5 ms·
Fun fact: At M&S, 12% of payments taken online for delivery to London addresses are paid by Amex. The rest of the country? <3%.
by aigo 5y ago
Fun fact: At M&S, 12% of payments taken online for delivery to London addresses are paid by Amex. The rest of the country? <3%.
- 00deadbeef 5y agoAny idea why Amex would be so popular in London? I'd never even consider an Amex card due to my perception of it being something that many places won't even accept.
- gppk 5y agoBuisiness use.
- mattowen_uk 5y agoLondon has a much higher [wealthy] international populous than the rest of the country. Amex business model is all about having a card that is accepted globally, and comes with lots of nice perks for the [wealthy] traveller.
- bb101 5y agoPeople with higher incomes can afford Amex's Platinum card, which includes good travel insurance, good customer service, access to a good hotel booking program, airport lounge access, boosted status with a few airlines, etc. Most places in the UK that cater to this segment also accept Amex. However, it's a charge card and not a credit card, so it does need to be paid off in full every month.
- lmm 5y agoAmex is positioned as a premium card for high earners, who mostly live in London.
- hocuspocus 5y agoMy guess: Lots of business meetings in London -> merchants need to accept Amex company cards -> people realize acceptance is high -> people look into Amex for their personal usage, for instance to enjoy higher rewards.
- dazc 5y agoStatus symbol?
- billyruffian 5y agoI had my wallet nicked in Padstow on the last day of a trip there and was just about take the 3.5 hour drive home. Problem was I didn't have enough fuel to make it. My CC providers took ages to even answer the phone and cancel the cards. Amex dealt with it a just a few mins, arranged to courier a replacement card to me by the next day and authorised a fuelling stop for me on my way home. I'll never be without one, ever.
- throaway46546 5y agoHow did they authorize a fueling stop?
- Nextgrid 5y agoOut of curiosity, how did they manage to get you money without you having a physical card?
- billyruffian 5y agoI went to an agreed petrol station, they'd authorised spend there. From memory, I think I just told them my name and that was all I needed to do: fill up, thank the staff, drive off.
- bb101 5y agoI had a similar experience in Washington. Amex had an international courier deliver a new card within days. In the UK, the three companies that won't lose my custom (unless things go very downhill) are Amex, NFU Mutual and firstdirect. In my dealings with each, their staff come across as competent and efficient, with a get-stuff-done attitude and evidently empowered to make their own decisions.
- dazc 5y agoFair point, I wasn't aware of this feature.
- toyg 5y agoAmex grants significantly higher credit limits than most banks. Londoners like to live an aspirational lifestyle in a hugely-overpriced city.
- ryanlol 5y ago>hugely-overpriced city If you compare the rental flats with other top European cities, it’s really not overpriced. Look at a 6k eur pcm flat in Barcelona and London, in Barcelona you will find slightly bigger flats with terrible build quality and services. In London you’ll get top quality fit and finish with excellent services. Good luck finding a building with a decent concierge team in most European capitals. It’s almost unheard of. Luxury product for rich people? Yeah, of course. Overpriced? Definitely not, there simply aren’t any viable alternatives to settle in.
- FDSGSG 5y agoSee my previous blog post on this subject: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26926718 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26926718
- mrep 5y agoReally? Sure it doesn't have to do with the bank backing it? My Amex card has the second lowest limit of all my credit cards at a measly $6,500 whereas I have other cards with $30,000, $25,000, and $20,000 limits. Only one lower is my target card but they are known for having low limits.
- toyg 5y agoI have a UK perspective. Here, to get a VISA-backed bank to grant you more than 6-8k is a real struggle, whereas Amex will happily start at 10-12k and grow from there.
- benh14 5y agoAmex is more widely accepted in London, but thats a bit of a catch-22. Amex also has many more premium card with annual fees , travel perks etc which might be more relevant for someone living in London.
- aix1 5y agoSome people (myself included) have a British Airways AmEx card to get a BA companion voucher every year.
- hhmc 5y agoThere's also a cashback card which is worthwhile over a certain expected spend.