American Express Payment Posting Dates

Of the dozens of businesses we deal with, American Express is the only one that requires payment three days before their posted due date. I pay almost all my bills on the internet post-dated. In this particular case, the amount due on march 5th 2004 was $149.35. A week before that, I postdated a payment for the amount to go through on March 5th.

Interestingly while my account showed the payment going through on March 5th, AMEX's next statement shows the payment going through on March 8th. This in effect allowed them to charge a finance charge of 5.23 (about 4% on 149.35). I think this problem is clearly not unfixable on their part, but a conscious business decision to fleece unsuspecting clients with extra charges.

I have had a card (French) for 25 years (I am American, living in France). The last 2-3 years, I have preferred to pay in cash, at my local AmEx office. I usually pay one or two days before the new bill is issued. At my bank, I deposit money and seconds afterwards it is registered on the phone-in account consulting. This is just a small national bank's computer abilities. But worldwide AmEx cannot (they tell me, after months, and years of paying in cash) take into account a payment made just before the new bill comes out.

All the previous months of doing just that are forgotten, I am requested to pay late charges and MY CARD IS BLOCKED! I CANNOT USE IT until, I am told, I sign permission for them to debit my account directly every month! So, someone who has for 25 years paid regularly now has a blocked card as 'pressure' to stop payments in cash! It's crazy! I have sent registered letters of protest, to which I receive no or arrogant replies. I do not want to pay late charges (my payments were not late) and I do not want to be strongarmed into paying by direct account debit (according to French law they must accept my payments in cash).

I have been deprived of my card for 3 months now! And I have PAID for the privilege of having this card! What more can I do?

If I do not sign permission to have my bills directly debited from my account, I am threated with being declared to the Bank of France as defaulting on my bill (the late charges I refuse to pay, which amount to 12,45 euros. This will destroy my credit rating, they tell me. This is ridiculous!