s0ssos

Peter Luger's does not take card and they have enough customers. I think it is silly not to go to a place cause they do not take credit cards.

747FC

They don't accept any AMEX, or any other credit card:

http://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/n...edit-card.html

gsxsilver

And yet the vast majority of restaurants accept cards even though they have to pay a fee for it. There is no point in pointing out that one (or few) outliers that does well without cards. Whole point of accepting cards is to convenient the customer. And for every merchant that doesn't want to convenient me, there are dozens that will.

Personally, I don't carry cash and haven't since high school. And since college, i don't carry an atm card unless i travel out of the states. Any merchant who wants my money... need to have a compatible way to take it.

dinanm3atl

Agreed. Plenty of good local taco trucks and such are cash only. Random outliers don't prove anything. If I called Peter's and was told no credit cards I'd just dine elsewhere. It's a pain in the .... And I'm not paying a fee at the ATM across the street because the eatery is 'classic' and only accepts cash.

s0ssos

Well, if you want to miss out because you refuse to withdraw cash, that is your business. I think it is just stupid. It isn't like a matter of principle anyway (what's the principle?).
So does that mean you don't wait in line for food either? Because "It's a pain ..." Nor go out of your way for a good restaurant? Do you ever make reservations, cause I understand that takes some time as well.

mhdena

Know what an Amex offer is? Ever use one/any in the three years you've had your PRG?

dinanm3atl

That's a pretty broad stroke. However...

Will I stand in a line? Sure. Will I show up 2-3 hours early to stand in a long line for some food that is supposedly the 'best ever'? No. Not going to happen. Sure in any city there is some exceptional other food that doesn't require that.

And yah I'll drive somewhere for good food. I'll make a reservation too. I think you missed part of my point. I have to potentially pay a fee because they don't want to?(Or in their case making the claim it's because it's the old way to do it). Making me jump through some sort of hoop to eat at your place doesn't work for me. Waiting in line, making a reservation or the like is something you might have to do anywhere. Going to the ATM across the street? No thanks.

And I do carry cash. For the delicious taco trucks and other small local business that might be cash only. So sure I have sub 100 dollars on me but if my wife and I go out to dinner I don't bring 200-300 dollars to go to a steakhouse because they might only take cash. And beyond that... I prefer a hole in the wall, truck or similar than expensive steakhouse. That is just me though.

blaz

Amex offers are way overrated. I managed to find a couple useful ones last year (maybe 5-6). Nothing this year. Mostly just stores I never heard of or would never even think of shopping at.

The useful ones, like rebates on hotel stays, usually pop up and disappear before I can make use of them (i.e. offer expires end of April, I have a stay at the particular hotel planned for June).

Then there's the offer for an extra point at places like Best Buy, Macy's, etc. Those are usually online only and most online portals (including Chase's "shop with Chase") offer more. Plus, an extra MR points means just 2 MR points total. I can put the same charge on my Freedom Unlimited and get 1.5 UR, which I value roughly the same as 2 MR. No effort required, no clicking through, no searching for offers, simple and easy.

I just don't bother with Amex offers anymore.

mhdena

That's too bad. In the past 18 months I've saved over $2000 and in the last 6 months I've earned over 165,000 MR points on Amex offers.

At least you know how to find them even if you're not taking full advantage of them.

Many people don't even know they exist.

dinanm3atl

Just checking once a day has been helpful for me. Everything from 100 back on 500 airline spend. I'm booking LOTS of air travel so it's easy redemption. Then see random stuff like Petco(has to order online). Site says free shipping over some dollar amount. Again 15 dollars of easy redemption. And I didn't even have to drive to Petco for the food!

blaz

The expiration dates often kill the deal for me. For example, I had the 20000 MR for $1000 spend on Air France deal. I fly on Air France at least once per year, but didn't have any specific plans before the deal expired on 4/14. This happens a lot, which makes the deals frustrating. It is yet another hoop in the string of hoops that Amex makes you jump through. I'd rather not be Pavlov's dog.

milypan

Do you know how many restaurants don't accept AmEx? I didn't until I got a Blue card with 10x pts at restaurants as part of the sign up bonus. The answer is "a lot."

At 10x pts of course I'll continue using it until I hit the $2k max for that bonus. But if it were just 2-3x pts I would not bother in many cases to even find out whether the establishment accepts AmEx.

jhartvu

I literally laughed out loud at this. Do your dates really judge you based on your credit card? I just can't imagine a circumstance where I went out with someone and was either horrified by their choice of credit card, or they mine.

gsxsilver

The pretentious dates actually have a color system for how the night will go. black = home run, plat = 3rd base, gold 2nd, green 1st, and blue strikes out.

travelinmanS

I like using AMEX overseas because I can avoid the Dynamic Currency Conversion that Visa/MC seem to have everywhere now. I don't find someone who uses an AMEX Platinum any more or less pretentious than someone using a CSR, a Discover, or a secured Cap One card. Who judges people on what card they use and who would even think that they are judged on this?

I read the article as soon as it popped up on the website and the only line I remember from it is the "this makes me interesting" line. What a DB that guy must be.