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AMEX Gift Cards are a Rip off! DO NOT buy them as last minute x-mas gifts

Dec 24th, 2008
by Chad.





Looking for that last minute x-mas gift?  Well make sure you DON’T buy an American Express (AMEX) Gift Card.  The transaction fee can range from 14% to 6%.  I purchased these last year and vowed to never do so again.  Processing fee of $3.95 on a $25 gift card.  Then yesterday while in line at Pavilions, the woman in front of me bought a $100 AMEX card that had a $5.95 processing fee.  She was pissed.  This year i decided to just purchase Target and Ralphs gift cards.  The recipients can use them for necessities and I don’t fee raped.

I know they need to make money, but that is way too steep.  I am boycotting AMEX gift cards forever.

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  • I know, it's unbelievable that they can get away with this. I mean, it's your money you used to put in the gift card and there going to charge you for it? That's like charging you a tax on using the restroom after you eat. Once again NO regulation on something that really needs to be regulated. God Bless America, Land of the overcharged an under serviced..............
  • The Visa gift cards also have a processing fee but they are good about showing that on their packaging. Sucks though.

    Happy Holidays!
  • Ness
    Amex ha ha
  • Jack
    Just go the extra mile and give their parents money to deposit into their checking account. It's a nice surprise, trust me. PS Thanks Mom!
  • In case you already have an AMEX gift card and are having trouble using it, we've published a how-to of how to restore your balance if your card is declined or past the "Valid Thru" date-- including how to get the service fees wiped if you are in a state that prohibits them.

    Hope this is helpful! http://tinyurl.com/7jk57m
  • Chad
    Thanks Solvate! What states prohibit gift card fees?
  • It's not a simple question! First you have to distinguish between "single merchant" gift cards (like a Best Buy card) and "multiple merchant" or bank-issued cards like the AMEX gift card. California for example restricts fees on the former; Connecticut restricts fees on both. Then you have to consider by-state court cases for interpretations of the law. We have links to a few sites with state-by-state legal reviews in our post on AMEX gift cards; also info on states that some AMEX gift card agents have been trained to approve fee removals for. As for how AMEX determines whether you are a resident of one of those states? Working on it. (link again is http://tinyurl.com/7jk57m)
  • Dang, I did not realize it was that complex of an issue. Thanks for all the great info, I'll check out your site.
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