Strategy to obtain US Amex

[Finale]

Which Amex card did you use?

Post automatically merged: Dec 22, 2020

Got my SIM today. Expected date was 29 Dec but received it a week earlier. Got my SIM activated and connected it with Google Voice.
The email said not to change the number till 45 days of activation which I guess u did. Do you get refill with $10 to cover for 3 months ? or setup as auto refill of $3 per month

I used Platinum card. The 45 days message applies to other sim cards, not $3 t-mobile. Activation form says feel free to change anything on $3 t-mobile.

I just topped up some $20 to get a wireless credit. I don't do auto refill as I mightn't topup for a few months then topup before losing the number.

 

[Kremmen]

I've noticed that a number of major national chains (e.g Domino's) have stopped accepting US credit cards in the past few months. If this trend continues, it could make US cards less useful, or at least more painful to use.

They probably think they can get away with it during the pandemic. Once we have tourism again, I bet it'll come back to bite them.

 

[tlam]

I've noticed that a number of major national chains (e.g Domino's) have stopped accepting US credit cards in the past few months. If this trend continues, it could make US cards less useful, or at least more painful to use.

They probably think they can get away with it during the pandemic. Once we have tourism again, I bet it'll come back to bite them.

I can still use my Amex US card at McDonald and Domino, literally on all merchants who accept Amex.

 

[albyd]

How do they know they’re US cards? Guessing if this becomes more widespread, it will close this avenue off for us to use more competitive US cards especially since many bonus categories are honored worldwide.

I’m sure having said that it does cost them more to accept. Is that also the case with Amex? (silly question but I’ve found merchants that surcharge Amex don’t care about the type of Amex you’re carrying like they do for MC & Visa.

BTW just used my US Amex @ McDonald's.

 

[Kremmen]

I can still use my Amex US card at McDonald and Domino, literally on all merchants who accept Amex.

The "AplPay" is a bit of a hint that you processed it through that. (In store?) I'm talking about ordering and paying online. I doubt the card reader at the shop itself has changed.

How do they know they’re US cards?

I'm guessing they are blocking all non-Australian cards, not specifically US ones, but I have no way to test that. All I know is that my US cards (including the one that had been saved on my Domino's online profile for years) fail and my Australian ones work.

 

[albyd]

Thinking about it further, I think they can tell from the number sequence at the start of the card which is why the ATO has for a long time charged so much extra for overseas issued card payments.

 

[timmy1234]

I think this is just a rare case (system issue), reason being how are they going to service tourist credit cards? I know because of COVID the market is down. However, Oz gets alot of tourist and students (maybe) that use internation cards.

 

[tlam]

There are no reasons for them to block the oversea cards here, really. If it doesn’t work with your card, your profile may have been flagged as potential fraud, contact them to remove the flag. I know this because my online business also blocked some of the oversea cards automatically and I had to manually charge to the cards or review the analysis before approving the transactions.

 

[DC3]

I've noticed that a number of major national chains (e.g Domino's) have stopped accepting US credit cards in the past few months ...

Do you then use another card, or just walk away? If that happens to me, then I will not be buying from them.

What would be the upside for the merchant, in refusing to accept cards issued from certain countries I wonder?

Edit: I’ve since read the post by tlam, above. That sounds very likely.

 

[DC3]

... I'm talking about ordering and paying online ..

Oh, online. I must have missed that bit. Yes, weird. Well, it’s their loss I guess. Have you tried to pay in person?

 

[Kremmen]

There are no reasons for them to block the oversea cards here, really.

Lower processing charges? That's why CreditRewards, etc, don't accept overseas cards.

If it doesn’t work with your card, your profile may have been flagged as potential fraud

Seriously? Flagged with whom? Just Domino's? And all my US cards, from multiple providers?
The big give-away that this is rubbish is that the card that had been stored on my online profile for ages was erased from my profile immediately before they stopped accepting it, so that was a deliberate IT action not related to a charge. (It also takes ages and doesn't say it's declined, just that it won't accept it, not that this proves anything, as some sites will say "declined" when it's not true, due to bad coding.)

Do you then use another card, or just walk away? If that happens to me, then I will not be buying from them.

Thus far, every merchant that's done this to me accepts PayPal, so I can charge exactly the same purchase to exactly the same card that way. Pretty silly situation. (And why I suggested it's at least more painful to use.)

 

[PPS_SYD]

I have bought from Domino’s just last week & paid online with my Green card, no issues. Have never had trouble using it anyplace that accepts Amex. Don’t think businesses would be too keen to be splitting hair trying to work out local & overseas cards, in the middle of COVID.

What concerns me though, is the rapidly declining acceptance of Amex cards once again, in the last month, at least 4 places in my LGA that were earlier taking it now flatly refuse it. I hope it is just a coincidence & nothing more.

 

[albyd]

I think there are plenty of businesses that split hairs on the fee even now during COVID. They hate paying the fee but don’t rationalize it against the costs and risks of transporting cash.

A Sushi place I go to regularly have gone as far as blaming their bank NAB on the surcharge they choose to impose on MC & Visa use and they have a $30 minimum even though they’re surcharging. They so resent not having the tax free income.

We’ve all got to pay our fair share otherwise Australia will go the way of many bankrupt nations. Money doesn’t appear out of thin air.

 

[Kremmen]

What concerns me though, is the rapidly declining acceptance of Amex cards once again

I've experienced some of that too. In one case, I only knew of the business at all because they were on Amex's small business map, yet they initially tried to refuse to accept it. When I pushed back they grudgingly allowed me to use it. (There was a "no Amex" label printed on the EFTPOS machine, but it accepted it fine!) They clearly were totally unaware that it was, at least in my case, Amex's advertising that was bringing business to them in the first place.

 

[DC3]

... I only knew of the business at all because they were on Amex's small business map, yet they initially tried to refuse to accept it. When I pushed back they grudgingly allowed me to use it. (There was a "no Amex" label printed on the EFTPOS machine, but it accepted it fine!) ...

And I’ve stopped asking merchants whether they accept Amex, and just tap anyway. Occasionally some may say that they don’t accept Amex if they get a look at the card, but if it goes through then their reaction is priceless.

 

[albyd]

I do the same. Particularly with ApplePay no one sees the card. If it doesn’t work, I use my Visa. That is except at that corner store outfit JB HiFi. Despite being a large retailer, they still can’t negotiate a better rate than 2.65% for Amex. To top things off, you need to insert Amex as it doesn’t tap so you’re all out of luck if you didn’t being your wallet as you’ve gone 100% ApplePay. (I’m being a little tonight in cheek if you haven’t noticed).

 

[DC3]

I do the same. Particularly with ApplePay no one sees the card ..

Good point. I’ve started doing this as well. Just have to remember to stop pulling out the card.

 

[albyd]

Easy - just leave your wallet at home. Has my license on it now (I'm in NSW) so don't need my license unless I want to set up a new telco account so they can register it with the authorities - Telstra did accept digital license recently so things are changing.

 

[PPS_SYD]

Recently took a bunch of people out for dinner to Rashay’s, where I have used Amex dozens of times. On that night though, with a bill running upwards of $200, they suddenly said NO Amex. On querying, I was advised they have swapped CC machine and the new one doesn’t take Amex

So disappointing, ended up putting on my Coles Rewards MC.

 

[DC3]

... they suddenly said NO Amex. On querying, I was advised they have swapped CC machine and the new one doesn’t take Amex ...

Next time, try to sneakily tap it. See what happens.