American Express is able to charge a premium on merchant fees because they provide
- higher-value customers and
- information from their closed-loop network that no other credit card company can provide.
Charging a higher fee on merchant transactions has nothing to do with being "a nice company." Also, merchants that supposedly accept Amex, but instead encourage their customers to use other cards deserve to be reported. There are Amex cardholders that are fiercely loyal to the brand and don't want to be duped when a merchant tries to make them use a different card. You seem to have bitter experiences with American Express, but that doesn't mean your personal beef should be included in the article.
