Where Is American Express Accepted in Canada? | Amex-Friendly Shops and Services

August 31, 2021 | Editorial Team

Where is American express accepted in Canada? If you have been looking for locations that accept Amex credit cards in Canada, you have come to the right place.

With over 90,000 places in Canada started accepting American Express Cards in 2019 alone, you’re likely to find a great spot to shop on nearly any corner. But, when you’re planning a trip or are just looking for inspiration to see where your favorite credit cards are accepted, start exploring the list below.

In this post, I will give a full list of businesses that accept American Express for online purchases, give benefits of using the card for every purchase, and give stores that do not accept their cards.

What Is an American Express Card?

An American Express Card or popularly known as an Amex card is an electronic payment card issued by American Express Company. The company also has credit, prepaid, and charge cards. We reviewed the Scotia Gold American Express card due to its popularity in Canada.

The card is issued to individuals, small business owners, and corporate in the United States and all over the globe. The card offers several cashback points on different products and services that you will pay with the card. So, if you are interested in getting cash back from your credit card, this is the right card for you.

credit cards sorted in a brown leather wallet

Find Merchants Near You Using American Express Maps

Simply check out all of these places throughout Canada that accept American Express Cards. American Express has become a trusted payment system throughout Canada, bringing you, even more, convenience when shopping for the things you need, from cars to travel services.

American Express cards are widely accepted at thousands of places in Canada, from grocery stores and gas stations to department stores and restaurants.

Some examples include Amazon, Canada Post, Hudson’s Bay Company, Indigo Books & Music, petro Canada, National Bank Financial Group, Royal Bank of Canada, Tim Hortons, and Walmart Canada.

American Express Maps

It’s always been difficult to find places that accept American Express cards. The map is a new app that makes it easy for anyone with an American Express card to search for local businesses with American Express contactless payment options simply by using their mobile device.

Amex had to come up with a way to make it easy to find merchants near you. American Express Maps brought the major retailer’s stores together to improve the convenience and simplicity of locating a nearby store. You can see a huge list of merchants and filters that let you quickly identify places of interest with one touch.

Who Accepts American Express in Canada?

Major retailers in Canada are beginning to accept American Express because of its global reputation for security and reliability. Knowing which businesses in Canada accept American Express is helpful when making a purchase decision.

Groceries

Use your American Express credit card to make purchases in Canada at over 1 million groceries stores. You’ll see “American Express” and/or the American Express Card Global Symbol at participating retailers and businesses that accept American Express Cards.

Amex Acceptance at Large Retailers

Groceries stores in Canada that accept American express are Metro Plus, 7-Eleven, Safeway, Longos, Whole Foods Market, and Sobeys.

a smiling salesman in the groceries store

Gas Stations

Are you looking for gas stations where they are accepting American Express cards? While American Express is not as popular as Visa, MasterCard, or even Discover, it’s still widely accepted. We did the hard work and found out that there are still a lot of gas stations that accept this credit card.

They are not hard to find and you will probably be able to find one very close to where you live. You can find even some in Alberta, a beautiful province in western Canada, Toronto, Montreal, etc.

Gas stations that started accepting American express include Petro-Can, Co-Op Gas Bars, Shell, Bluewave Energy, Esso, Irving Oil, Ultramar, Fast Gas Plus, Race Trac among others.

Woman refueling her car in a gas station

Pharmacies

There are many Canadians who want to buy drugs and they aren’t aware of which pharmacies are accepting American Express cards.

 If you are one of them, you should know all the pharmacy across Canada that accepts Amex card so that you can get your needed medications without any kind of worries and problems. All major and minor drug stores where American express credit cards are accepted include:

·         Uniprix

·         London Drugs

·         Jean Coutu

·         Uniprix Sante

·         Rexall

·         Uniprix Clinique

Medical pharmacy drug purchase

Home Décor

In case you are looking for superb and cute home décor stuff, that matches your taste, concept, and preference in Canada, there is nothing to worry about because there are many home décor companies that are accepting American Express cards.

With Amex cards in Canada, you can select various items from home décor companies that I will list here such as furniture, carpets, bedding products, wall hangings, and textiles that will not only enhance the beauty of their homes but bring out an aesthetic appeal in it.

Hudson’s Bay, Marshall’s Homesense, IKEA, and Lowe’s are some of the décor companies where American Express is accepted.

a woman looking for the furniture in a home décor store

Hotels & Restaurants

Need more restaurants or hotels that accept American Express Cards across Canada? Here is our list of hotels and restaurants to enjoy your time by having a nice meal or a good stay and using your card.

They are Starbucks, Oliver and Bonacini, Fairmont Resorts and Hotels, Burger King, and McDonald’s.

a table in the restaurant

Clothing Stores

Before you leave your house, do check out some clothing stores here that would accept your AMEX card. They include H&M, Winner, Aldo, Hudson’s Bar, Sunglass Hut, Ardenne, and Marshall.

Best quality fine soft fabric like polyester suits for gents, ladies formal wear and party wear dresses, desi and western suit collections are offered by these clothing stores.

They are some of the best clothing stores in Canada that offer great quality and comfort.

a smiling couple with a credit card and shopping bags

Where Is AMEX not Accepted in Canada?

In Canada, there are quite a few major retailers that don’t accept American Express credit cards. As of January 2017, nearly half a million Canadians were not using their AMEX cards due to the big no-no of being accepted.

Point-of-sale terminals at many big retailers will automatically turn down American Express credit cards in lieu of long-standing agreements with Visa and MasterCard.

For example, Costco is devoted to Mastercard. They don’t accept any other cards, not even visas.

Is American Express Widely Accepted in Canada?

Yes.  AMEX is widely accepted in Canada by most retail stores including small merchants.  Over 58 million cardholders are members of the worldwide membership program and the number is still growing by over 1 million new members each month.

American Express Credit Cards

This is one of the best credit cards accepted in Canada. American Express Credit Cards are offered to individuals and businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a frequent traveler or looking for a card with rewards, American Express has a credit card that is right for you.

Travel credit cards are offered for different kinds of purchases like buying stuff from mall stores, online shopping, air tickets on various airlines, hotel reservations, etc.

All the credit cards are suitable for people who are above 21 years and have a good credit profile in terms of timely payment of bills, and other financial obligations like loans and mortgages.

Annual Fee

When comparing various American Express credit cards, their target customers need to consider the annual fee of each card. Here, consumers need to note that having an annual fee does not necessarily mean that the card isn’t good; it all boils down to what they gain for paying the annual fee.

American Express credit cards charge an annual fee for the privilege of having one. The amount charged for the annual fee is different for each card level based on the particulars of each card.

For instance, each Platinum card has it is own annual fee based on basic criteria such as income and current status.

Benefits of Using American Express Cards Everywhere

Membership Rewards

American Express cards have the potential to generate many Membership Rewards points. Many different American Express cards have unique advantages that if known, can be a great way to earn lots of Membership Rewards points.

Likewise, you can redeem your points for flights on many airlines or hotels in many areas of the world. There are hundreds of combinations where you may want to choose one route over another but it is important to understand how each card will impact any decision that you make.

Insurance and Protection

If you are looking for financial protection as well as business cards that come with travel and purchase benefits, the many American Express credit cards can give you the peace of mind and business tools you need.

The American Express business cards come with insurance benefits and perks that can be useful to your business.

The Bottom Line

For many years, American Express has been standing by its commitment to provide industry-leading customer service. Today American Express is not just a name brand but something great customers expect.

Amex’s customer service is consistently recognized as the best among financial companies. They offer an array of credit cards and services that can help make your life easier.