AMEX contactless

dowie · 10 Jan 2015 at 21:34

Anyone else have problems with it?

Has been a bit temperamental for me, unlike VISA which works fine AMEX contactless doesn't work at some places which do otherwise accept AMEX and can take contactless payments (albeit only VISA/mastercard).

Then yesterday I tried to pay for shopping in Tesco Express, circa £19 or so and it didn't work... though it has worked in the past. Does AMEX have a different limit for contactless payments AFAIK it is £20 for VISA but I'm presuming AMEX might have a lower limit?

Hxc · 10 Jan 2015 at 21:50

Limit is the same in my experience. A card will occasionally require a PIN transaction, although I'm not certain exactly what triggers it.

I have the same experience that some places which take Amex do not accept it contactless; the Sainsburys in Stratford is one for certain.

slinxy · 10 Jan 2015 at 21:57

I thought they all used mifare chip via NFC? :confused:

The readers will be fine it be an outdated EPOS system.

[TW]Fox · 10 Jan 2015 at 22:27

Never had an issue.

Kol · 10 Jan 2015 at 22:41

I only have an issue with my AMEX contactless in M&S. Always gives me an error about too many cards yet it is out of my wallet in my hand.

Semple · 10 Jan 2015 at 22:53

Only ever tried to get mine to work in Pret, their systems never seem to work though.

[TR]SweetSpotOz · 10 Jan 2015 at 23:02

PapaLazaru · 10 Jan 2015 at 23:24

Retailers dislike AMEX.

dowie · 11 Jan 2015 at 17:43

markyp23 said:
I find it pretty sketchy.

Certain shops take it for C&P but not for contactless (although they take VISA/MC contactless) and I have also had a couple of experiences where it has not worked somewhere it worked before.

yeah have had that a few times, but the issue with tesco is that they do take AMEX contactless and I had assumed in theory that it should be the same limit as VISA, up to £20... but on two occasions, when at an amount close to (but below) £20 I've tapped the card and then had to use chip and pin

londonbairn · 11 Jan 2015 at 17:51

Works fine, though it rejects for less than £1 at BP

Deep · 11 Jan 2015 at 20:58

I have a lot of issues with contactless for some reason.
Even if it's a £5 spend, my contactless doesn't go through at most retailers.

The only retailer where it works everytime is local pub, so it's not all bad

neil_g · 11 Jan 2015 at 21:04

Kol said:
I only have an issue with my AMEX contactless in M&S. Always gives me an error about too many cards yet it is out of my wallet in my hand.

M&S contactless terminals are just poop, none of my cards work in our local despite always complaining about it.

MrMoonX · 11 Jan 2015 at 21:08

Amex acceptance is shocking they shouldn't charge retailers so much and maybe more would accept it

Contactless is down to lazy epos software updates, I won't hope for Apple pay anytime soon

[TW]Fox · 11 Jan 2015 at 21:09

MrMoonX said:
Amex acceptance is shocking they shouldn't charge retailers so much and maybe more would accept it

AMEX doesn't charge anything like as much as some retailers think it does - whats even more ironic is that everyone who declines to accept AMEX seems to be happy to take World Mastercard which has the highest merchant fees of any card including Amex.

Amp34 · 11 Jan 2015 at 21:20

The Pret local to my work has only one contactless terminal that works with AMEX. Why only one (looks the same as the others ) no one knows.

Never had a problem elsewhere that accepts AMEX - in London most places do.

dowie · 11 Jan 2015 at 21:31

I do wonder if a different limit to £20 has been set at my local Tesco

Q11: Are merchants required to get a customer’s
signature or pin number for contactless transactions?
In most countries, American Express waives its requirement for a
signature and/or PIN verification for small-ticket transactions
under the markets No Signature limit set by the Network. For
example, if the transaction exceeds the contactless threshold limit
set by the acquirer or the Cardholder Verification Method (CVM)
limit parameter set in the terminal by the issuer.
support contactless acceptance

neil_g · 11 Jan 2015 at 21:47

Amp34 said:
The Pret local to my work has only one contactless terminal that works with AMEX. Why only one (looks the same as the others ) no one knows.

Never had a problem elsewhere that accepts AMEX - in London most places do.

Might just be bust or the wrong profile loaded to the terminal. My dealings with one particular bank/terminal supplier was that they arnt very good at resolving issues.

Jimbeam3678 · 11 Jan 2015 at 22:49

dowie said:
Anyone else have problems with it?

Has been a bit temperamental for me, unlike VISA which works fine AMEX contactless doesn't work at some places which do otherwise accept AMEX and can take contactless payments (albeit only VISA/mastercard).

Then yesterday I tried to pay for shopping in Tesco Express, circa £19 or so and it didn't work... though it has worked in the past. Does AMEX have a different limit for contactless payments AFAIK it is £20 for VISA but I'm presuming AMEX might have a lower limit?

a lot of places aren't accredited to take Amex contactless, you are talking thousands of pounds to get accredited.

Caged · 11 Jan 2015 at 22:58

I've never had an issue with my Amex contactless.

dowie · 11 Jan 2015 at 23:13

Jimbeam3678 said:
a lot of places aren't accredited to take Amex contactless, you are talking thousands of pounds to get accredited.

I'm mainly interested in places that do accept it - in particular places that do accept it for contactless payments but which occasionally will throw up an exception and make you pay with chip and pin