Amex??

[George C]

Trying to figure out what credit cards to take for 12 day cruise mostly Italy, is American express accepted in most places? trying to take only credit cars without foreign transaction fees ( we have citicards also which I know are good)

[-Lew-]

AmEx cards are not widely accepted in Europe as they are in the USA. We leave ours at home and bring only VISA and Mastercard no-fee credit cards.

 

[CruiserBruce]

In Europe right now (and have been many times before). Agree with Lew, AMEX is not widely accepted, although I have to admit that I have seen the decal a little more often this trip.

 

We take two cards...a chip and signature primary Visa card, which worked everywhere except one spot in the last week, and a PIN and chip back up Visa card, which we needed for a ticket machine at a train station today. Only time in probably 12 or 15 charges this trip the primary card has not worked.

[George C]

Thanks for the quick replies, one month to go

[slidergirl]

I guess I'm the odd duck here.

 

I am able to use my AMEX for the big majority of my expenses when I travel in Italy. I bring it and my one VISA and my CU's ATM card. I'll offer my AMEX first and my VISA second. Just like at home...

[alidor]

Why would you use AMEX? Don't they still charge the currency conversion fee?

[Pmorton3360]

No, they don't on my gold card.

[cruisemom42]

Why would you use AMEX? Don't they still charge the currency conversion fee?

 

There are many different AMEX cards -- mine does not have a currency conversion fee.

 

In the past couple of years AMEX seems to be a bit more widely accepted. Still, I wouldn't count on it being your sole credit card. VISA and MC are much better bets.

[Hlitner]

Why would you use AMEX? Don't they still charge the currency conversion fee?

 

Yes, AMEX generally charges a 2.7% foreign currency conversion fee on nearly all their cards (including our old Gold Card) with the exception of the AMEX Platinum Card ($450 a year) which has zero foreign exchange fees.

 

As to VISA and MC (the most widely accepted cards in Europe) the charges vary from zero (i.e. the CapitalOne MC card) to 3% (and more) depending on the card.

 

We do carry an AMEX Platinum card but seldom use it in Europe (accept at hotels) since it is not accepted in many establishments. On some occasions when we did use our AMEX card at establishments, we have been politely asked if we could please use a Visa or MC. The merchants tell us that AMEX costs them more money. In Europe it is also sometimes possible to negotiate a lower price (when shopping) for cash transactions.

 

Hank

[Pmorton3360]

Don't get me wrong . I'll be taking my Chase Visa with. And another emergency card. Mainly I'll use my Amex for ship board account. When you wrote that ,about the charge, I went to the site to double check. You had me questioning. Its a Delta Amex so maybe that's the difference. They list it all the time with my benefits. I'll be using euros as much as possible in ports. It is cheaper for them and easier.

[Hlitner]

Can't speak to the Delta Amex (or other hybrid Amex cards). My post was referring to the standard (and Senior) AMEX cards. Personally, we have no preference between obtaining Euros from ATMs (our ATM cards are fee free) or using our fee free-no foreign exchange fee plastic. We have found that the exchange rates are nearly the same for ATM vs plastic. We were surprised a couple of weeks ago when we walked into a Copenhagen coffee shop that actually had a sign saying they accept "Apple Pay." This is the first time we spotted Apple Pay in Europe.

 

DW wondered (outloud) about how many more years until cash becomes obsolete. Sweden's move away from cash. The dirty secret about cash (and yes, cash is dirty and spreads viruses and germs) is that it is expensive for government's and banks to print, distribute, and move cash. We can see cash following travelers checks into the abyss.

 

The other day, DW and I visited a very good art museum in Gottenburg, Sweden. We purchased our admission with plastic and were told that we needed to put our back pack in one of the lockers. But the lockers required a 5 Krona coin (about 65 cents) and we explained we had no Krona. Without missing a beat the ticket clerk slid a 5 Krona coin over the counter and asked us to return it when we were finished (the lockers returned the coin when you were finished and put the key back in the lock). She told us that many folks (even Swedes) need to borrow a coin since lots of folks have no coins (or even cash). Tis a new world.

 

Hank

Edited August 10, 2016 by Hlitner

[LondonTowner]

There have been mumbling S from major banks in the UK to get rid of Cheques, but I can't see that happening for some time yet.

 

In London most things, including public transport can be paid by plastic. I don't carry much cash at all these days.

 

When we are in non Euro zones in Europe we rarely bother to get cash, we just pay with a no foreign transaction CC ( never Amex only Visa or MasterCard).

[slidergirl]

My AMEX is Platinum. NOT the AMEX Delta Plat. The one that pays for your Global Entry, the one that pays $200 for airline incidentals each year, the one that gives Gold status with both Starwood and now with Hilton. And, no foreign transaction fees. My VISA is a Hilton Reserve - no foreign transaction fees on that one, either. It also gives Gold status with Hilton. Got this one when I was employed by Hilton.

I'm good using either one, but I'll try the AMEX first. Maybe I'm exceedingly lucky in finding places that will take AMEX.

[MATHA531]

Not looking to argue with anybody...Amex is widely taken in Europe although not quite as widely as mc/visa. Many amex cards have dropped ftf's, some retain them. Many amex cards are issued by the same banks issuing mc/visa; others are issued by amex. So the reality is there is no general rule. You have to investigate your card with the issuer and decide whatever fees it charges are justifiable. The simplest answer, of course, is to take several cards, make your decision on which one you want to be your primary card and not worry about it. The one thing one can say with certainty, discover is next to useless. They had tied in, outside North America, with diners club international (as opposed to diners club in North America which is a glorified mastercard with some good perks for travellers such as airline club entrance. But in the last year, I am afraid, diners club has gone into a death spiral is no longer offered in North America for the most part and is hardly taken anywhere in Europe (where in theory discover cards should be acceptable anywhere diners club is taken). The problem is today, next to nobody takes Diners Club. Too bad. It had a very fine history as the world's first T&E card.

[Pmorton3360]

It is sad. I remember when Ralph Schneider and his buddies started it. My Dad said it sounded crazy. Now so many of us are walking around with only plastic.

[plane2port]

Yes, AMEX generally charges a 2.7% foreign currency conversion fee on nearly all their cards (including our old Gold Card) with the exception of the AMEX Platinum Card ($450 a year) which has zero foreign exchange fees.

 

As to VISA and MC (the most widely accepted cards in Europe) the charges vary from zero (i.e. the CapitalOne MC card) to 3% (and more) depending on the card.

 

We do carry an AMEX Platinum card but seldom use it in Europe (accept at hotels) since it is not accepted in many establishments. On some occasions when we did use our AMEX card at establishments, we have been politely asked if we could please use a Visa or MC. The merchants tell us that AMEX costs them more money. In Europe it is also sometimes possible to negotiate a lower price (when shopping) for cash transactions.

 

Hank

 

My AMEX is Platinum. NOT the AMEX Delta Plat. The one that pays for your Global Entry, the one that pays $200 for airline incidentals each year, the one that gives Gold status with both Starwood and now with Hilton. And, no foreign transaction fees. My VISA is a Hilton Reserve - no foreign transaction fees on that one, either. It also gives Gold status with Hilton. Got this one when I was employed by Hilton.

I'm good using either one, but I'll try the AMEX first. Maybe I'm exceedingly lucky in finding places that will take AMEX.

 

It used to be the case that AMEX charged the FTF on almost all their cards. They seem to be easing up a bit lately on this charge. The following cards are ones that I know of that aren't charging the FTF. There may be others. Read your T & C's.

 

AMEX bank cards: Premier Rewards Gold, regular Gold, Platinum

AMEX cobranded cards: Starwood, Delta Platinum, Delta Reserve

[Karennella]

Cash will not be obsolete any time soon albeit that it is not used a lot in parts of a Northern Europe. I believe cards are still not as popular in Germany and I think, Japan. Also I am afraid that places with a big cash economy will always use cash. I doubt if ours is the only country where an occasional plumber asks for a cash payment and where one is so grateful to find a plumber, any plumber, that one weakens and agrees.

Here you can pay for most things with a card but as we know the business is paying fees, we would not pay for a single cup of coffee with a card, as we saw in Norway. Some places have a minimum of about $10 for cards.

I left my Amex card at home on our trip to Italy. Not sure about the US but here and I think in Europe the fees are much higher so it is not popular.

[MATHA531]

Cash will not be obsolete any time soon albeit that it is not used a lot in parts of a Northern Europe. I believe cards are still not as popular in Germany and I think, Japan. Also I am afraid that places with a big cash economy will always use cash. I doubt if ours is the only country where an occasional plumber asks for a cash payment and where one is so grateful to find a plumber, any plumber, that one weakens and agrees.

Here you can pay for most things with a card but as we know the business is paying fees, we would not pay for a single cup of coffee with a card, as we saw in Norway. Some places have a minimum of about $10 for cards.

I left my Amex card at home on our trip to Italy. Not sure about the US but here and I think in Europe the fees are much higher so it is not popular.

 

Germany and the Netherlands are probably the best two examples where modern 21st technology has not taken hold

 

I can say this. The last time I was forced to use cash for anything was December 2014 when I visisted Disneyland and bought a mickey bar from a free standing stand. Since then, I have used credit cards for every last purchase which included 2 trips to Europe from the US which includes paying my mobile phone bills via credit card, my ez pass tolls by credit card. In some cases because of the stupidity of some, I'm forced to pay for things like my rent, auto loan and taxes via automatic debit from my chequing account since they want to charge me a surcharge for using my cards. I have about $20 in my wallet which I pulled out of an ATM about two or three years ago. To me, this is modern 21st century way of life.

[LondonTowner]

In London young people pay for very little with cash. In London you can't pay for a bus ride with cash, but you can pay for it with a contactless debit card. A cup of coffee can be purchased with a card. There are a few small, privately owned shops that have a minimum charge, but they are disappearing.

 

I was in Berlin last November and don't remember having any problem using plastic.