Amex is a popular credit card used by many consumers from around the world. Customers using Amex tend to make larger purchases, with many Amex cards being used for business and corporate purchases.
In the past, Amex was the most expensive credit card to accept for business owners, causing many to reconsider whether or not they want to accept it at their business. Amex offers two different pricing options for businesses – ESA and OptBlue®.
- ESA is American Express’s direct processing program, which means your account and transaction settlement is directly managed by American Express. If your business processes $1 million or more per year in Amex transactions you must have a direct account – your processor is no longer able to support your Amex account.
- OptBlue is a new processing option from Amex that offers wholesale pricing based on the industry and transaction amounts for businesses. It allows payment processors to offer Amex under an interchange plus, or cost-plus, pricing plan.