AMEX not accepted or surcharge

[Flashback]

Was surcharged 2 pounds in the UK for using my Amex at a holiday inn.

So 2 pounds surcharge plus the Amex conversion fee means I am seriously ripped off.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using AustFreqFly

Was that 1.5% or just a flat £2?

 

[Mal]

Was that 1.5% or just a flat £2?

95 quid bill. It was mentioned as if it was a flat fee. But who knows.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using AustFreqFly

 

[Anastascia]

Hello, I am new to the forum and also new to the world of FF points . I have just received my first AMEX, a Velocity Platinum and am trying to figure out if bills paid at the post office are excluded from the 1.5 point per $1 spend? I called AMEX and the guy said they are not excluded but he wasn't based in AS so I'm not certain. The T&C's don't seem to list it as an exclusion but do list "cash services" which I note my NAB velocity card use this term to exclude bill payments.


Does anyone know please?

 

[Moopere]

Hello, I am new to the forum and also new to the world of FF points . I have just received my first AMEX, a Velocity Platinum and am trying to figure out if bills paid at the post office are excluded from the 1.5 point per $1 spend? I called AMEX and the guy said they are not excluded but he wasn't based in AS so I'm not certain. The T&C's don't seem to list it as an exclusion but do list "cash services" which I note my NAB velocity card use this term to exclude bill payments.


Does anyone know please?

Welcome to AFF

I haven't had any problems gaining 1.5:1$ on my Velocity Amex but I really don't ever personally go to the post office to pay anything. What sort of bills are we talking about? I pay electricity, gas, yadda yadda usually via the suppliers own web site and the Velocity Amex seems to gain the full points return.

 

[Anastascia]

Welcome to AFF

I haven't had any problems gaining 1.5:1$ on my Velocity Amex but I really don't ever personally go to the post office to pay anything. What sort of bills are we talking about? I pay electricity, gas, yadda yadda usually via the suppliers own web site and the Velocity Amex seems to gain the full points return.

Hello Moopere

i paid gas, electricity and rego yesterday and the only way I could use AMEX was to go into the post office in person.

Thank you for the welcome.

 

[prozac]

Another retailer choosing to charge for Amex where once they did not is Petbarn. It seems Amex is becoming less and less accepted in these difficult times for retailers.

 

[Moopere]

It seems Amex is becoming less and less accepted in these difficult times for retailers.

This impression must be really spend pattern related I think. Before I became an Amex card holder I didn't know and didn't care if it was accepted or not ... acceptance never hit my radar. Now however, I actively change my spend habits to maximise points earn (not only for Amex) and as such, Amex acceptance is very much front and centre. As a result of paying attention and now almost subconsciously choosing merchants, I am finding that more and more places of interest to me are happy and accepting of Amex with no surcharge.

So whilst I'm working the system, so to speak, I am not oblivious to the fact that the system is also working me An example of what I mean is, my local computer store charges 3% on Amex, Dell doesn't charge extra. My laptop purchases, and IT stuff in general, is now, as if by magic, being procured through Dell. I don't spend more, but my spend has shifted.

My company charge card is an Amex Corporate green, so, purchases made on it obviously have to be made at merchants who accept Amex, and the secondary concern is those who also don't charge a surcharge.

As my spend pattern has morphed since choosing Amex cards, I find that easily 80-90% is flowing through an Amex card of one variety or another and the percentage is still growing as I wean out merchants who either surcharge or only accept M/C and VISA.

My point being that in my own world bubble, almost everyone I spend money with accepts Amex without an additional charge.... so my perception becomes that 'everyone' (pretty much) accepts Amex

 

[KLN]

Hello Moopere

i paid gas, electricity and rego yesterday and the only way I could use AMEX was to go into the post office in person.

Thank you for the welcome.

not sure of your electricity provider, but i know with NSW Energy Australia you can use AMEX via their Phone payment system. if you use their website it's only Visa or M/C. use the phone!!!

 

[lovestotravel]

being procured through Dell. I don't spend more

If you can, and are so inclined

Dell Australia - Earn Velocity Points you can redeem on Everyday Items

6 points per $1 at dell

 

[Simo]

I own a business and accept AMEX with no surcharge either.

 

[lovestotravel]

One business I am involved in accepts Amex for 2.2% and Visa/MC for 1.1%

The other, no Amex and Visa/MC for 1.1%

 

[zzyss]

I have just received my first AMEX, a Velocity Platinum and am trying to figure out if bills paid at the post office are excluded from the 1.5 point per $1 spend?

As long as you are paying via a "Credit" transaction you will earn the 1.5 points per dollar. HOWEVER, keep in mind that Australia Post may not accept Amex for your bills if the original biller doesn't - that is, even though Australia Post themselves accept Amex, it doesn't necessarily follow that they will accept it for the bills that you're trying to pay. Postbillpay sucks like that. Plus, in my experience, they almost always have a credit card surcharge.

 

[lovestotravel]

Jaycar electronics as of the 1st October 2012

2.7% for Amex + GST.........

 

[Moopere]

Jaycar electronics as of the 1st October 2012

2.7% for Amex + GST.........

Luckily Altronics accepts Amex _and_ Diners. Last time I bought from them there was no surcharge.

 

[Moopere]

Small business owners in particular, have to be a bit astute. Simplistically, they will simply note that almost no-one uses Amex with them, or rather, no-one wants to pay the surcharge so they use a different form of payment. On its surface this would appear to work in the businesses favour. You get a cheaper transaction and made a percent or so more margin.

But really, whats going on is that Jaycar simply won't know that the 30-40K a year that we put through Altronics is business they will never see because of the Amex problem. If a business is actually losing money on retail sales by accepting Amex, well, fair enough, don't accept it or surcharge if you must, but I'd hesitate to say that there are more deep seated problems with a business model that can't withstand a 2% hit in order to gain more business.

Now, of course, 40K a year won't keep Altronics doors open, but we can't possibly be the only business in Australia who uses a corporate amex purchasing card. Multiply things out and the income that Jaycar is now signalling that they no longer want is probably a sizeable sum. Not only that, but business (in particular) who use Amex for purchasing are likely exactly the customers you'd actually want. Relatively few purchase orders for a relatively large sum each, rather then nickle and dime orders from hobbyists.

I've used Altronics and Jaycar in my post, but really, it applies to almost any situation and company. Restricting or surcharging common payment forms has got to equal choosing to restrict your customer base. What business, who runs profitably, would want such an outcome?

 

[prozac]

I ended up emailing Amex about the local Petbarn change of policy to now charge 2% surcharge. Big mistake. I ended up in an exchange with some customer service person who knew ZERO about customer service and either pretended not to understand the nature of my complaint or simply just treated me like an idiot. Kept repeating in subsequent emails that the merchant can charge whatever they want even though I kept rephrasing that my complaint was about the merchant being put in this position by Amex charging higher fees than other card companies.
Has got to the point where I am telling them they can stick their card because firstly I do not want to deal with a company that does not know want to understand their customer (me), and secondly is charging for a premium product with a decreasing usage because merchants are choosing not to accept it.

 

[lovestotravel]

I ended up emailing Amex about the local Petbarn change of policy to now charge 2% surcharge. Big mistake. I ended up in an exchange with some customer service person who knew ZERO about customer service and either pretended not to understand the nature of my complaint or simply just treated me like an idiot. Kept repeating in subsequent emails that the merchant can charge whatever they want even though I kept rephrasing that my complaint was about the merchant being put in this position by Amex charging higher fees than other card companies.
Has got to the point where I am telling them they can stick their card because firstly I do not want to deal with a company that does not know want to understand their customer (me), and secondly is charging for a premium product with a decreasing usage because merchants are choosing not to accept it.

To be honest, I am not sure why you bothered

 

[prozac]

To be honest, I am not sure why you bothered

If nobody tells them their cards are being refused or surcharged then you end up paying for a card with little value that cannot be widely used.

 

[lovestotravel]

If nobody tells them their cards are being refused or surcharged then you end up paying for a card with little value that cannot be widely used.

So what exactly did your email achieve ?

As you said it was pointless

The best thing to do is report the card through here Customer Service - American Express Australia

It goes to the right area and you hear back eventually, but it takes up to 2 years.. Yes I have had replies 2 years later

 

[prozac]

You're right it will probably achieve nothing. I was hoping via the complaints section I would get a response in a reasonable time-frame. I got one but it meant little.