Does anyone else find American Express Gift Cards difficult to use in stores?  When I use GC's I always hand it to the cashier and tell them how much is on the card and whether or not the paperwork that came with the cards says to swipe as a debit or credit. I never have any problem with Visa or Mastercard but something about American Express GC's makes them difficult and all to often they are rejected.

I have a $25 American Express GC ,that I won, and this morning decided to make an early morning run to Walmart to go grocery shopping. Before I left home I called the number for American Express and verified the funds on the card and the card didn't require activation. After the cashier rang up all the groceries I handed her the AMEX card and told her "there's $25 on the gift card". The paperwork with this particular card doesn't say to swipe as a debit or credit and it wouldn't have mattered because as soon as it was swiped it came up as "invalid". The cashier asked what what kind of card it was (as in AMEX, VISA or Mastercard) and when I told her it was American Express she said "I doubt the system will accept it." She swiped the card a total of three times, came up as "invalid" each time, so she gave the card back to me. This is not the first time I've had American Express GC's to swipe as "invalid" and eventually declined.

A few months ago I had a different AMEX GC that also kept swiping as "invalid". That cashier didn't give up as easily and I remember her saying "let me try it this way." I don't know what she did but the card was then accepted. I've also had AMEX cards that the cashier had no problems processing.

Does anyone know if cashiers need to do something different in order for AMEX to be processed properly and accepted??? If so, I'd sure like to know the trick so I can tell the cashier. 

Today's experience was at Walmart. After I got home I went to their website to saw they sell Visa, Mastercard and AMERICAN EXPRESS Gift Cards. I figure if they sell them they should accept them. I'm starting to think AMEX cards are processed differently than  Visa and Mastercard and some cashiers just simply don't know it. If this is the case I wish I knew how AMEX needed to be processed so I can tell the cashier the next time I try to use my card.

If your total purchase was more than the card amount of $25, I found this information:

Just found this on Walmart site regarding American Express Gift Card:

•When making a purchase for more than the available funds on your Gift Card, ask the merchant if they accept 2 forms of payment. If the merchant agrees, request that they place a specific dollar amount on the other form of payment (e.g., the final transaction amount less the balance of funds available on your Gift Card).
http://www.walmart.com/ip/50-American-Express-Gift-Card-purchase-fee-included/10716274 (Under special usuage instructions)

The clerk might have to process the card differently, If you have more than one payment.  Also, I am not sure about Walmart, but I have had some stores that won't accept more than one payment per transaction.

Another suggestion, might be to use it in a self checkout lane.  There you can chose the American Express card type on the screen and the self checkout usually automatically comes up asking for another form of payment if the gift card amount is not enough to cover the full amount of your transaction.  At least this has been my experience at the self checkouts I have been to when using my gift cards. 

I work as a cashier and we have  the same problems with American Expess GC. We have to enter the cash part first and then swipe the card.

Bruce

For the AMEX giftcards I've won I use mine at Target, I swipe it myself like its my credit card then I pay the difference if there is one.

goodguy46947 - we shop the same 

I push until they figure it out, since I've usually price checked, couponed, and gone down to the wire on what I've spent, so that card HAS to work!!!

I got a $25 & $50 from Camel, and somehow lost the $50 between the house and the store, was I ever steamed!!! 

I'm a cashier at walmart and all card readers react different but what i do and it always seems to work is

have cashier hit the credit key, swipe your card, you agree(hit ok/yes), you sign just like a credit card
sometimes you have to have cashier type in the amount on card, hit credit key then you sign your name

I hope this works and as far as I know all walmarts except the cards

but never keep cards(the magnetic strips touching it will demagnetize them and they won't read correctly in card readers)

I hope this helps those having issues