MrT: Regarding cabs, I've often found the transaction will fail via contactless/PayWave (at least on the Cabcharge-branded terminals), but when the card is physically inserted into the reader it seems to work (and without a PIN/signature if the amount is small enough).
City of Perth accept AMEX on street and in their CoP Car Parks. Depending on machines, some accept all cards with no surcharge, some street machines charge a %. I'm not good with math but two hour street parking is $4 and surcharge totals it to $4.14
Some more to add (and sort through when I have the time): Haigh's Chocolates, Priceline pharmacies, Ella Bache, Pillow Talk, Michael Hill Jewellers, Angus & Coote, Wallace Bishop, JB Hi-Fi (with a surcharge, amount TBC), Hoyts, Event Cinemas, Strandbags, Apple (including iTunes Store, online shop and retail stores), Microsoft Store, eBay (if you pay by PayPal), PressReader, inflight Internet systems (every airline I've tried), Nutrition Warehouse, AAMI insurance, Qatari government (for visas on arrival in Doha), Max Brenner (usually $15 minimum), Harvey Norman, Megabuy (surcharge online, none in-store), Curtain Wonderland (2/3% surcharge), Freedom Furniture (surcharge), Daiso, Officeworks, Howard's Storage World, Matchbox, Bras n Things, Witchery, Newslink, Fasta Pasta, Mini Movers (excessive 5% surcharge), Coca Cola vending machines, Dusk, Goldmark, Adidas, Starbucks, Virgin Australia inflight purchases (buy on board menu), Baskin Robbins (varies by location), Le Creuset, TryBooking (surcharge - 1.9% IIRC), South Bank Corporation car park, TID insurance, Willow and Spoon, Strike bowling, Rebel Sport, Lush, iSubscribe, Skybus, Staples, Villeroy & Boch, Country Road, The Body Shop, Sanity, Canadian government (eTA payments), US government (ESTA payments and US visa payments - excludes the cost of visa appointments in Sydney where Amex isn't accepted).
Some more again: Hard Rock Cafes (3% surcharge vs 1% for Visa/MC), Groove Train restaurants, some Gloria Jeans cafes (varies by location), Just Jeans, Universal Store, Whitners, Harris Scarfe (2% surcharge IIRC), Roses Only, City Beach, Hype Co (3% surcharge), Roxy, Rip Curl, Super Cheap Auto, BCF, Peter Alexander, Smiggle, Portmans, Dotti, Jacqui E, Domino's, Pizza Hut (not online but in selected outlets), 7-Eleven, Topshop, Topman, Spendless Shoes, Fantastic Furniture (online only via PayPal), Michel's Patisserie (varies by location), Amazon, The Iconic, Red Balloon, Bing Lee, Surf Stitch, EB Games, Politix, Baskin Robins (selected locations), Hog's Breath Cafe, Outback Steakhouse (3% surcharge), Nando's (selected locations), Sizzler, Salsa'a (selected locations),Matt Blatt furniture
Other places it's accepted... Brisbane Airport Parking
Great pick up Mr T re BNE parking - the only issue at the moment with using AMEX is that their entry gate terminals still won't accept AMEX for PayPass or insert so as to enter the car park.
It kills me that a major corp like BAC can run such a smooth(ish) online booking engine but absolutely suck when it comes to validation of card details on entry.
As a follow up to this I actually could not use my AMEX to enter the car park a few days ago. I pressed the call button and was told to take a ticket to open the boom gate and have my invoice number to hand on exit. On exit I called again, provided my details and the boom gate was remotely operated.
Moral of the story - use your AMEX to pay online, but also enter the details of another card (i.e. VISA / Mastercard) when booking and use that for entry / exit.
PayPal is a great tool for using Amex, for example paying Telstra through PayPal not only do you skip the surcharge but you also get full points as most Amex will not pay full points for utilities. For another example PayPal can be used to order GyG online this way you can pay with Amex even though your local store may not accept it. PayPal is also accepted at AustPost online for some billers so if paying your local council rates for example I can get full points just like with the Telstra example, when my rates notice cannot normally be paid with Amex it's usually Visa/MC only.
Recently had some success at Flight Center. I was looking at booking a ticket for my honeymoon and asked them to price match 'American Express Travel' who, (rather obviously,) do not surcharge. Their price match policy includes all the conditions, so they not only gave it to me cheaper but matched the lack of surcharge.
JB hifi don't take Amex either unfortunately . Sad, very sad.
JB Hi-Fi doesn't accept AMEX online but does accept it in-store. They charge a surcharge, however (if I recall it's just shy of 3%).
They also usually have the older type of ANZ terminal where AMEX contactless doesn't work - you have to insert the card and the terminal display jumps straight to 'credit account', which flags to the staff that you're about to pay by AMEX. No sneaky tap-and-go AMEX payments to be had there!
If you're really keen, you can always buy a JB Hi-Fi gift card somewhere that takes AMEX (some supermarkets, for example, maybe Australia Post too), to skirt the surcharge.
Ross
Ross
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 10 May 2014
Total posts 83
Hi Ross, have you noticed if the surcharge there is 1.5% (which I think applies to all card types)?
Sorry, didn't pay attention to the surcharge rate...
Chris C.
Chris C.
Member since 24 Apr 2012
Total posts 1,116
List updated up to this point. :)
MrT: Regarding cabs, I've often found the transaction will fail via contactless/PayWave (at least on the Cabcharge-branded terminals), but when the card is physically inserted into the reader it seems to work (and without a PIN/signature if the amount is small enough).
sid
sid
Member since 07 Jan 2011
Total posts 206
MattJelonek
MattJelonek
Turkish Airlines - Miles & Smiles
Member since 08 Jun 2014
Total posts 90
City of Perth accept AMEX on street and in their CoP Car Parks. Depending on machines, some accept all cards with no surcharge, some street machines charge a %. I'm not good with math but two hour street parking is $4 and surcharge totals it to $4.14
Chris C.
Chris C.
Member since 24 Apr 2012
Total posts 1,116
Some more to add (and sort through when I have the time): Haigh's Chocolates, Priceline pharmacies, Ella Bache, Pillow Talk, Michael Hill Jewellers, Angus & Coote, Wallace Bishop, JB Hi-Fi (with a surcharge, amount TBC), Hoyts, Event Cinemas, Strandbags, Apple (including iTunes Store, online shop and retail stores), Microsoft Store, eBay (if you pay by PayPal), PressReader, inflight Internet systems (every airline I've tried), Nutrition Warehouse, AAMI insurance, Qatari government (for visas on arrival in Doha), Max Brenner (usually $15 minimum), Harvey Norman, Megabuy (surcharge online, none in-store), Curtain Wonderland (2/3% surcharge), Freedom Furniture (surcharge), Daiso, Officeworks, Howard's Storage World, Matchbox, Bras n Things, Witchery, Newslink, Fasta Pasta, Mini Movers (excessive 5% surcharge), Coca Cola vending machines, Dusk, Goldmark, Adidas, Starbucks, Virgin Australia inflight purchases (buy on board menu), Baskin Robbins (varies by location), Le Creuset, TryBooking (surcharge - 1.9% IIRC), South Bank Corporation car park, TID insurance, Willow and Spoon, Strike bowling, Rebel Sport, Lush, iSubscribe, Skybus, Staples, Villeroy & Boch, Country Road, The Body Shop, Sanity, Canadian government (eTA payments), US government (ESTA payments and US visa payments - excludes the cost of visa appointments in Sydney where Amex isn't accepted).
Chris C.
Chris C.
Member since 24 Apr 2012
Total posts 1,116
Some more again: Hard Rock Cafes (3% surcharge vs 1% for Visa/MC), Groove Train restaurants, some Gloria Jeans cafes (varies by location), Just Jeans, Universal Store, Whitners, Harris Scarfe (2% surcharge IIRC), Roses Only, City Beach, Hype Co (3% surcharge), Roxy, Rip Curl, Super Cheap Auto, BCF, Peter Alexander, Smiggle, Portmans, Dotti, Jacqui E, Domino's, Pizza Hut (not online but in selected outlets), 7-Eleven, Topshop, Topman, Spendless Shoes, Fantastic Furniture (online only via PayPal), Michel's Patisserie (varies by location), Amazon, The Iconic, Red Balloon, Bing Lee, Surf Stitch, EB Games, Politix, Baskin Robins (selected locations), Hog's Breath Cafe, Outback Steakhouse (3% surcharge), Nando's (selected locations), Sizzler, Salsa'a (selected locations),Matt Blatt furniture
MrT
MrT
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 28 Aug 2015
Total posts 78
MattJelonek
MattJelonek
Turkish Airlines - Miles & Smiles
Member since 08 Jun 2014
Total posts 90
Daniel Hetcher
radio8tiv
radio8tiv
Member since 15 Mar 2016
Total posts 1
PayPal is a great tool for using Amex, for example paying Telstra through PayPal not only do you skip the surcharge but you also get full points as most Amex will not pay full points for utilities. For another example PayPal can be used to order GyG online this way you can pay with Amex even though your local store may not accept it. PayPal is also accepted at AustPost online for some billers so if paying your local council rates for example I can get full points just like with the Telstra example, when my rates notice cannot normally be paid with Amex it's usually Visa/MC only.
MattJelonek
MattJelonek
Turkish Airlines - Miles & Smiles
Member since 08 Jun 2014
Total posts 90
PayPal!
Jono
Jono
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 25 Jan 2013
Total posts 108
Recently had some success at Flight Center. I was looking at booking a ticket for my honeymoon and asked them to price match 'American Express Travel' who, (rather obviously,) do not surcharge. Their price match policy includes all the conditions, so they not only gave it to me cheaper but matched the lack of surcharge.
Shasluck
Shasluck
Member since 08 Jun 2015
Total posts 1
JB hifi don't take Amex either unfortunately . Sad, very sad.
Chris C.
Chris C.
Member since 24 Apr 2012
Total posts 1,116
JB Hi-Fi doesn't accept AMEX online but does accept it in-store. They charge a surcharge, however (if I recall it's just shy of 3%).
They also usually have the older type of ANZ terminal where AMEX contactless doesn't work - you have to insert the card and the terminal display jumps straight to 'credit account', which flags to the staff that you're about to pay by AMEX. No sneaky tap-and-go AMEX payments to be had there!
If you're really keen, you can always buy a JB Hi-Fi gift card somewhere that takes AMEX (some supermarkets, for example, maybe Australia Post too), to skirt the surcharge.
wicks21
wicks21
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 26 Oct 2013
Total posts 5
I find the annual shop small promotion great.
Bondi
Bondi
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 19 Jun 2017
Total posts 2
Australiana Online also accepts Amex (no surcharge). Great for last minute Australian gifts to take overseas.