AMEX not accepted or surcharge

[NM]

Oh, whilst I'm in the mood

Another anecdote from today.

Had to buy some prepaid telecoms top-up. Our normal supplier for this is Dick Smith. As mentioned a few posts above, some time in the last month they have decided that profits will soar if they start charging 1.9% for Amex use. No time to argue today so handed over the card. Nope, their machine is broken. Ok, so I tried for the same product at a locally owned small newsagent ... no Amex sorry. Righto, rang up the provider to see who else retails the require pre-paid stuff... "Woolworths" I'm told. Ok, so off to Woolies, I pull the Amex, no surcharge (of course) and also copped a couple of freebie EDR points for my trouble. Ka-ching, thanks Woolies.

So:

- DSE, -1 customer from here on in as they surcharge now, hope that helps their margins
- Local small business, never got a look in and won't ever due to no Amex acceptance
- Woolies, massive business, hardly needs my sheckles, but will gain a new customer for an admittedly not ground breaking but nevertheless on-going expense.

And with certain Amex cards (such as Platinum Edge) you would also get 3 Amex points per $ spent since it's a major supermarket

 

[lovestotravel]

- DSE, -1 customer from here on in as they surcharge now, hope that helps their margins
- Local small business, never got a look in and won't ever due to no Amex acceptance
- Woolies, massive business, hardly needs my sheckles, but will gain a new customer for an admittedly not ground breaking but nevertheless on-going expense.

This is exactly my thoughts as well

Keep in mind that on a recharge card the margin is about 10% though..

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Yes to all of that, thanks for your concern

You have alternatives to pay and you can shop around if you don't like it

That is such an interesting response.

So you are in business and you consider it reasonable for a supplier whom you have dealt with every month for 8 years but has never previously imposed a CC surcharge all of a sudden with no warning decides to do so.

So my company immediately incurrs an additional 1.75% / 2.75% charge for using CC. YES I know I can pay by chq or direct trsfr - but I enjoy sitting in the pointy end thats why I chase pts as I believe you do also.

And you still think this is quite reasonable?

 

[lovestotravel]

That is such an interesting response.

So you are in business and you consider it reasonable for a supplier whom you have dealt with every month for 8 years but has never previously imposed a CC surcharge all of a sudden with no warning decides to do so.

So my company immediately incurrs an additional 1.75% / 2.75% charge for using CC. YES I know I can pay by chq or direct trsfr - but I enjoy sitting in the pointy end thats why I chase pts as I believe you do also.

And you still think this is quite reasonable?

Well when you say "Are you in business ? Do you spend your own money ?" you get the appropriate response to those questions

It just shows they don't really care about you and/or perhaps you are not as important to them as you may think you are.

Reasonable - Yep it's how it is now, I surcharge on selected items and don't accept Amex in one business at all.

Would I accept it NO - I would have emailed them like you have, and seen what the response was, but even if they waive the fee, they are likely to just increase something else somewhere to cover it. I would also not be expecting the email response to be anything besides the we are just passing on the charges given to us by VI/MC/Amex etc etc. What would annoy me the most is that it stuff up cashflow for you.

However, I actually like the fact they are passing on both the VI/MC charge as well as the Amex charge. As I have said, what really annoys me is a business that just surcharges for Amex and not VI/MC

Again, you have options to change who you deal with and options in how you pay

 

[seay]

Well I've just received another letter from my supplier of 20+ years advising of future surcharges to Amex/ Visa/ MC previously charged nil. 1.75% for VI/MC and 2.25 for Amex.

I've received 3 letters like this in the last 3 months. Amex spend will be down a fair chunk by the end of financial year.

 

[lovestotravel]

I've received 3 letters like this in the last 3 months. Amex spend will be down a fair chunk by the end of financial year.

Again, the 1st October seems to really be a turning point for Amex

Reduced points for most everyday spends
More merchants passing on fees

 

[greenfrog86]

Again, the 1st October seems to really be a turning point for Amex

Reduced points for most everyday spends
More merchants passing on fees

Logic would suggest that travel providers and restaurants should be accepting Amex with open arms and no surcharges under this new point structure, however I'm not seeing this to be the case...

Having said that, most places I eat will take Amex and certainly don't surcharge for it and not other cards. I'm not sure on the travel front, however I book almost everything online and so manage to avoid surcharges anyway...

 

[zzyss]

Woolworths have started accepting Amex again for its Members Gift Card site:

No idea why they stopped for a while, but now it's back. No surcharge - 5% off for Entertainment Book holders, NRMA/RACx members, etc.
https://www.membergiftcards.com.au

 

[TtiGeR]

Woolworths have started accepting Amex again for its Members Gift Card site:

No idea why they stopped for a while, but now it's back. No surcharge - 5% off for Entertainment Book holders, NRMA/RACx members, etc.
https://www.membergiftcards.com.au

Um.. How does it work for NRMA member? I can see the RACQ link but can't find the one for NRMA..

 

[cove]

I think NRMA need a kick up the ....
Keep calling them until they get the message!

 

[TtiGeR]

I think NRMA need a kick up the ....
Keep calling them until they get the message!

Just emailed them. I guess it's hard to reach the right person.

 

[zzyss]

Um.. How does it work for NRMA member? I can see the RACQ link but can't find the one for NRMA..

Sorry, I was just guessing off the top of my head. Thought all the clubs were all related. My bad.

 

[KLN]

Finally have reached a significant half centure birthday year, and have purchased my first ever brand new pieces of (any) leather furniture................they don't take AMEX. they did previously, but they prefer not too.............they take between 3-4 weeks to get paid by them, that's why. considering the types of discounts they were offering, thought it was better to not insist on AMEX, but it does make you think about how much they mark up furniture thought. free delivery and get the floor stock tomorrow.
happy with that!

 

[Moopere]

...........they take between 3-4 weeks to get paid by them,

That surely can't be right. Amex has publicly stated its 1-2 days (business days) though I recently had an example of a business telling me it takes up to a week ... I didn't believe them. If Amex were so uncompetitive that it really took 4 weeks to pay merchants then no-one would use them ... absolutely no-one.

I wonder if your furniture mob would have passed up the sale if you'd stuck to your Amex guns?

 

[KLN]

i have sat on at least 30 lounges over the weekend, and this was the only one i was totally happy with and could deliver ASAP. i have been leaning on a pouffe for the last 5 weeks whilst the laptop on a coffee table, and i am hosting Xmas day. i needed a lounge! this was just a comment from the supplier. wasn't really worried about the points in this situation. i am happy and so will my back be.

 

[lovestotravel]

they don't take AMEX. they did previously, but they prefer not too.............they take between 3-4 weeks to get paid by them, that's why.

A total outright LIE

When places try that rubbish on me, I either walk out, or offer to pay 1% which is the likely difference between accepting VI/MC and Amex

If they then don't accept my 1% I will walk out and let them lose the sale

 

[tim374]

At Circular Quay station on Friday. I used my Amex in the card machine at Cardiff and Broadmeadow (without an Amex sticker) and successfully purchased my tickets. Hoping Cityrail keeps it up.

 

[Chicken]

Hoping Cityrail keeps it up.

Except you only get 0.5 point unless you use a Virgin Australia or Qantas direct card, because CityRail is government (yes, I tested it).

The only exception is Airport Link stations. They do get $1 = 1 point.

 

[cove]

I think putting the $2.50 per day charge on Amex for City Rail would look a bit cough since we qualified for a Seniors Card in WA.
I go to the ticket window at Circular Quay just to buy the ticket because I am thinking this is unbelievable. They look at the card and then it is another all day of travel for such a skinny price on ferries and buses as well as Sydney trains.

 

[Mal]

Holiday inn UK still charges a flat fee for Amex usage. Its penny pinching IMHO. Anyway staffer when I checked out didn't notice I was paying by Amex and fee never got applied.... oops.