Shop small in your neighbourhood - Spend $20 or more and get $10 back

[amaroo]

Is that another case of the merchant being registered for Amex, but not taking it?

Or, AMEX ripping the life from small traders?

Geez, everyone on earth knows that Amex is the pits for small businesses....

 

[JohnK]

Is that another case of the merchant being registered for Amex, but not taking it?

Surely Amex would know whether the merchant accepts Amex or not? Obviously Amex does not care.

 

[tinkybelle]

I think anyone on the site would accept
my biz is in there and they did not notify me. I'm happy to take it as it is cheaper than stupid visa and MasterCard .
ill be out spending this week!

 

[zig]

Shopping again today, and encountered another retailer listed on the site that doesn't take Amex.

 

[mark_syd]

Sydney CBD newsagent today had the Shop Small sticker with surcharge writing scrawled over it '$1 for credit cards, $2 for amex up to $100'. Not sure what their surcharge would be if the purchase exceeded $100...

 

[akeno]

How embarassing that the Fish & Chips place in Milton listed on Amex website as part of this promotion does not accept Amex. . Luckily I asked first before ordering.

Fortunately my card was accepted when I had my dinner at a shop small Japanese restaurant.

Now I'm starting to think if Shop Small stickers are handed to all small businesses regardless if they accept Amex or not.

My other shop small purchase didnt go too well. This morning a Cafe which had a shop small sticker said "No Amex" when I took out my card.

 

[deejo77]

Caffe Primavera 667 Oxley road Corinda qld accepts amex - and ET book voucher - asked if I could pay the $49 bill with two separate cc - not a problem. 1 out of the 5 on each card used.

 

[Keith009]

Have taken advantage of this promo at my green grocer Rode Fresh in Stafford Heights, Campo's Coffee in Fortitude Valley, the Wine Emporium in Newstead at the new Gasworks Plaza, Empire Cafe in Bowen Hills where I normally go to pick up my weekday lunches and my dry cleaner Dry Clean Only (yet they also do alterations go figure) in Aspley. Pretty easy promo with no change in behaviour required from my perspective. The dry cleaner was the only one that had the Shop Small sign up. Have registered 4 cards for this between the 2 of us so lots of savings to go yet.

 

[JohnK]

My other shop small purchase didnt go too well. This morning a Cafe which had a shop small sticker said "No Amex" when I took out my card.

That is not good at all.

 

[prozac]

My other shop small purchase didnt go too well. This morning a Cafe which had a shop small sticker said "No Amex" when I took out my card.

Amex have a format via their email reporting service for reporting merchant surcharges or even non-acceptance. Presumably if you lodge a complaint they contact the merchant to offer inducements (maybe a lower fee?) to encourage fee-free acceptance. I submitted a complaint regarding the shop small restaurant that imposed a surcharge on my purchase.

 

[docjames]

Havent seen a single sign but have multiple emails.

Bordering on PITA really.

I have another email today telling me i've achieved a $10. Cant for the life of me know how - havent seen a single sign and have no recollection of which small business i've used the amex at....

 

[akeno]

Amex have a format via their email reporting service for reporting merchant surcharges or even non-acceptance. Presumably if you lodge a complaint they contact the merchant to offer inducements (maybe a lower fee?) to encourage fee-free acceptance.

Thanks prozac. I've used the "tell us about your card acceptance experience" form before. So I did one for the cafe and added another experience from last week.

 

[prozac]

I do it in the hope that next time I go back the merchant tells me there is no Amex surcharge. I high net worth friend told me he was able to influence Amex to lower the fee sufficiently so that he did not have to pay a surcharge at his local bottle-o. With this in mind I tried, with the agreement of my travel-agent to report his business using the online form as he is charged close to 5% and we hoped his acceptance fee may be reduced. He has subsequently told me that Amex have never contacted him to discuss so I don't know if anyone at Amex even reads the forms that are submitted online.

 

[akeno]

I don't know if anyone at Amex even reads the forms that are submitted online.

I submit the forms too hoping that something will be done, but clearly some businesses refuse to accept Amex nonetheless. Even after completing the 'card acceptance experience' form, and a few months down the track, the same business still has the "no amex' sign on their cashier.

All i can say is to be cautious when you Shop Small. Be prepared to ask if they accept and subsequently leave in a polite manner .

 

[drron]

Well I have given up on this promo.Businesses I know that have never accepted Amex are listed and they still don't accept Amex.We were going anyway so no loss.

 

[zig]

I submit the forms too hoping that something will be done, but clearly some businesses refuse to accept Amex nonetheless. Even after completing the 'card acceptance experience' form, and a few months down the track, the same business still has the "no amex' sign on their cashier.

All i can say is to be cautious when you Shop Small. Be prepared to ask if they accept and subsequently leave in a polite manner .

I used to complete the online reporting form, however after never seeing any action taken I have given up.

I encountered my 3rd retailer today who does not take Amex despite being listed on the promotions website. So agree that it is definitely a good idea to check before purchasing. I used my card successfully at another retailer, however there was a surcharge. I opted to pay using the card anyway as the $10 credit still made it worthwhile.

 

[kyle]

For those who went to shops with the Shop Small stickers but don't take Amex, anyone actually asked how they got hold of the stickers?

 

[zig]

For those who went to shops with the Shop Small stickers but don't take Amex, anyone actually asked how they got hold of the stickers?

I haven't seen any of the small stickers yet, even at the retailers who have taken Amex, so I really couldn't rely on the absence of the sticker indicating acceptance or not.

 

[docjames]

+1 to completing the online form (and finding doing so a waste of time)

+1 to not changing shopping patterns on the basis of this promo

 

[akeno]

For those who went to shops with the Shop Small stickers but don't take Amex, anyone actually asked how they got hold of the stickers?

Here in sydney i've seen the stickers stuck on the shop door and windows of small cafes and hairdressers. I haven't been that desperate to ask them how they got hold of those stickers.