American Express Discussion Area

Kavanne

Update: I requested my 5000 nectar points over a week ago, had a call to say it was done (for which they left a message with my manager, surely against Data Protection? But that's another matter) and still no sign of them Busy all weekend now so will have to bother them next week!

.com_loverlee

Hi, I've received my first Amex statement. I've been using the card to fund my PayPal account, and purchases in Pounds Sterling have been charged at more than the amount spent (£55.12 went through at £58.11). Moneyback, or no moneyback, I shan't be doing that again. Still, the £33.75 Quidco was healthy.
I would like to know, though, does it work out sensible to use Amex for my dollar buys on PayPal? For instance, a USD payment of 141.85 was charged at £73.96. And do Pounds Sterling payments not made through PayPal just cost the right amount (I haven't made any, yet)?
Thanks for reading, hope someone can set me on the right path with this.

brightonman123

i think amex standards are slippimg,, when i was there, you had to have the charge card first, with credit card as an optional add-on.. if either card was not paid, you ran the risk of BOTH being cancelled!

BrunoM

treb1971 wrote: »

Are you sure that's a charge, and not a refund? I've noticed that every time I use Paypal with Amex, I get a small credit. Don't know why...

And for every day use, I have Amex & Visa - so if they don't take Amex, I use the Visa.

It's because Paypal wouldn't take Amex for anything bar dollars, so the user was being hit with the currency interchange fee each time.

Amex didn't want this and had a tussle with them over it, and now to make sure no-one goes out of pocket you get a small credit each time from Amex which in theory should slightly more than cover the interchange costs, while they try to sort out things to work more normally going forwards with Paypal.

So nowadays there should be no loss for using Amex through Paypal, but for a bit there was, due to some quirk at Paypal.

Edit: and for the later poster, yes, non-Paypal sterling transactions will appear perfectly normally like with any credit card. Dollar Paypal (or any other supplier) transactions will go through an interchange if you're using a UK-issued card, again this is true regardless of which cc company you are using, but the exact conversion rate used varies from company to company, day by day, and I don't know whether Amex is usually much different from the others (I expect not).

chartreuse_2

BrunoM wrote: »

It's because Paypal wouldn't take Amex for anything bar dollars, so the user was being hit with the currency interchange fee each time.

Amex didn't want this and had a tussle with them over it, and now to make sure no-one goes out of pocket you get a small credit each time from Amex which in theory should slightly more than cover the interchange costs, while they try to sort out things to work more normally going forwards with Paypal.

So nowadays there should be no loss for using Amex through Paypal, but for a bit there was, due to some quirk at Paypal.

In fact, it's even better than that. I go out of my way to use my AMEX with PayPal because each transaction tends to yield a small (just a few pence, but every little...) profit.:money:

StrawberryJam_2

chartreuse wrote: »

**So, on my first statement I spent £1010, it shows as 2020 in the moneyback eligible spend. How does that equate to 5%?***
I've been puzzling over this as well. I noticed the same thing on my statement and, franlky, it doesn't clear anything, just creates confusion where previously there was none. Anybody got any idea what it's about?

any guidance/thoughts/ answers to the 5% = spent £1010, it shows as 2020 in the moneyback eligible spend? (I am unsure also)

gowgowuk

Hi,
I've been through 10 pages of this thread but give up, sorry!
I've had a Nectar American express card for a couple of years but am thinking of scrapping it and getting a Platinum Moneyback card instead. Of course I'd like to get it via Quidco and get an additional £33, so, would like to apply online. I'm wondering if it's better to close the first card before applying to the new one, or shall I apply now, then ask for a larger credit limit when I close the nectar card. I should say that I already have in addition 3 cards (Virgin/Halifax/Egg Money for stoozing), so I guess my credit record is not perfect (although I never had any missed payments) and I'm slightly worried that I might be refused the card if I apply before closing the Nectar one.
Thanks
Philippe

klb_3

gowgowuk wrote: »

Hi,
I've been through 10 pages of this thread but give up, sorry!
I've had a Nectar American express card for a couple of years but am thinking of scrapping it and getting a Platinum Moneyback card instead. Of course I'd like to get it via Quidco and get an additional £33, so, would like to apply online. I'm wondering if it's better to close the first card before applying to the new one, or shall I apply now, then ask for a larger credit limit when I close the nectar card. I should say that I already have in addition 3 cards (Virgin/Halifax/Egg Money for stoozing), so I guess my credit record is not perfect (although I never had any missed payments) and I'm slightly worried that I might be refused the card if I apply before closing the Nectar one.
Thanks
Philippe

I applied for the Platinum Amex in February via Quidco for the £33 cashback. I already had Amex Blue card with Amex, and still got accepted for the Platinum without closing the Blue account.

bleepy

Hello

Does anyone else do this?

Use there amex cashback CC to make purchases then pay it of with an amex charge card? This way you get the cash back from the CC and points from the charge card plus a whole host other benefits from the charge card (free insurance etc) Plus this way you get 60 days credit !

System

bleepy wrote: »

Hello

Does anyone else do this?

Use there amex cashback CC to make purchases then pay it of with an amex charge card? This way you get the cash back from the CC and points from the charge card plus a whole host other benefits from the charge card (free insurance etc) Plus this way you get 60 days credit !

But there is an annual fee to pay on charge cards: £60 = green, £95 = gold, £300 = platinum.

So you'd have to make sure the benefits of a charge card would be in excess of the annual fee.

Regards
UNDERGROUND