American Express (AMEX) cards come with unique rewards, perks, and strong consumer protections, which make them a favorite for many. But there’s one hurdle AMEX users know all too well: many merchants, both large and small, do not accept American Express due to higher processing fees. 

From retailers like Costco and, as of August 2024, eBay to countless smaller restaurants and stores, AMEX is often a no-go. But with the financial tool Kasheesh, there’s now a way to get around these limitations and continue using your cards even at these places. 

This guide will show you how to leverage Kasheesh to use your AMEX credit cards wherever Mastercard is accepted, and with the added bonus of being able to split payments across multiple cards when necessary, providing you with ultimate flexibility in your spending.

Why Some Places Don’t Accept AMEX

American Express charges higher fees than Visa and Mastercard, which makes it more costly for merchants to offer as an accepted payment method—especially smaller businesses. 

Many merchants stick to just Visa and Mastercard to keep costs low, and some, like Costco, exclusively accept Visa. This can be frustrating for AMEX cardholders who want to maximize their rewards, and especially for those who only have American Express cards in their wallets.

Luckily, the financial technology service Kasheesh offers a solution that allows you to use your AMEX at these locations in a roundabout but effective and convenient way.

Using AMEX When It’s Not Accepted: A Guide to Using Kasheesh

Kasheesh allows users to create a virtual Mastercard debit card that draws funds from any payment source they choose, including an AMEX card, other credit cards, debit cards, and prepaid gift cards. 

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign Up & Link Your Card(s): First, create a Kasheesh account (there’s no sign up fee), then link any cards you want to use for your purchases.
   
   
2. Generate a Digital Mastercard Debit Card: Kasheesh enables you to create a virtual Mastercard debit card that’s accepted at any location where Mastercard is, which means your AMEX or other cards can be indirectly accepted.
   
   
3. Choose your AMEX as the Funding Source: Kasheesh lets you connect your AMEX as the underlying funding source for this digital debit card. This way, any purchase made with the Kasheesh-issued Mastercard debit card is automatically charged to your AMEX account.
   
   
4. Split Payments Across Multiple Cards (Optional): If you need to manage a larger purchase, or simply have multiple payment methods you want to use, Kasheesh also gives you the option to split payments across up to five different cards.
   
   For example, you could charge part of the purchase to your AMEX and spread the remaining amount across other debit or credit cards.

The merchant will register the payment as a Mastercard debit card payment, which it is, and Kasheesh will charge your American Express in the background. This can be particularly useful at places that charge higher fees for using credit cards than if you pay with a debit card.

Where Kasheesh’s AMEX Workaround Is Most Useful

Here are some common locations and scenarios where Kasheesh’s unique features can make a difference for American Express cardholders:

Using AMEX at Costco

As a warehouse club with exclusive partnerships, Costco only accepts Visa and Mastercard in their online store. By using Kasheesh, you can bypass this limitation by creating a Mastercard debit card funded by your American Express (or a combination of multiple cards), and effectively use your AMEX at Costco.

Using AMEX at eBay

Previously an American Express-friendly platform, eBay stopped accepting AMEX in August 2024, due to rising fees. With Kasheesh, you can continue to use your AMEX on eBay by creating a Mastercard debit card linked to it as the underlying funding source. Don’t let those auctions slip away!

Using AMEX when not accepted at Smaller Restaurants & Stores

Many small businesses only accept Visa and Mastercard. Kasheesh’s digital Mastercard allows you to indirectly use your AMEX, making it possible to enjoy rewards even at those smaller local businesses.

Using AMEX when it’s not accepted abroad

If you’ve ever traveled around Europe or other continents, you may have noticed that in some countries, American Express is not a widely accepted payment method. It is called American Express, after all. Jokes aside, while the name is likely irrelevant, it’s still a fact that trying to swipe your AMEX in places like Italy, Germany, Spain, and other countries, is often a hit or miss.

But by using Kasheesh, you can keep using your AMEX anywhere Mastercard is accepted, and even split the payments across several cards, making the costs of your vacation even easier to manage.

Benefits of Kasheesh’s Payment Splitting Feature

Kasheesh is a powerful tool, not only because it lets you use your AMEX where it isn’t accepted, but also because it gives you the flexibility to split a single purchase across up to five cards. This can be particularly useful in scenarios like:

• Purchases That Exceed Your AMEX Limit: If you don’t have enough available credit to cover a larger expense, Kasheesh allows you to partially charge a purchase to your AMEX and cover the remainder with other cards–effectively giving you the ability to always use your favorite cards, regardless of available limit.
  
  
• Balancing Rewards Across Cards: For cardholders who want to maximize rewards or hit minimum spending requirements for sign up bonuses on several cards simultaneously, Kasheesh’s split-payment functionality lets you strategically allocate spending across multiple cards.

Kasheesh’s Fees and Promotions

Kasheesh applies a 2% processing fee to each transaction, however, this fee is often offset by Kasheesh’s frequent no-fee or reduced-fee cash back promotions, which are typically available for a couple of weeks each month. Details are posted on the company blog.

Your fees paid during these promotions are refunded as a cash back bonus the next month, so if you account for the returns, these promotions effectively allow for free or discounted use of Kasheesh, making it an attractive option even when factoring in the upfront fee.

A Convenient Solution for AMEX Users

Kasheesh opens up new possibilities for AMEX users. With the ability to create a Mastercard debit card linked to your AMEX, you can enjoy the benefits of AMEX at locations that don’t normally accept it. Additionally, Kasheesh’s payment-splitting feature provides flexibility for managing larger purchases, balancing card rewards, and addressing credit limits.

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