As part of our contract with American Express, we are required to determine business vs personal based on the purpose of the payment and the type of industry your biller falls under. 

American Express restricts the personal rate to the following industry categories: 

• Tax payments (excluding ATO payments) 
• Telecommunications services
• Cable and other pay television services
• Utilities
• Electric, gas, water, and sanitary
• Insurance sales, underwriting, and premiums
• Real estate agents and managers
• Rentals
• Parking lots and garages
• Dance halls, studios, and schools
• Membership clubs (sports, recreation, athletic), country clubs, and private golf courses
• Doctors and physicians – not elsewhere classified
• Hospitals
• Medical services and health practitioners – not elsewhere classified
• Elementary and secondary schools
• Colleges, universities, professional schools, and junior colleges
• Correspondence schools
• Business and secretarial schools
• Trade and vocational schools
• Schools and educational services – not elsewhere classified
• Child care services
• Court costs, including alimony and child support
• Fines
• Government Services – not elsewhere classified

If your bill/invoice falls outside of these categories, we can still process your bill, however, we are required by American Express to process the payment at our tiered business rates. 

We appreciate the payment may be a personal payment to you, however we are bound by the category list for personal payments as defined by American Express. 

We are actively working with American Express to broaden these categories. 

Absolutely! You earn full points (even at the ATO) on the transaction amount and the processing fee. 

All rates are clearly displayed before you make a payment and you can always clarify with us before you process the payment.  

The processing fee for personal payments using a personal card is 1.5%, excluding American Express personal cards. The rate for personal American Express cards is 1.29%. 

Please note that payments to the ATO (including superannuation) are charged at our business rates for all Amex cards. 

If it is a business card, American Express deems it to be used for business purposes and that would be charged at the business rate. Payments to the ATO, including superannuation, are charged at the business rate when using any American Express card.

However, we’d strongly recommend you apply for the same card in the consumer/ personal version when making personal payments which will earn full points at the 1.29% rate with Sniip.