Why do so many places take Discover but act like they don't?

[Anonymous]

---

@longtime_lurker wrote:

---

@navigatethis12 wrote:

The same thing happens with American Express. Discover and American Express cost more to process than Visa and Mastercard, so some businesses don't want people to use that. It's odd because usually you have to ask to process American Express. It's against American Express policy to accept the card and not advertise it or ask for another card, so it very well could be against Discover policy too. The merchant account I used to have was 2.65% for Visa/Mastercard, 2.95% for Discover, and 3.25% for American Express.

---

You have a bad payment processor to charge you extra for Discover.

---

This. Even with my online side business, Discover pretty much came with the merchant account by default and wasn't any higher than the others. AmEx I had to apply for separately though (~$5/mo flat rate if you don't get much AmEx card volume).

[Anonymous]

Never had a problem with Amex yet.  Only once Discover at a small nursery but that's to be expected.

[TheGardner]

If they show all cards and refuse discover use an Amex.

From all I have read Discover is the cheapest. Good chance the processor was having issues with Discover vs them not wanting to accept it.

[Anonymous]

---

@TheGardner wrote:
If they show all cards and refuse discover use an Amex.

From all I have read Discover is the cheapest. Good chance the processor was having issues with Discover vs them not wanting to accept it.

---

Or get out a Visa Signature Preferred card, which I'm pretty sure will cost the merchant just as much as AmEx if not more (though this depends on how the merchant's getting charged).

[Sharingan]

---

@dwz55 wrote:

There's so many places that take Discover but they don't have any signs up saying they do.  One furniture store I went actually had the Discover logo on their window but refused my card and asked me if I had a Visa or Mastercard. I asked them why do you have the Discover sign up if you won't take it? They said something about the "Discover machine" not working, I promptly left the store.

Anyone else have this issue with Discover and/or AMEX? Are the swipe fees that much greater for the two?

---

I would probably get up and leave too if a business tried this with me. If they are hiding something so trivial, then you have to wonder what else they are probably hiding from customers... I never like cursory or questionable behavior when I am buying merchandise. I must say, it is quite anomalous for a reputable business to not accept all four networks where I live. The hole in the wall shops tend to not accept any kind of card as opposed to just Visa/MC here. 

[Anonymous]

I haven't had this problem personally but if the sign is displayed then they are supposed to be accepting the card - the merchant agreement says that if they stop accepting the card they are required to remove the logo from display.  I'd contact Discover about it.

Where I live Discover has a 99% acceptance rate and I haven't personally been in a merchant that doesn't accept it other than one little cash only store.  There are a couple mom and pops that don't accept credit cards at all around here but everywhere else accepts all four.