Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Are AMEX & MC widely accepted?

I came across a thread yesterday that stated that AMEX is rarely accepted in Australia & often carries a surcharge. They also noted that not many places accepted travelers checks. Is this true?

I like using AMEX on int'l trips, but will plan on our MasterCard if it's going to be an issue.

Thanks :)

M/C is readily accepted; moreso than Amex. I always proffer an Amex first though as I get more points/miles through doing so.

Some places do charge a 'fee' on CC purchases; but most major retailers, hotel, airports, restaurants etc. do not.

American Express is hit-and-miss. Traveler's checks are kind of pointless -- sometimes difficult to cash, esp. when denominated in USD, and you can get cash anytime from an ATM. (I haven't bought traveler's checks in at least 20 years; like Western Union telegrams, their day is past.) Mastercard is accepted anywhere they take credit cards, but some pubs, restaurants, attractions, etc. are no-cards, cash-only.

To prevent fraud flags, be sure and ring your MC-issuing bank before you leave the States to let them know what dates you'll be in Australia.

MC are widely accepted, AMEX less so (but still plenty enough). Many places have a minimum spend before accepting cards. A lot of places also charge an additional % for AMEX.

I tend to offer my AMEX first unless they charge an additional fee. My Visa is my back-up card (I don't have a MC).

American Express is pretty widely accepted. Small shops, especially in suburban areas and little country towns, are less likely to accept it than other places. But usually, in my experience, there's no problem.

Amex acceptance used to be a bit less than it is now, but it has improved quite a bit. The number of places that charge extra for Amex seems to have reduced too. Generally, MC and Visa are more widely accepted than Amex. In any case if you have Amex and MC, you will generally not encounter problems, but for small transactions, I recommend carrying some cash with you.

The Amex/Mastercard issue is pretty well covered in the previous responses (Mastercard not a problem, Amex a bit hit-or-miss but seems to be getting better).

Traveler's checks - don't bother. Bring your ATM card and use that to get cash. Check to see if your bank has an arrangement with any Australian bank so that you can avoid the fees (e.g., Bank of America has an arrangement with Westpac, so no ATM fees either end if you use a B of A card in a Westpac ATM). In my experience, exchange rates charged always seem pretty good.