Amex - New Card - Payment Not Accepted!

AQUA-IAN

I think this is really not on. I have just tried to pay off my Amex card with my debit card and been refused because my new Amex account has not been running for more than a month. Any of you encountered such problems before? I just want to pay my dues early!!

AQUA-IAN

YB. If you could / would help me out on this, I would be most appreciative.

YorkshireBoy

AQUA-IAN wrote:

YB. If you could / would help me out on this, I would be most appreciative.

I've no experience with Amex, but couldn't you just send a payment by online/telephone banking this month?

AQUA-IAN

Thanks YB - Can't understand why they can't take an early debit card payment?

accountnurse

Have you had a first bill for this account? I think you'll find they won't accept payment without it. It's partly that without a bill generated total amount you could accidentally overpay (resulting in a positive balance, a big no no for a credit card), and it's possible that their software won't allow you to credit your account because it only recognises your debt after issuing you with a first bill.

Joe_Bloggs

If you do it online it won't accept debit card amounts over the last statement. This is due to stupid software. It is often necessary to pay more than the last statement to account for expenditure on the card since the last statement. I often try to zero the balance or put it into credit just before the statement date. This gets the maximum interest free period as I will have a month before the next statement plus around 21 days before it must be paid off .
Do as Yorkshireboy suggests and conduct the transaction verbally by phone or by phone banking.
A small credit card balance is not a problem for Amex. After all it is a purchase card and they pay purchase rebate that could put the card in credit and refunds for goods and services would do this too.
J_B.

basill

I too found this when paying by switch but the system will accept a lower amount than the full balance. Perhaps you could experiment and pay nearly the whole amount until the thirty days are over. I think it is restricted for thirty days from the first use of the switch payment system.

An advantage of the switch payment system is that your payments arrive at Amex almost immediately so I think its worth persevering.

I have set up a DD now so the full balance is cleared automatically each month.


B

King_Of_Fools

Joe_Bloggs wrote:

If you do it online it won't accept debit card amounts over the last statement. This is due to stupid software. It is often necessary to pay more than the last statement to account for expenditure on the card since the last statement. I often try to zero the balance or put it into credit just before the statement date. This gets the maximum interest free period as I will have a month before the next statement plus around 21 days before it must be paid off .

You do not need to completely clear the balance to benefit from the maximum interest free period. You just need to pay the full amount on your last bill before the due date. Do that every month and you never have to pay any interest.

Joe_Bloggs

@King of Fools and all. You are more than likely totally correct. I have persistantly tried not to owe anyone a penny. It is not often clear that you owe them nothing untill they acknowlege a positive balance. I am probably the least financially efficient user of Amex Blue given my aversion to owing money. I also have an Egg Money card which I also pay off before my statements says I owe anything. With the faster banking links, or any other considerations, can I make better use of these cards seperately or in combination.
J_B (A tough question, in my view)