"We have said publicly that we expect to be a virtual parity with Visa and Mastercard's merchant acceptance in the U.S. by the end of this year," Backs says.There are a number of reasons for this, Backs says. According to The Nilson Report, the average cost difference is less than a quarter of a percentage point.American Express cardholders tend to be more affluent, so merchants may be willing to pay the slightly higher swipe fees to capture purchases from wealthy customers. Red Ventures Financial Ltd is acting as a credit broker, not a lender.Product links are provided on a non-advised basis. Every time you make a purchase with your credit card, the merchant has to pay a fee to the credit card issuer on that transaction. Does your company have an American Express Corporate Card Program? Please advise American Express about where you would like to spend and we will try to arrange the acceptance till your next visit. Just be prepared for some of those corner shop purchases, which may not take it. This compensation helps pay the costs associated with running our website, and does not result in any additional fees to you. One is improvements to the fee structure for merchants. If you are not sure which is the right product for you, you should seek advice.By clicking a product link, you are departing from The Points Guy UK, and we cannot be held responsible the accuracy of the information contained within the linked site. However, with the introduction of the European Union’s 0.3% cap on interchange fees, which applies to some Amex cards, and moves like Amex’s Shop Small programme and the increasing desire of businesses to open themselves up to spending from all customers, more and more places accept Amex. Where American Express Is -- and Isn't -- Accepted. Paying an annual fee for your American Express card might be worth it, but there's no reason to pay for a card you might not use often enough to offset the fee with rewards or benefits.How Bad Could Credit Card Losses Get During the Pandemic?Banks are begging for spare change: How long coin shortage could lastBrazil central bank authorizes tests of Facebook's WhatsApp pay, Mastercard and Visa sayScammers are secretly stealing the identities of children: Here's what every parent needs to knowSilent Republicans Get Stark Reminder Of Their Complicity In Joe Scarborough Op-EdAs COVID-19 sweeps across the South, the Army finds it’s not immuneWhy S&P 500 Index Funds Are a Retiree's Dream InvestmentEx-'Ellen DeGeneres Show' employees claim culture of 'rampant sexual misconduct' in new reportStaples customer who told woman to wear mask is thrown to ground, has broken legTrump says he didn't believe intelligence about Russia paying bounties on U.S. troops 'to be real'Trump says he thinks Russian bounty allegations are 'another Russia hoax' 3 Safe Stocks to Hold Through the Next Market CrashPHOTOS: John Lewis – congressman and civil rights activist – a life of extraordinary service'We call them jump-out boys': Videos of protesters getting picked up by unmarked police cars spark outrage, but many say it's not newYouTuber offers $100,000 to the first person to solve his riddle: ‘Insanely hard’New Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Majority of Democrats want Biden to pick a Black woman for vice presidentFlorida and Mississippi report record increases in COVID-19 deaths

Here's what you need to know about why American Express isn't accepted everywhere and what you can do about it.One way credit card issuers make money is through fees -- but not just fees charged to the consumer, like annual fees. Top Answer. But there’s no need for acceptance to stand between you and earning points.Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. And American Express cardholders tend to run into it more often than Visa or Mastercard cardholders. Most major retailers are inclined to pay the higher swipe fees charged by American Express.