this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2026
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Back when credit cards had to take paper carbon copies from a subset of retailers that had been certified to take credit, try their damnedest to decipher the faint blue numbers and names, verify the account information by hand, take on significant risk for higher purchase prices due to lower computer capabilities, then process the billing... Yeah, I can see why they charged 3% to every transaction.
Nowadays, all of that is automated and digital and proliferated. There is no reason why AMEX should get $0.50 from every purchase of a Happy Meal. There is also no reason why Visa should get more money from a $20 purchase than it gets from a $100 purchase. It's the same amount of work! Same argument about TicketMaster charging a $200 convenience fee on a $500 ticket but only $100 on a $250 ticket.
A lot of places here refuse AMEX because of their fees. Oh look at all the benefits they provide, like barely being able to spend money anywhere!
Yeah, AMEX is hard to use in Europe or most places I've been outside of the US. AMEX is taken just about everywhere I go in the US, though. It's my everyday card due to the travel benefits.
Travel benefits and yet can't be used when travelling?
Yeah, I know. I wish Delta hadn't partnered with them, but here we are.
To be clear, it can be used with traveling. Hotels and car rental places and subway systems and most clothing stores all take AMEX in Europe. Many established restaurants do, too. It is just easier to use Visa over there, though.
That was a big problem a couple decades ago, and with Discover even more so. But I can’t remember any time in the last 15 years when AMEX wasn’t accepted.
Maybe its regional. UK here and any time I see a sign saying a card isn't accepted it's always AMEX. By far more common in smaller shops where the fees are going to be more significant to them. Big chains don't care.
Well, yeah... it's AMERICAN express
In America all the merchants just charge the customer the merchant fees and call it a day
Don't forget that they charge everyone those fees, even the people that don't use a card, so when someone pays with cash or something they get to just pocket the difference.
No they just charge credit card users the fees, and encourage you to pay cash.
I'd argue that the per-transaction cost is a fraction of a cent, and shluld be a thing.
I'd say it should be a flat percentage. Large transactions still carry higher risk.