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Share your Amex Acceptance Stories

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Deal Addict
Mar 13, 2012
2125 posts
1481 upvotes
Near You
If you have to nickle and dime and save on transaction fees to survive, especially in a high margin, high volume business like food service, you're doing something wrong.
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Sr. Member
Aug 27, 2014
639 posts
397 upvotes
e909 wrote: I don't understand why merchants with small transaction values care as much. Even if Amex is 3% and premium MC/Visa 2%, you're still talking about 13 cents difference on $13. Hardly worth losing customers over I think.
They think it's costing them a large premium, not realizing that the customer with the Amex is then gonna whip out a Visa Infinite (or worse, a Visa Infinite Privilege) or a Mastercard World Elite card that costs them almost just as much as Amex. Truly they should be against all the fancier credit cards, not just against Amex.

What I don't get however is that so few people have an Amex, what's the point of making the customer unhappy just to save a dollar. I've had a place yesterday tell me they didn't take Amex (even though they're part of the current Shop Small promo), I tapped an Amex anyway and it worked fine. If I had known they took Amex, I would have tipped more.
Deal Expert
Dec 5, 2006
16792 posts
12575 upvotes
Markham
LuxErus wrote: They think it's costing them a large premium, not realizing that the customer with the Amex is then gonna whip out a Visa Infinite (or worse, a Visa Infinite Privilege) or a Mastercard World Elite card that costs them almost just as much as Amex. Truly they should be against all the fancier credit cards, not just against Amex.

What I don't get however is that so few people have an Amex, what's the point of making the customer unhappy just to save a dollar. I've had a place yesterday tell me they didn't take Amex (even though they're part of the current Shop Small promo), I tapped an Amex anyway and it worked fine. If I had known they took Amex, I would have tipped more.
Because 99% time , telling customers not use amex won't make customers unhappy and reduce sale. The reason is many people have impressions that amex is not widely accepted, so people wouldn't be unhappy if they have to use visa/mc(how many people have amex only?), but if you tell customers you don't take MC or visa, they would be pissed
Sr. Member
Aug 27, 2014
639 posts
397 upvotes
smartie wrote: Because 99% time , telling customers not use amex won't make customers unhappy and reduce sale. The reason is many people have impressions that amex is not widely accepted, so people wouldn't be unhappy if they have to use visa/mc(how many people have amex only?), but if you tell customers you don't take MC or visa, they would be pissed
I completely disagree that customers aren't unhappy. Why would the customers want to use Amex if they don't mind using another card? Customers would use Visa and Mastercard everywhere if it weren't of Amex cards having particular advantages, and wouldn't bother asking if the place take Amex. It's particularly annoying when you know that half the time, they're lying about not taking Amex because you've been there before and used Amex with a more accepting cashier/waiter.
Sr. Member
Feb 13, 2009
746 posts
434 upvotes
Ontario
LuxErus wrote: They think it's costing them a large premium, not realizing that the customer with the Amex is then gonna whip out a Visa Infinite (or worse, a Visa Infinite Privilege) or a Mastercard World Elite card that costs them almost just as much as Amex. Truly they should be against all the fancier credit cards, not just against Amex.

What I don't get however is that so few people have an Amex, what's the point of making the customer unhappy just to save a dollar. I've had a place yesterday tell me they didn't take Amex (even though they're part of the current Shop Small promo), I tapped an Amex anyway and it worked fine. If I had known they took Amex, I would have tipped more.
Exactly that. When I encounter a merchant that does not accept Amex I use my Visa Infinite Privilege.

Now most of the time these merchants truly do not accept it (and don't just say they don't) but its amusing they they are hit with the higher Visa interchange fee from the Infintie Privilege card anyway.
Deal Expert
Dec 5, 2006
16792 posts
12575 upvotes
Markham
LuxErus wrote: I completely disagree that customers aren't unhappy. Why would the customers want to use Amex if they don't mind using another card? Customers would use Visa and Mastercard everywhere if it weren't of Amex cards having particular advantages, and wouldn't bother asking if the place take Amex. It's particularly annoying when you know that half the time, they're lying about not taking Amex because you've been there before and used Amex with a more accepting cashier/waiter.
If they lied and customers are unhappy, then not only they don't go there anymore, but they will also tell others, right? As a result, The business should see sale drops and start accepting amex, right?

Then question is why they continue to refuse to accept or lie? Can't be because they want to save penny to lose pounds ( but if you assume business owners are stupid, then that's another story)
Sr. Member
May 26, 2009
588 posts
789 upvotes
Calgary
smartie wrote: If they lied and customers are unhappy, then not only they don't go there anymore, but they will also tell others, right? As a result, The business should see sale drops and start accepting amex, right?

Then question is why they continue to refuse to accept or lie? Can't be because they want to save penny to lose pounds ( but if you assume business owners are stupid, then that's another story)
You are assuming that the retailer can see the cause & effect and link the two. Also, for sales to drop because of lack of support for Amex it would mean that they would have to freely accept Amex for a period of time followed by a time of not taking Amex. But the places that I see that don't take Amex (or pretend not to take Amex) have always been that way.

These places do lose my business. But it would be really hard for them to notice. I don't make a big deal of it if they tell me they don't take Amex. And yes, I'll quickly pay with another card. And yes, it is usually a premium Visa or Mastercard which generally means that they will pay a similar (or possibly larger) interchange fee than if I used Amex.

To give you an example, within a few blocks of my home there are about 8 coffee shops and/or bakeries that I like. Only one of them doesn't take Amex. They are all good and the pricing is similar enough that I don't factor that into the decision making on where to go. With my working from home right now, I tend to pick up a treat &/or coffee about twice a week at one of these locations. The place that doesn't take Amex gets the least of my business. It helps that all of these were part of the Amex Shop Small promo. Not only do I get the 5+% back on my Cobalt, I also was getting $5 bonuses along the way. I picked up a few gift cards to use up all of my Shop Small promos, so this will continue even though Shop Small is about done.
Deal Expert
Dec 5, 2006
16792 posts
12575 upvotes
Markham
jtfrogger wrote: You are assuming that the retailer can see the cause & effect and link the two. Also, for sales to drop because of lack of support for Amex it would mean that they would have to freely accept Amex for a period of time followed by a time of not taking Amex. But the places that I see that don't take Amex (or pretend not to take Amex) have always been that way.

These places do lose my business. But it would be really hard for them to notice. I don't make a big deal of it if they tell me they don't take Amex. And yes, I'll quickly pay with another card. And yes, it is usually a premium Visa or Mastercard which generally means that they will pay a similar (or possibly larger) interchange fee than if I used Amex.

To give you an example, within a few blocks of my home there are about 8 coffee shops and/or bakeries that I like. Only one of them doesn't take Amex. They are all good and the pricing is similar enough that I don't factor that into the decision making on where to go. With my working from home right now, I tend to pick up a treat &/or coffee about twice a week at one of these locations. The place that doesn't take Amex gets the least of my business. It helps that all of these were part of the Amex Shop Small promo. Not only do I get the 5+% back on my Cobalt, I also was getting $5 bonuses along the way. I picked up a few gift cards to use up all of my Shop Small promos, so this will continue even though Shop Small is about done.
Yes, good example: so that 1 of 8 coffee shop doesn't accept amex and the owner knows it and he also knows the impact ( he can talk to other owners and everyone has their social or business cycles), so why the owner still doesn't accept amex? Because he doesn't want more money? To certain extent, why no frills or T&T doesn't accept amex? Wouldn't that drive people to Walmart?
Sr. Member
Feb 13, 2009
746 posts
434 upvotes
Ontario
smartie wrote: Yes, good example: so that 1 of 8 coffee shop doesn't accept amex and the owner knows it and he also knows the impact ( he can talk to other owners and everyone has their social or business cycles), so why the owner still doesn't accept amex? Because he doesn't want more money? To certain extent, why no frills or T&T doesn't accept amex? Wouldn't that drive people to Walmart?
I haven't been following much more than reading back to your past three posts here, but still don't quite understand your position on the matter.

Anyway, no frills and Amex do not accept visa or Amex because they only take mastercard. T&T is also a Loblaw brand.

Don't understand what your position is on the statement about driving people to go to Walmart though.

It cannot be denied that one of the main reasons some merchants do not accept Amex is due to the presumption of higher interchange fees. I vote with my wallet and when I have the option will always choose a merchant that accepts Amex over another merchant that does not.
Sr. Member
May 26, 2009
588 posts
789 upvotes
Calgary
smartie wrote: Yes, good example: so that 1 of 8 coffee shop doesn't accept amex and the owner knows it and he also knows the impact ( he can talk to other owners and everyone has their social or business cycles), so why the owner still doesn't accept amex? Because he doesn't want more money? To certain extent, why no frills or T&T doesn't accept amex? Wouldn't that drive people to Walmart?
There are so many factors in why a business succeeds or fails. It would be nearly impossible to determine the impact of not taking Amex in comparing to another business when there are so many other variables at play.
Newbie
Mar 4, 2008
72 posts
62 upvotes
smartie wrote: To certain extent, why no frills or T&T doesn't accept amex? Wouldn't that drive people to Walmart?
Loblaw market their own MC lineup and they are big enough to afford denying Visa and Amex. They have enough business as it is.

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