd add here that in addition to wondering whether they take Amex, one should always check whether any cards are accepted.
And the big question is..... How much did all of the currency conversion fees cost you when using your Amex all around the world?????
I'm assuming you don't have USD and EUR International Currency Cards issued by Amex? I've got both and found the EUR one was awesome in Europe as it was designed to work with local systems so I was always able to use Chip & Pin and didn't get any odd looks because the machines didn't ask about Dynamic Currency Conversion as they did for my 28 Degrees card when I used that.
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The only place I've been able to use Amex in H&M was in Germany (and one store in America) - as you say, they are indeed alergic to the card everywhere - citing fees as being the main reason for not accepting.
As for transaction fees, the bulk of my overseas expenses (>$30k - 10 weeks away) were being invoiced to other parties, so I wasn't too concerned if the conversion rate included a fee - it was still cheaper than exchanging cash
For the transactions that were my own, I have no problem with paying the 3.5% fee and earning 1.5QFF points/$AUD (which I value as being worth 6-7 cents each when redeemed for int'l upgrades) - even after paying the fee, I still make a 'points profit'
As for transaction fees, the bulk of my overseas expenses (>$30k - 10 weeks away) were being invoiced to other parties, so I wasn't too concerned if the conversion rate included a fee - it was still cheaper than exchanging cash
For the transactions that were my own, I have no problem with paying the 3.5% fee and earning 1.5QFF points/$AUD (which I value as being worth 6-7 cents each when redeemed for int'l upgrades) - even after paying the fee, I still make a 'points profit'
greenfrog86
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The only place I've been able to use Amex in H&M was in Germany (and one store in America) - as you say, they are indeed alergic to the card everywhere - citing fees as being the main reason for not accepting.
As for transaction fees, the bulk of my overseas expenses (>$30k - 10 weeks away) were being invoiced to other parties, so I wasn't too concerned if the conversion rate included a fee - it was still cheaper than exchanging cash
For the transactions that were my own, I have no problem with paying the 3.5% fee and earning 1.5QFF points/$AUD (which I value as being worth 6-7 cents each when redeemed for int'l upgrades) - even after paying the fee, I still make a 'points profit'
I do love it when someone else is picking up the tab! That's about $900 of fees though....
Understand your points logic, just thought it was interesting that there was someone on here who doesn't use the 28 Degrees card given it seems that everyone else does!!
I think the worst thing about spending that much is cash would be the paperwork and also that it would tip you over your carry on weight allowance!
RB
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For the transactions that were my own, I have no problem with paying the 3.5% fee and earning 1.5QFF points/$AUD (which I value as being worth 6-7 cents each when redeemed for int'l upgrades) - even after paying the fee, I still make a 'points profit'
While I agree with your sentiments/tactics re using points for upgrades, I am interested in what your strike rate of international upgrades is when you show up as QF silver & VA gold
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I may or may not have had to ship some receipts back while I was away..... haha!
I thoroughly check flight loadings before making international bookings, including imminent departures on the same route/flight number, as well as patterns by day of the week, and also month of the year if it's a route that I fly often.
As such, my strike rate (while NB no less) for Trans-Tasman flights was 100% (Y-J B737s), flights TO Asia 100% (Y-J A330s, usually confirmed ~20 hrs in advance), and flights TO Europe 100% (Y-J A380 , usually confirmed ~30 hrs in advance). I've only ever had an upgrade declined twice - once flying FROM Hong Kong (because the J cabin was already full days before departure (J0), and once from Frankfurt (where, according to a friend of mine that works for QF, a system problem caused no upgrades to be performed on that flight, inc for CL/WP etc... apparently there were still 17 J seats free, but QF couldn't charge any points for them because of the problem, so everybody had to stay put). I haven't submitted any upgrade requests since hitting PS, so can't comment there. Also, I've always been lucky and been able to upgrade any domestic flight I've requested (obviously the off-peak travel helps with greater U class availability for upgrades).
So, I think redeeming points for upgrades presents quite good value
... having said that, I usually always travel in the off-season and on quieter days of the week (just suits my schedule better!), so that obviously helps... I'll also be QF WP by the end of the month, so that would only add to my chances! 
JohnK
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Coachtrans, or Con-X-ion as they are now called, is another that has disappeared. Will not accept Amex at the airport booth but apparently accepts Amex online.
Have not used their service since September 2011 and after being charged $20 to get to City the other night will not be using their services again unless I have no choice.
Have not used their service since September 2011 and after being charged $20 to get to City the other night will not be using their services again unless I have no choice.
Zuji Australia (Cheap Flights, Discount Hotels and Package Holiday Deals on ZUJI.com.au) now accepts Amex ... Woohoo!!!! (I've mentioned them before as not accepting Amex within Australia - but that appears sorted now).
No surcharge either.
No surcharge either.
koonyaflyer
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Only recently. Was paying for my most recent ebay purchase and decided to chase them up again... First response took about 5 seconds (form response), but escalated it and the response took about 4 days.
Interesting response. Earlier this year I signed up for a Singapore paypal account linked to an Australian corporate AMEX. Paid for items in SGD without a problem and without currency conversion fees (at least within paypal, paid the normal AMEX fees for paying overseas). My experiences seem to contradict the response you received.
Moopere
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I'm sure thats what PayPal is talking about ... the Amex currency conversion fee. About 3% I think. Probably caused them any number of enquiries for a problem that is not theirs ... still, I'd have thought that using overseas visa/mc's would trigger the same problem ... perhaps there are sufficiently small numbers of these that its not a problem?
However, something doesn't ring true. For instance, if indeed all Amex cards are "processed" in the USA, then buying milk and bread from my local IGa should trigger the currency conversion fee that Paypal are mumbling about shouldn't it?
However, something doesn't ring true. For instance, if indeed all Amex cards are "processed" in the USA, then buying milk and bread from my local IGa should trigger the currency conversion fee that Paypal are mumbling about shouldn't it?
The way I read the email is that they claim when paying via paypal with AMEX you will be charged in USD regardless of the currency of payment. In my case I paid a bill in SGD, the AMEX account was charged in SGD, not USD. If it was a Singapore AMEX that would have been the end of it which contradicts the response from paypal. Because it was an Aus AMEX I also copped the conversion fee.
Indeed. Up until about six months ago, I had a UK based Paypal account that was linked to my AU issued Amex. Never had an issue either.
So not sure what they're rabbiting on about.
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This has been mentioned earlier somewhere - the reply from PayPal was the default response before American Express began supporting Dynamic Currency Conversion, which was before they tried to enable Amex on PayPal AU. I'd suggest to just contact them again, though you'll probably just receive a similar pre-written reply - only hopefully more up-to-date!
Flashback
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I use a UK AMEX on a UK eBay account and there's no conversion fees or anything when purchasing things in GBP.
I find it has a bit of irony that Mitre10 is spending thousands if not millions on the TV show "The Block" as sponsor but yet if you walk into a Mitre10 store there is a big sign at the cashier that AMEX/Dinners cards are not accepted. They got me with the show and I thought I give them a try, but once I saw the signed I turned around and walked out. Will continue to shop at Bunnings. On the one side they spend millions to get new customers on the other side the "bean counters" shy customers away but not wanting to pay a little higher fee for an actual transaction!!!
lovestotravel
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