Do you take American Express?

smithers1981

Is it best to ask this question, or just stick your card in machine and see what happens?

thoughts?

reclusive46

smithers1981 wrote: »

Is it best to ask this question, or just stick your card in machine and see what happens?

thoughts?

Best just to put it into the machine normally. I've had merchants tell me they don't accept it but put it anyway and it has worked. Some of the cashiers just aren't trained all that well.

Unless its a small shop or the odd restaurant most places take it anyway.

If the machine doesn't take it, it'll just do a loop and won't ask for a PIN.

Gra76

If it's a large chain store then I usually just put the card in and wait for the person dealing with it to say "Sorry, we don't take American Express", fortunately most of the bigger places do but every now and then I come across somewhere I'd expect would be a big enough place to accept it and they don't.

In the smaller places I usually ask if they take it as I know a lot of them I've asked so far don't.

InsideInsurance

I normally just put it in / hand it over without asking.... don't want the silly accusations of claiming I'm asking to show off that I have an Amex card.

mrchiggles

I've had some card machines get quite broken when I've put the Amex in and it's not been accepted resulting in hanging round quite a while waiting for them to reboot them so I tend to ask.

reclusive46

mrchiggles wrote: »

I've had some card machines get quite broken when I've put the Amex in and it's not been accepted resulting in hanging round quite a while waiting for them to reboot them so I tend to ask.

LOL must be American express's doing. "If you don't accept our card, we'll crash your machine!!!'

Maestro.

Always ask loudly if they accept American Express, while being sure to stand right next to the "We accept AmEx" symbol.

reclusive46

Regarding the chip and pin, I think they have to upgrade it to take Amex cards as well as having an agreement with Amex. My local shop has to swipe through Amex cards still lol. You put it in the machine, it says card AID unrecognised (Something like that anyway), Swipe card"

miketaff1408

I have recently had problems with small shops saying they don't take Amex when they actually do! So now I always just shove the card in the machine.

sfax

Because of all the money to be had on the £5 cashback shop small deal, the last thing you want to do sometimes is ask first. My current tactics (employed successfully tonight at the local chip shop) are as follows:

- £12.90 please
- [innocently] Is it OK to put that on a card?
- yes [gets card machine]
- [keep Amex well hidden until card machine is in your hands then BANG, in it goes!]

Worse that can happen is a rejection and then you just use another card or cash

reclusive46

sfax wrote: »

Because of all the money to be had on the £5 cashback shop small deal, the last thing you want to do sometimes is ask first. My current tactics (employed successfully tonight at the local chip shop) are as follows:

- £12.90 please
- [innocently] Is it OK to put that on a card?
- yes [gets card machine]
- [keep Amex well hidden until card machine is in your hands then BANG, in it goes!]

Worse that can happen is a rejection and then you just use another card or cash

Amex pays the £5 in the UK. Not the merchant. So shouldn't matter.