American Express sets itself apart from other card brands by offering a higher level of rewards to its cardholders. These premium card features mean higher interchange rates for merchants who accept them.
For merchants who do accept AmEx they must choose one of two programs available to them:
Amex ESA
- AmEx merchant account is held with AmEx directly, so they provide the funding, billing, statements, etc.
- Funding may be delayed since Stax must forward the batch to AmEx to be funded
- Any merchant accepting more than $1 million (per Tax ID) annually in AmEx MUST use the ESA program
Amex Opt Blue
- Stax facilitates the program so they provide funding, billing, and pricing
- AmEx charges are included in Stax statements and reporting
- Merchants accepting over $1 million annually (in AmEx) are not eligible for this program