AmEx at ALDI via Google Wallet?

LTihkal on 13/02/2023 - 16:52
Last edited 13/02/2023 - 17:06 by 1 other user

Wife and I recently applied for our first credit card to capitalise on our offset account and accrue some rewards points along the way. I ended up deciding on the Qantas Amex discovery card.

A few days later I also learned that Amex is not accepted by Aldi which is where my wife likes to shop and she's pretty reluctant to change. I could get an additional Mastercard or Visa but considering this is our first credit card I'd like to try and make this work first.

Does anyone have any experience using Amex at Aldi either via Google Wallet, PayPal, or any other method? I'm not that concerned about the fact we won't be getting everyday rewards, I'm more focused on keeping that portion of money in the offset account.

Thanks in advance!

Financial American Express

Related Stores

ALDI
ALDI

Comments

  • askbargain on 13/02/2023 - 16:59
    +1

    ALDI clearly doesn't want high income earners shopping there. Shop elsewhere!

  • kerfuffle on 13/02/2023 - 17:01
    +7

    You're gonna find that quite a few places don't accept Amex. This is why you also have a Mastercard or Visa as a backup. Furthermore, Aldi charges fees if you pay by credit.

  • randomusername2017 on 13/02/2023 - 17:02

    Not specifically Aldi, but if the merchant has blocked Amex, Google Wallet payment fails. PayPal digital is US only.

    Afterpay might work…

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 13/02/2023 - 17:02
    +2

    Fairly sure the eftpos machine needs to be enabled to take Amex for a start.

  • Tihkal on 13/02/2023 - 17:04

    Ok thanks for the information. Might have to get another card at some point.

    • sumyungguy on 13/02/2023 - 17:14
      +1

      Can't you get a free Mastercard or Visa via your mortgagee?

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 13/02/2023 - 17:37

        An AusPost Mastercard?

        • Kyle-K on 13/02/2023 - 18:04

          Know that product is horrible and if we're talking about the reloadable 1 I don't think you can reload it with American Express, and if you did you would be getting hit with cash advance fees anyway.

          OP needs to find another credit card maybe something like the 28° one, or a debit card from any major bank it's only one merchant for now anyway!.

  • Kyle-K on 13/02/2023 - 18:09
    +1

    Loading your card to a digital wallet will not allow you to override merchant acceptance just because you've done that. All you're doing is making a tokenised copy of your card it doesn't change the card network or scheme used.

    That means of a merchant does not support contactless payments or the card network e.g. American Express you can't just magically get them to accept it because you loaded it into your digital wallet of platform choice it's still on American Express.

  • Neoika on 13/02/2023 - 18:29
    +1

    Buy cash cards from Coles promotion.

    Unfortunately, the recent sale was cancelled.

  • Tihkal on 13/02/2023 - 19:48

    Thanks everyone. I thought this must be the case but was hoping for the best. Coles 0% p.a Mastercard here we come.

    • kerfuffle on 13/02/2023 - 19:49
      +2

      Aldi will charge you a fee to use that Coles Mastercard in their stores.

    • sumyungguy on 13/02/2023 - 20:15

      Why not check out the low-fee cards that earn Qantas points, seeing as you’re earning with the Amex?

      • Tihkal on 14/02/2023 - 08:14

        I think I'm leaning towards this now. I think I'm ok with 0.5% on $200 shopping… I think.

    • WookieMonster on 13/02/2023 - 21:28
      +2

      I hope you realise that ALDI charges a 0.5% surcharge for all Visa and Mastercard payments. (@kerfuffle has tried to point this out twice.)

      If you don't mind paying the 0.5% surcharge, that is all well and good. If you do mind, the only payment methods that do not attract a surcharge are:

      • Payments processed through the EFTPOS SAV/CHQ network, and

      • Cash.

      Additionally (and AFAIK), ALDI has not changed the contactless payment routing settings on their EFTPOS terminals, which means that if you tap a physical dual-network debit card on the EFTPOS machine's NFC reader, your payment will be routed through the Visa or Mastercard network by default (depending on which network is also on the debit card). If you want to pay using

      • If you have a physical dual-network debit card, you must either swipe or insert, select SAV or CHQ (whichever is relevant), enter the PIN and press Enter.

      • If you have a virtual copy of your dual-network debit card stored on a mobile wallet and you can choose on your device to route your payment through the EFTPOS SAV or CHQ network, your payment will be routed through the EFTPOS SAV or CHQ network. Note that not all debit card issuers will allow you to choose to route payments through the EFTPOS network; if you cannot choose a payment network from your device, it means your payment will go through the Visa or Mastercard network (whichever is relevant) and therefore attract the 0.5% surcharge.

      If you have an EFTPOS gift card (e.g. Perfect EFTPOS gift card, TCN EFTPOS gift card), that will not be charged a payment surcharge, as the payment is routed through the EFTPOS network. There's a little idea the next time you see a fee-free and/or bonus points deal for EFTPOS gift cards…

      • Tihkal on 14/02/2023 - 08:16

        Awesome information! I was thinking about the EFTPOS gift card route also. And you get ER points for purchasing those EFTPOS cards right?

        • WookieMonster on 14/02/2023 - 09:19
          +1

          You only get Everyday Rewards points if you purchase it through a deal specifically advertising that you will earn bonus Everyday Rewards points on the gift card (e.g. this upcoming deal at BIG W… the $200 Perfect EFTPOS gift card is one to go for out of all three types of Perfect EFTPOS gift cards sold at BIG W).

          On the other hand, if you purchase an EFTPOS gift card at Coles or Kmart, you will earn standard Flybuys points (i.e. 1x point per $1 spent), but you will not earn standard Flybuys points at Target when purchasing an EFTPOS gift card.

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