Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Where’s the logic

In my experience (happy to be corrected as it has been some time since I looked at this)

AmEx were not taken in quite so many locations.
They offered both credit and debit cards
They used to be business focused but now have a personal range.

https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/...=uk-en-hp-product1-all-personal-04032021

At present there 5% cashback, Amazon, Nectar and Vitality blends in the offer pot.

There is usually a normal and a paid tier (Platinum) which is £100-150 but offers something useful. The BA normal level gives you BA Miles per spend. I took the BA Platinum which offers a companion ticket as well as my "payback" going into BA miles. So I paid for a basic flight and used my BA Miles to upgrade to first then used the companion ticket to get a free one matching for the wife! BINGO. Two of us sitting at the pointy end for 9 hours to SanFran for a peanuts price. (Almost made all those flights in the cheap seats collecting AirMiles worth it for about 30 mins!)

Our trip around Europe in the Mog was all done using the AmEx to max the potential of the benefits. One of the hotels gaffed the booking and had also taken payment. I called AmEx whilst in reception and after five minutes I had a refund and they made a booking for me in another nicer hotel at the same price. There was no "prove it" or discussion it just happened.

I should be fair and say our _____ Mastercard has always been helpful when I have called but it has needed proof, several calls and required time to resolve. They have always made a payment. It was just the attitude and speed with AmEx.

I have an Amex Red credit card. Used to have an Amex Platinum but couldn't justify the fees once I left the corporate ratrace.

Also use PayPal, never had an issue. Ebay have my bank account details and it's been fine for making and accepting payments. Buy a bit of stuff through Amazon, but never enough to justify Prime. Not interested in anything else the Prime package offers bar free delivery. Usually find the same stuff cheaoer on eBay, although delivery takes a smidge longer.

A couple of points that seem to have not been mentioned.
Paypal charge 2.9% and must card processing providers charge a little under 2%
It is beyond my comprehension as to why most people want to effectively waste 2% of their money.
The cost is simply passed on to the customer.
The argument that “it is only 2%” does not wash.
For example, if your business makes a ten percent margin, then that 2% is in effect a cost of twenty percent of your profit.

As for banks asking what money is for , I usually tell them to mind their own business as amounts of just a few thousand are outside of the AML remit.