Its banks new ways of scamming people out of money... Amex charges companies 2.7% additional if you aren't based in the US.
http://www.ecommerce-journal.com/ar...fees_for_international_and_domestic_purchases
For years, banks have charged consumers a foreign transaction fee for using their credit cards abroad if the purchases were made in a
[COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]foreign [COLOR=blue !important]currency[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]. However, be careful: shopping online with merchants based outside the United States, or booking hotels or flights with foreign companies may be also subject to additional charges.
Some banks, including Citigroup, Simmons and Bank of America, have enlarged their definition of foreign transaction. Now they apply international conversion fees for all purchases from foreign merchants regardless of whether that purchase was made in a foreign currency or not. Even if you spend money at a foreign business online, you will see an additional fee in your credit card bill the next month.
For example, you buy an international airline ticket online in U.S. dollars using a credit card. Just because the merchant is based outside of the United States, the bank will charge you a foreign transaction fee. It doesn’t matter that you made the purchase from the comfort of your home or office.
The changes will make it more expensive for U.S. consumers to buy goods online from foreign merchants. They can also hit travelers going to a country where the purchases are often made in U.S. dollars, such as the Bahamas and some Caribbean countries.
Industry experts say that the expanded international conversion fees are the result of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009. It has no fee cups or clarification regarding the definition of a “foreign exchange fee.”