Is it just me or as each year goes by less and less stores are accepting AMEX tried today at McDonald's pukekohe and it's now not accepted there.
Amex in NZ
Haydz117 on 14/02/2024 - 11:35
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The Maccas in Otahuhu is long established, has the Amex logo showing on the big kiosk order touch screens and (i think) on the POS terminal screens but for the life of me ive never been able to get my card working there - paywave, swipe or inserted.
In general, it is expensive for retailers to accept Amex, mainly due to the very high merchant fees associated with the card.
I would guess that big retailers (like McDonalds) would get a good deal, but in general, it is expensive, so retailers will be inclined to move away from it, and stick with Mastercard and Visa (for example).
Also, MC and Visa have very high coverage in terms of the percentage of population with the ability to pay with one or the other, whereas relatively few people have Amex, so not taking it doesn't limit them very much, and those that do have Amex, almost always have MC or Visa as well.
Amex business model is to be the preferred card of those with money, they offer the best rewards and benefits so consumers would prefer to use them and will be annoyed if you don't accept them. Amex makes the customer bully the store into accepting them.
Personally I'd much rather deal with Amex as a customer than visa or Mastercard and given the choice I would use a merchant that accepts annex over one that doesn't (all other things being equal which they rarely are)When we sold retail (as well as wholesale), we just ditched them as they couldn't compete, and if customers couldn't pay with Amex, they always (and I really do mean always) paid with something else.
Never had a customer not purchase because we didn't take Amex.
That was back in the days before you could add a surcharge though, so now I would just charge those customers more, and they have the choice to pay more with Amex or less with something else - so I would be indifferent (subject to any fixed periodic fees, but I don't recall if we got charged anything like that per payment method, just the fixed monthly fee to the bank for the terminal / EFTPOS facility).
If a customer wants to pay extra, that's all good with me :-)
While the customer may have completed the purchase in hand at the time, did they come back? Personally I avoid quite a few stores because they don't take Amex and their competition does and I'll still complete the purchase on the first visit because it's not often worth leaving for, but is worth avoiding. Smartest way to do this is to ensure the profit margin is there for it to not matter. Ask supermarkets how they make it work.
@Jexla: Obviously not all customers come back, so that's a fairly silly question to ask, but not one ever said they wouldn't come back due to us not offering Amex. I'm sure if you look hard enough, you'll find people with that mentality, but personally I'd probably avoid them if I were you :-)
As I said above, now I would just make it up to the customer how they want to pay, and if they choose to pay more to use Amex, that would be entirely up to them - I wouldn't care either way.
@Alan6984: No it's not a silly question to ask at all, you know the point I was trying to make and you're being obtuse about it.
I've never bother to tell the cashier I'm not going back either, but you're right, avoiding businesses who can't work out how to accommodate customers or care if you shop with them or not is certainly a wise idea.@Alan6984: I've never had a business or Amex card and frankly think retailers shouldn't accept them since they might be raising prices for me. (See later.)
However Jexla has a point that you never know how customers or putative customers are influenced. Many people aren't going to tell you if they are influenced against you by something you're doing. Some might not even know.
To give a different example since you mentioned surcharges for credit cards. Personally I have absolutely no problem with them provided they're adequately disclosed, they're reflective of the added cost and there are other options. (I do find it more questionable when they add a surcharge for card use but don't give other options.) I have no problem using EFTPOS or whatever for stores which don't want to buy into the credit card fee racket.
Yet you just need to read the threads on this here and elsewhere to see plenty of people don't feel this way and dislike places that have them to the extent that they are less likely or even refuse to shop at such places. Yet I'm also sure the vast majority of such people never tell stores that. They just avoid them, shop less etc.
I've never been in business but ultimately you have to try and work this out for yourself by e.g. reading research (although look carefully at who commissioned it!) etc. You can also do your own surveys etc to try and work out. You can also try and tell by how your customer base changes when you make changes. But I imagine that's far easier with introducing surcharges on the major cards than it is Amex.
For example quite a few years ago, one of my local fruit and veg shops introduced a surcharge. IIRC it was after they were allowed. It was well signposted but suddenly a few months later they reversed course and now had prominent signs say no surcharge. This was all before COVID-19. I don't know why this happened but I would suspect because of customer response. Some of this might have been direct feedback, but I strongly suspect they probably also found their sales went down enough that they decided it was a bad idea.
Since Amex is a relatively small part of the customer base albeit a wealthy one I imagine it's much more difficult to know.
Note an important point here. As much as I might disagree with the sentiment, if it turns out that customers not shopping or shopping less with a store due to them not accepting Amex or adding a surcharge or whatever costs the store more than the cost of accepting it, well then it's not actually a disadvantage to me as a customer so, in that case, I'm fine with stores accepting it.
@Nil Einne: As someone who uses amex and will try (albeit not very hard) to avoid stores that don't accept it I've come to realise I'd actually prefer stores to charge a surcharge for it provided that it's reflected in discounts across the board.
When there is no surcharge we are all essentially paying the fee for the merchant to accept credit cards and that adds to the overall price that we pay.
Of course in general these stores will just add a surcharge and increase their margins, that's not what I'm hoping for, in hoping for a situation where we ask get a discount using EFTPOS and those who want to get the advantages of a CC can pay for them@KevlarCoated: Its a similar thing for stores that offer free shipping. The shipping is NOT free, its just that you don't get to see a line entry for how much it costs because the store bakes the shipping fees into their margin.
TradeMe is a great example of this with all the import stores.
The same store would often run 2 SKUs of the same product, one with free shipping and one without, with the free shipping often costing more overall
$15.99 for a phone case with free shipping
$10.99 for a phone case with $4 shippingAs someone who uses amex and will try (albeit not very hard) to avoid stores that don't accept it I've come to realise I'd actually prefer stores to charge a surcharge for it provided that it's reflected in discounts across the board.
When there is no surcharge we are all essentially paying the fee for the merchant to accept credit cards and that adds to the overall price that we pay.
Of course in general these stores will just add a surcharge and increase their margins, that's not what I'm hoping for, in hoping for a situation where we ask get a discount using EFTPOS and those who want to get the advantages of a CC can pay for themFundamentally, I agree with you. Reality is that there is a discount in the purchase price (before the card fees), it is just there as a lower price than it would otherwise be, and if the retailer increases their prices across the board instead, they will (on the margin) lose the business of customers that want to use a lower cost option (such as debit cards compared to Amex).
As TMurder91 mentions, it is essentially the same as freight costs.
I always looked at it that I want to charge all my customers exactly the same price Ex Works, and I would consider a card fee exactly the same as freight. I could never see any reason for customers to feel that they are entitled to get a discount purely because they choose to live somewhere far away or rural, nor for wanting to pay via an expensive option.
I would also note that we stopped accepting cash entirely, due to the fact that the costs associated with handling it were just too high. Almost nobody objected, and those that did could choose to go somewhere else that wanted to subsidise that payment method - its a free market, and everyone can choose.
100% agree.
Ive never met a single Amex holder who didn't have another card for the many times it's not accepted.
@LupinS: Yes, we do. But I (and I'm sure many others) make a mental note where it's not accepted and seek alternatives next time.
Has worked well for me in Wellington. Plenty of stores accept it. I do occasionally have to use my MC/Visa.
I haven't noticed any changes. Pak n Save Dunedin don't take Amex which is annoying but we don't go there often anyway. I find it worth having, the Airpoints Card is free and we use it whenever we can unless there's a surcharge. Mainly at supermarkets, petrol stations, 2Degrees, local meal delivery company, Rockgas, vet, pet.co.nz, Slingshot. I wish it worked with Zip, Afterpay, MyLotto, Southern Cross Pet. Laybuy said they do accept Amex but their system doesn't like it, I haven't got it working. I think KFC take it in store but not on their app. A McDonalds here took it when we last went.
If anything, I am surprised at the number of small retailers now accepting amex
They've worked out if you charge enough across the board you can afford to accept Amex.
On a side note, I've noticed that AMEX hasn't come out with any decent offers on the app for a while. There was a time when they were coming out thick and fast but they've dropped off noticeably
saw that, Think they promoted a lot in NZ and uptake was great so not bothering anymore.
Any tips and tricks to maximize usage, I need to spend $500 by March to get 300 airpoints maybe get a voucher or something?supermarkerts and petrol?
Or Insurance, Tower accept Amex with no surcharge.
@Joe: Buy a free cancellation booking on booking.com for later in the year.
Once you've got your credit, cancel the booking.@Haydz117: Try agoda.com (same owners as booking.com) - I used that last month with Amex and was fine
Does anyone have an AMEX platinum here? Thinking of getting it as I might be doing a bit of travelling this year.
How easy is it to get approved if you already an ANZ platinum card? And do they ask much questions about your mortgage?
(My mortgage is very maxed out as I got our lending approved at the peak of the property market)Platinum charge?
I've had one since 2018. Cant recall they asked me any questions at the time. Unsure what the minimum income criteria is now, it did shift upwards over the years.
Yeah. You find it good value? $1,250 annual charge isn't cheap..
Me and the Mrs are flying to Singapore this week, Premium Economy, and Business Class back. Both legs upgraded from Economy with points earnt.
Maximise the offers they throw out occasionally, use the travel perks included with the free Accor membership - free night, 50% discount on food, and all the other stuff the card comes with (I've claimed twice on the travel insurance) and I think you can come out well ahead.
You basically need to spend at least 50k a year on the charge card to make it worth the $1250/year fees, if you do that then it's worth it if you're traveling (and might even entice you to travel more!)
IIRC there's a pretty hefty income requirement though.
@jono nz: Not true, well for the first year anyways. The welcome bonus is already equivalent to $750, plus $300 dining credit, $200 travel credit, Accor Plus membership which gives you one night free and 50% dining at their restaurants in Asia & Pacific, travel insurance and access to all AMEX lounges & Priority Pass lounges. If someone is traveling it can be very easy to make up for the annual fee (first year only).
Where does the $1250 annual fee come from?
Moneyhub says $195 (https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/anz-airpoints-visa-platinum-vs-am…). It also says $195 on the AMEX page… https://www.americanexpress.com/nz/credit-cards/airpoints-ca…
It's two separate cards.
American Express Airpoints Platinum Card
American Express Platinum Card
On a side note:
Apple Pay is now available for American Express in New Zealand.
No way!! So good.
just added! how did you find out? now we just need to get digital driver licences in NZ.
I opened the app to check something and the splash page stated something like click here to activate Apple Pay. Good eh….
Anyone else getting a message "this card is ineligible"? (Amex Airpoints Rewards card here)
@Coolbro: I got that message on my first attempt; assumed I made a typo.
I closed the app, redid it and no further issue.
Already used it as well with no issue.
Does this mean I can use Amex where I couldn’t before? Like on a machine that has the payWave symbol?
Only if they accept Amex
Question on amex and Google pay.
Is it supported well?
I pretty much use paywave on the phone as much a possible (because i forget my wallet).
I currently use paywave on android phone. Looking to change our credit card (currently asb platinum true rewards), looking at getting the amex airpoints platinum card ($195/yr).
If its used with Google wallet paywave does it work with all paywave or is it contingent on their paywave terminal supporting amex?
I assume if they don't support amex i could change the Google wallet to a visa debit so i can still buy stuff with my phone?
Our situation:
Family of four
1x return overseas trip to asia every 12-18mo
1-2x domestic return trip per year
Average ccard spend 3500-4500/monthAlso looking at
SBS cashback visa - $1 cashback / $150 spend. No annual fee.
TSB platinum mastercard. $1 cashback / $70 spend. $90 annual fee. Purchase protection insurance (180d) price protection (30d). Travel insurance. Mobile phone insurance ($800 cap).
Getting a wise card for next holiday.
.
Hi. It came to Apple Pay but not Google Pay - so not supported at all.
Could also look into this for next overseas holiday: https://www.westpac.co.nz/credit-cards/fee-free-card/
FX seems to come out around the same as Wise, the plus point being this is a credit card.
The new Maccas in Pukekohe you're referring to? Assume the owner hasn't got amex approval yet, as its only just been opened or he's tight with $$$!