Comments on: Voting: today and everyday! http://www.footnoted.com/buried-treasure/voting-today-and-everyday/ Michelle Leder's guide to what's hiding in SEC filings Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:06:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John Risner http://www.footnoted.com/buried-treasure/voting-today-and-everyday/comment-page-1/#comment-6696 John Risner Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:50:41 +0000 http://www.footnoted.com/?p=2920#comment-6696 Agree with first two posts. Since amex merchant fees are materially higher than Visa/Mastercard/Discover, each business has to judge the tradeoff of merchant fee vs. lost sales. I doubt that had it been a higher price sale they would have accepted Amex. To have a merchant agreement in place and decline the card is a clear violation of the agreement. You either accept or not. Amex is my favorite personal card - great service and website. But it is my least favorite from the other side - due to inflexibility and high fees. (We have merchant agreements with Amex/Visa/Mstr & Discover. I am surprised that low margin businesses like gas stations and grocery stores accept Amex. The 25-50bp difference in merchant fees must materially impact their net. Agree with first two posts. Since amex merchant fees are materially higher than Visa/Mastercard/Discover, each business has to judge the tradeoff of merchant fee vs. lost sales. I doubt that had it been a higher price sale they would have accepted Amex. To have a merchant agreement in place and decline the card is a clear violation of the agreement. You either accept or not.

Amex is my favorite personal card – great service and website. But it is my least favorite from the other side – due to inflexibility and high fees. (We have merchant agreements with Amex/Visa/Mstr & Discover.

I am surprised that low margin businesses like gas stations and grocery stores accept Amex. The 25-50bp difference in merchant fees must materially impact their net.

]]> By: stone barrington http://www.footnoted.com/buried-treasure/voting-today-and-everyday/comment-page-1/#comment-6684 stone barrington Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:49:33 +0000 http://www.footnoted.com/?p=2920#comment-6684 the merchant in question took the same liberty you are advocating, namely, voting with their wallet (by not accepting your AMEX). the merchant in question took the same liberty you are advocating, namely, voting with their wallet (by not accepting your AMEX).

]]> By: Michele Stanton http://www.footnoted.com/buried-treasure/voting-today-and-everyday/comment-page-1/#comment-6682 Michele Stanton Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:17:50 +0000 http://www.footnoted.com/?p=2920#comment-6682 While I am sure there are some merchants who do not take the Amex card because of restraint of trade by other card companies, some of my small business clients do not take the Amex card because that card charges merchants more. It is a simple matter of the merchant voting with their dollars. While I am sure there are some merchants who do not take the Amex card because of restraint of trade by other card companies, some of my small business clients do not take the Amex card because that card charges merchants more. It is a simple matter of the merchant voting with their dollars.

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