The short answer
There are two ways for a US business to take American Express cards:
- Through its processor, under OptBlue. The processor (Amex calls it the provider) signs the contract and sets the price.
- Directly with American Express. The business has its own agreement with Amex.
American Express says that with OptBlue, “the rate is set by the provider (not American Express).” The American Express pages we read for this page do not publish a merchant rate for either route.
OptBlue: through your processor
American Express describes OptBlue like this: “third-party providers sign a contract directly with eligible businesses to enable American Express Card acceptance.”
What Amex says the business gets:
- “one statement, one deposit and one servicing contact for all the major card brands you accept”,
- payment “at the same time as your other card brands”, and
- a provider that “sets your American Express Rate—just like they do for the other card brands you accept.”
Who is eligible. American Express says: “U.S. businesses that have American Express Estimated Annual Charge Volume (ECV) of less than $3MM per year may be eligible to accept through OptBlue. Certain industry and franchise restrictions apply.”
Some industries have no volume threshold, per Amex: “Charity, Education, Government, Healthcare, Insurance, Online Gambling and Games of Value, Residential Rent, and Utilities.”
Directly with American Express
American Express says a business that “is not eligible for OptBlue or is interested in accepting American Express Cards directly with American Express” can call 1-866-847-0890.
Its page on accepting the card says “National and Regional Businesses or Small Businesses who prefer to accept directly through American Express can take advantage of competitive pricing opportunities”. It does not list a rate.
A processor’s terms can also lead to a direct agreement. Square’s US payment terms say: “if American Express considers you to be a high value customer, it may require that you maintain your agreement directly with American Express and designate Square as your agent for American Express payments.”
What three providers publish for Amex in the US
| Provider (US) | How Amex is priced, per the provider |
|---|---|
| Square | Same as other cards: “Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover — all for the same processing fees.” In person on Square Free: 2.6% + 15¢ |
| Stripe | No separate Amex rate on its US pricing page. Online: 2.9% + 30¢ “for domestic cards”. Its card brand page lists American Express among brands accepted “without any additional configurations” |
| Helcim | Interchange plus: Amex’s OptBlue rate by industry and sale size, plus fees, plus Helcim’s markup |
Source: each provider’s US pages, read 2026-10-13.
Helcim’s published OptBlue rates
Helcim’s US page lists what it calls “the wholesale discount rates charged by American Express on every OptBlue transaction”, which it says depend “on the merchant’s industry category and the average transaction size”. Some rows:
| Industry and sale size | OptBlue rate, per Helcim |
|---|---|
| Retail, under $75 | 1.45% + 10¢ |
| Retail, under $1,000 | 2.05% + 10¢ |
| Restaurant, under $25 | 1.85% + 10¢ |
| Restaurant, under $150 | 2.50% + 10¢ |
| Services, under $250 | 1.60% + 10¢ |
| Mail Order & Internet, under $150 | 1.70% + 10¢ |
| Healthcare, under $150 | 1.55% + 10¢ |
| B2B / Wholesale, under $400 | 1.65% + 10¢ |
| Travel & Entertainment, under $100 | 2.25% + 10¢ |
| Charity, over $15 | 2.00% + 10¢ |
| Other, under $100 | 1.60% + 10¢ |
Helcim also lists these fees, which it says “are set by American Express”:
| Fee, per Helcim | Amount |
|---|---|
| Amex Network Fee, all sales | 0.165% |
| Amex International Cross-Border Fee | 1.00% |
| Amex Keyed Fee, manually keyed sales | 0.30% |
On top of those, Helcim lists an “Acquirer Network Fee” of 0.03% + 3¢, charged by Helcim’s acquiring bank, and its own markup, such as 0.40% + 8¢ in person at its first volume tier.
Amex in Canada works differently
This page is about the US. For Canada, see American Express in Canada: What Processors Publish.
Where to go from here
On a US statement, Amex sales can appear as their own lines. See Reading a US Merchant Statement. For Visa’s US rates, see Visa Interchange Rates in the US, Explained. For Square’s US prices in full, see Square (United States). Want a partner to review your statement? We will put you in touch. Start the free statement review.