Paying by American Express in Philippines?

Just returned from a trip across Bohol, Siargao and Manila and had a tough time using Amex. None of the hostels or restaurants I visited accepted it. Even some international stores that usually take Amex in other countries told me they didn’t have support for it in their terminals. For ATMs, Amex didn’t work anywhere I tried, including RCBC and Security Bank. I had to rely on cash most of the time and used my Revolut Mastercard for online bookings and some larger stores.

I’m based in the US and brought my Amex Gold to the Philippines last month. Used it in Manila for hotel bookings and in a few places at Greenbelt mall but in most restaurants it was rejected. Even some hotels that had card machines only accepted Visa and Mastercard. I ended up switching to my Capital One card for everything. Don’t count on Amex unless you’re only staying in upscale areas or international hotel chains.

Traveled through Cebu and Palawan in April and used my Amex at a couple of resorts and touristy restaurants but nowhere else. Convenience stores, small shops and transport vendors all asked for cash or said only Mastercard or Visa. Even some of the bigger fast food chains like Jollibee didn’t take Amex. ATMs also did not work with Amex for me. I carried a Wise Visa card and used BPI or Metrobank ATMs for cash which worked without any issues.

I was in Manila and Makati earlier this year and my Amex Platinum worked at a few high-end restaurants and hotels but not much beyond that. Most regular cafes, grocery stores and shops either didn’t take Amex or had trouble processing it. I had better luck with Visa and Mastercard. Even the big malls like SM and Ayala mostly asked for those. For ATMs I couldn’t find a single one that accepted Amex directly for cash withdrawal so I had to use my backup Visa card.

Bank of Commerce ATM at Caticlan Airport in the Philippines - worked with Visa, convenient travel spot. Don t think they accept amex