American Express cards work at most large Canadian retailers, chains, airlines, hotels and online stores, but not everywhere a Visa or Mastercard works. The gaps are real enough that many Amex cardholders carry a second card on a different network. This page explains where Amex is accepted in Canada, the best-known places it isn’t, why a merchant might not take it, and how to check before you pay. It’s part of our credit card reviews and roundups; for the Amex cards themselves, see the best American Express cards in Canada.
Who accepts American Express in Canada
Amex is generally accepted at:
- national grocery, pharmacy, department store and clothing chains;
- restaurant chains, and many independent restaurants in larger cities;
- airlines, hotels, car rental companies and travel booking sites;
- large online retailers, including Amazon.ca;
- utilities, telecom providers and many subscription services that bill a card monthly.
Acceptance is weaker at small independent shops, some smaller restaurants and cafés, farmers’ markets, some service businesses such as contractors, and places that take cards through low-cost payment terminals set up only for Visa, Mastercard and Interac debit. Whether a particular merchant takes Amex is the merchant’s own decision, so two stores in the same chain or neighbourhood can differ.
Where American Express isn’t accepted
The best-known exception is Costco. Costco’s Canadian warehouses list their accepted payment methods as Mastercard, debit card, cash, Costco Shop Card, personal cheque and Apple Pay, so neither Amex nor Visa credit cards work at the till. The credit cards for Costco page covers which Mastercards earn the most there.
Beyond Costco, there is no single published list of Canadian merchants that decline Amex, and it changes as merchants change payment processors. The reliable signs are the card logos at the door, on the terminal or at checkout online, and asking before you order.
Why some merchants don’t take Amex
A merchant pays a fee on every card payment, and the cost differs by network and by card type (standard or premium). Canada’s Code of Conduct for the Payment Card Industry, which American Express Canada, Mastercard, Visa, Interac and the other major networks have agreed to, gives merchants the right to choose which networks’ cards to accept, and to offer different discounts for different payment methods. A merchant who finds one network’s cards costly or rarely presented can simply not take them. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada’s page on merchant rights under the Code sets those rights out.
Amex compared with Visa and Mastercard
| American Express | Visa | Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large chains and online stores | Widely accepted | Widely accepted | Widely accepted |
| Small independent merchants | Patchier | Very widely accepted | Very widely accepted |
| Costco warehouses | Not accepted | Not accepted | Accepted |
| Abroad | Varies by country | Very widely accepted | Very widely accepted |
Visa and Mastercard are accepted at nearly every Canadian merchant that takes credit cards, while Amex has gaps. For the Visa and Mastercard lineups, see the best Visa cards and the best Mastercards in Canada.
Not getting caught without a card that works
- Carry a backup card on another network. A no-fee Visa or Mastercard covers the places Amex isn’t taken without adding a fee; the no annual fee card roundup lists options. Pairing a high-earning Amex such as the Amex Cobalt with a no-fee Mastercard is a common two-card setup.
- Check before ordering at a restaurant or booking a service, especially at small or independent businesses.
- Look at the checkout page before entering card details online; the accepted logos are usually shown.
- Abroad, plan on a Visa or Mastercard as your main card and keep Amex for places that clearly take it.
If you’re weighing an Amex card against a Visa or Mastercard alternative, the Amex Cobalt vs TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite comparison shows how acceptance enters the decision, and the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite review covers the Visa side.