21 Jul

Amex Casinos Australia – There’s More than you Think

Learn how to deposit with Amex casinos Australia, whether it’s advertised as a payment option or not.

Amex Casinos AustraliaIt wasn’t all that long ago that there were just as many American Express casinos Australia players could deposit with as there were Visa, MasterCard, and even Discover. The four major credit card brands were competing on a level playing field, providing the ultimate convenience for card holders.

That’s no longer the case. In the last decade, the number of Amex and Discover logos on display has fallen dramatically. Today, less than 3% of the world’s known online gambling sites are classified as Amex casinos Australia players are accepted at.

Visa is still chugging along, of course, gracing the banking pages of 99.9% of the industry. MasterCard isn’t far behind them, either.

Why Amex Acceptance is So Low

There are some very distinct differences between American Express and its #1 rival, Visa. Operators are less inclined the employ the service, while the more affluent among us have every reason to prefer American Express, and Amex casinos.

Australia may not be the birth place of of Amex, but the credit card has spread globally over the decades, despite its cost to merchants. Retailers who accept the card are forced to pay, on average, 50% more than they do for Visa. Yet many of them do so willing.

Where Visa and MasterCard typically charge a retailer 2% of their sales, Amex averages a 3% charge. So for every $100 spent by a customer charging to their American Express card, the store has to pay the credit card company $3.

On the one hand, this has reduced the number of Amex retailers, both on land and online. However, it’s the customers that use this card that have encouraged so many merchants to keep it around.

According to the company’s own website, American Express cardholders average 60% higher income than other card holders. This means they tend to charge more purchases to the card – everyday items, rather than just special purchases. Unlike Visa and MasterCard, American Express doesn’t charge interest to their customers either. They are required to pay off the bill at the end of each month, and for the convenience of charging, pay an annual fee of a few hundred dollars.

Customers also enjoy a much wider range of perks for using Amex. The rewards system goes far beyond what their competitors offer, including airline miles and free hotel rooms—the kind of services upper-class citizens use frequently.

So why are so many retailers still advertising acceptance of Amex, while most online casinos have removed it from their payment list? That has more to do with the US government and its aversion to online gambling.

As the legal climate shifted between 2007-2011, US-based credit card companies stepped back, with many of them shying away from the iGaming industry. Even though Visa is advertised on almost every online casino in the world, its acceptance rate is nowhere near 100%. Depending on the bank that issued the card, players are often met with rejection when using it, and forced to utilize another method.

Amex Casinos Australia – Tricks of the Trade

American Express Casinos AustraliaThere are just under 100 online casinos that accept Australian players, and Amex deposits. Statistically, that’s about 2.6% of the global industry. Unfortunately, the vast majority of them (not all, but most) are licenced in disreputable jurisdictions, like Costa Rica and Curacao. They may be safe, or they may not, but is it really worth the risk to find out?

But here’s the kicker. There’s a trick players can use to deposit with Amex, whether it’s advertised as an accepted form of payment or not.

If they are advertised as Amex casinos, Australia players can use this method directly through the casino and go about their gaming as usual. If not, you simply have to use another method that can be funded via American Express credit cards.

Alternative Payment Methods via Amex

E-Wallets like Skrill are a perfect option. By signing up a free account with Skrill and using your Amex card to fund the account, you can then transfer those funds to any online casino that accepts Skrill. That covers pretty much all of them, especially the highly distinguished ones licenced in reputable jurisdictions like Isle of Man, Malta, Gibraltar and the UK.

Paysafecard is another great option. Paysafecard is a prepaid card that can be purchased in retail stores all over Australia (and beyond). They’re found at grocery stores, malls, gas stations, convenience marts, etc. You can use your Amex card to buy them, and they are accepted at many of today’s most respected online casinos, like Royal Vegas.

You can even use Paysafecard to fund a Skrill account, but why pay another middle man to get the job done? The point is, you don’t have to go searching for Amex casinos Australia players can deposit at. You just have to find a deposit method that can be funded with your Amex card.