This is HUGE news. One of my biggest gripes about the Delta AMEX cards has been each time I visit Sweden I have to start using cards like the Barclay’s Arrival card that does NOT charge a foreign transaction fee. That is changing as of 1MAY2014:
“As of May 1, 2014, the foreign transaction fee is waived for American Express Consumer and Business Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards (Gold, Platinum and Reserve) issued in the U.S. or PRVI. Card Members should start to receive notice of this change in their February statement.
Also happening May 1, EMV chip technology will be available on all American Express Delta Cards. After May 1, interested Card Members can call the number on the back of their Card to request a new Card with chip.”
So not only is the current 2.7% upcharge to use the card soon gone and we will soon have a chip on the card as well. My guess is for now we are talking chip & signature but it opens the way to chip & pin next. Keep in mind in many places in Europe without a chip you are just STUCK. This will now go away and AMEX is more widely accepted in my experience in Europe than the USA.
This really is a BIG enhancement and upgrade to our Delta AMEX cards and I am thrilled after the price increase coming to the Delta Platinum card that they are also including this improvement effective the same day!- René
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There is no point in waiving the forex fees on this card (unless you are trying to compete with the United Chase card). Amex should have forex waived for the SPG Amex. SPG has a considerable amount of properties overseas. Seriously who would ever use their delta amex card overseas for cobranded purchases?
@Austin – many of us Delta flyers are HUGE spenders on our Delta cards and those of us who KNOW how to use our Delta points see great value in our points. Plus, this year, most of us are working to meet our MDS exempt spend. So there is your answer to WHY use a Delta AMEX card overseas!
Yes Austin there is no Delta Points without Delta. We love Delta enhancements. <3
I disagree at the benefit of this. AMEX is absolutely abysmal with its acceptance oversees. There’s no point in even pulling it out, it’s a hassle to ask retailers if they accept AMEX when so many Visa cards already waive foreign transaction fees and you know it’ll be accepted. AMEX really needs to work on this more, but this news is a small step in the right direction.
@Chase – you and I do not travel to the same places. This is HUGE for me. I am beyond thrilled!
I have been in France for the past week and have a chipped AMEX and a non-chipped Visa. Neither card has been rejected so far. During my travels in China, AMEX can still be a problem, especially out in the middle of east nowhere, but I have not had a problem with a non-chipped AMEX in major cities in major hotel chains.
Do these 2 changes make the card a “new product”? I canceled my personal AMEX Delta card in December and was wondering if this would make it possible to get the bonus again. My guess is no, but I’m not sure.
@Justin – Delta does not work that way, i.e. the way Chase does. With Chase it is 1x “ever” (more like 4-5 years) per product. With AMEX you can have the same product again and again and again you just have to cancel, with 365+ days, then you are good to go so NO that will not work. You can get the new card bonus again in Jan2015!
This is not a game changer but it’s a start in the right direction. As others have posted we need the same on the SPG card.
By the time I travel overseas this year the spend will be made on my Delta reserve (both spend caps for MQM rewards) so there’s no reason for me to spend more on this card.
@Graydon – I have two Reserve cards so need to spend $60,000 on EACH by year end to get MAX MQM bonus so for some of us this really helps!
based on your tweet from yesterday, I was expecting bad news!
@vasily – Here you are: http://deltapoints.boardingarea.com/2014/02/06/skyclub-day-pass-via-skybonus-jumps-60-become-available/
I travel to London for work about 4 times a year, granted, I dont get over the channel much, but I can only think of maybe twice when my AMEX was refused. In that case, I use cash (usually it is for a meal). My AMEX Plat has a chip and sign and I have been abble to use it in machines, for Tube passes, without trouble.
Anywhere where my chip+sig Amex has worked in Sweden or Denmark, my non-chip Amex has worked too. In the same region, if my chip+sig Amex didn’t work, my non-chip Amex didn’t work either. And in the same region, if my non-chip Amex didn’t work, my chip+sig Amex didn’t work either. In other regions, the chip+sig may possibly expand options for card users, but I’m still seeking evidence of that to test and confirm myself.
The major changes confirmed here are at least the following two: Amex is going for chip cards to cut down on fake bank cards using its customers’ real card numbers; and Amex is cutting back on charging forex fees.
An improvement but not a major game changer for me as I already have other “no-forex-fee” cards.
I hope it will be chip and PIN and with the magnetic strip on the back. I have that with mu USAA cards and it covers all the bases. I agree with Renee – in my travels this is a real upgrade. One thing to watch – to what is the exchange rate pegged. Last year I noticed my Chase card with no for ex fees was about a percent higher than my amex. Chase was still a better deal because the amex fee exceeded the difference. It will be interesting to see if amex changes the conversion to catch one percent of the old fee.
@FirstInFlight – this has been my experience as well. Cards w/o ForEx fees have higher exchange rates. In any case, my company reimburses me for the fees, so no big deal for me, except for fewer items to put on my expense report.
I’ve been looking for a reason to apply for the business Delta Gold and now I have it! Too bad the sign up bonus isn’t as rich as it has been in the past.
@FirstInFlight – According to The Points Guy, it’ll be Chip and Sig, just like all of AmEx’s cards.
I saw the trick to this treat when I looked at my current Plat DL card statement. They are upping the annual cost of the DL AmEx to $195 from $150 for all renewals after May this year. This is my oldest card (got it before I started getting into the miles hobby and card churning) so I have paid it to maintain my credit history length and for the free companion ticket.Will have to seriously rethink this now.