Quick Answer
As of 14 September 2026. Every row in the merchant table links to that merchant’s own payment page, not to a list from American Express. Where a merchant’s page wasn’t reachable, that’s noted alongside it. Acceptance can vary by branch: when in doubt, the card terminal shows the accepted logos.
The merchant table: who takes Amex?
| Merchant | Amex? | Where | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deutsche Bahn | yes | bahn.de, DB Navigator | bahn.de names “American Express, Diners Club, Mastercard or VISA” |
| Lufthansa | yes | online booking | payment page lists American Express; varies by country of residence |
| Lidl | yes | stores | Lidl: contactless with the pictured card networks, Amex since 2017 |
| REWE | yes | stores | REWE: “credit cards (MasterCard, Visa and American Express)” |
| Kaufland | yes | stores | Kaufland lists American Express, contactless up to €50 with no PIN |
| ALDI Nord | yes (2017) | stores | press release: “all roughly 2,300 ALDI Nord stores”; current page not reachable |
| ALDI SÜD | likely yes | stores | customer FAQ names Amex per a search snippet, page unreadable on check day |
| IKEA | yes | store and online | IKEA: “credit card (VISA, Mastercard, American Express)” |
| MediaMarkt | yes | store and online | MediaMarkt: “credit card (Visa, Mastercard and American Express)” |
| Amazon.de | yes, with a caveat | online | Amazon lists American Express; some purchases only accept Visa and Mastercard |
| Deutsche Post | online yes, branch no | online shop / branch | Post’s online shop lists Amex; branches don’t per t-online (10/2023) |
| dm | likely yes | stores | merchant page not reachable; Amex issues its own PAYBACK card with dm |
| Edeka | varies by store | stores | no central statement, independent retailers |
| Rossmann | unclear | stores | merchant page behind bot protection, not checked |
| Aral | charging app only | Aral pulse | “We accept VISA, Mastercard and American Express.” (charging, not the gas-station shop) |
How to read it: “yes” means the merchant confirms it themselves. “likely” and “unclear” mean VoyageHacks couldn’t read the merchant’s page. Amex separately names gas-station chains like Aral, Esso, Shell and Total in its own article; that’s a statement from Amex, not confirmation from the gas stations.
Why Amex works less often in Germany than Visa
Germany pays differently than the US or the UK. Two independent studies show how much room is left for credit cards at all:
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Share of cash in all transactions | 51% | Bundesbank, Payment Behavior 2023 |
| Share of cash in spending | 26% | Bundesbank |
| Share of credit cards in spending | 10% | Bundesbank |
| People who own a credit card | 52% | Bundesbank |
| girocard’s share of brick-and-mortar retail turnover | 41.5% | EHI, Payment Systems 2025 |
| Card payments’ share of brick-and-mortar retail turnover | 63.5% | EHI |
Then there’s the business model. American Express is what’s called a three-party system: Amex issues the card itself and settles with the merchant itself, with no bank in between. EU Regulation 2015/751 exempts such systems from the cap on merchant fees. For small merchants, Amex is therefore often more expensive than girocard.
Where you’ll run into trouble without a second card
- Bakers, butchers, kiosks: usually cash or girocard only.
- Small restaurants and cafés: often girocard only, some take Visa and Mastercard.
- Doctors’ offices, tradespeople, clubs: rarely take credit cards.
- Weekly markets: mostly cash.
- Post office branches: no Amex, per t-online.
- Edeka and owner-run supermarkets: varies by store.
The best second card to pair with Amex
Because every German Amex charges a 2% foreign transaction fee outside the eurozone, the second card should do both: work everywhere in Germany and pay abroad with no markup.
| Second card | Annual fee | Network | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revolut Standard | €0 | debit card | interbank rate up to €1,000 a month, €200 in free cash |
| DKB Visa Debit | €0 with a DKB account | Visa (debit) | no foreign currency fee in active status |
| easybank credit card (formerly Barclays) | €0 | Visa (credit) | no foreign currency or ATM fee, but installment payment is preset |
VoyageHacks compares which free card fits you in the credit card comparison Germany. The classic pairing of Amex and Revolut is in Amex vs Revolut.
How to find acceptance locations
- Amex search: on americanexpress.com there’s an “acceptance location search” tool, where you can also suggest favorite merchants.
- Terminal logos: accepted cards are shown on the terminal or a sticker at the door.
- Online checkout: check before ordering whether American Express appears at the payment step, not only after filling the cart.
- Ask ahead: in a restaurant, before you order, not when it’s time to pay.
Sources
All figures checked on 14 September 2026:
- American Express: acceptance locations
- Deutsche Bahn: payment by credit card
- Lufthansa: payment options
- Lidl: paying contactless
- REWE: paying contactless
- Kaufland: checkout services
- IKEA: payment options
- MediaMarkt: payment options
- Amazon.de: payment methods
- Deutsche Post: prices and payment
- ALDI Nord: press release, 07.12.2017
- Deutsche Bundesbank: payment behavior in Germany 2023
- EHI Retail Institute: payment systems in retail 2025, preview
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2015/751 on interchange fees (exemption for three-party systems, Art. 1(3))
Frequently Asked Questions
Is American Express accepted in Germany?
Yes, according to American Express at several hundred thousand addresses in Germany. On their own websites, Lidl, REWE, Kaufland, IKEA, MediaMarkt, Deutsche Bahn, Lufthansa and Amazon.de all confirm the card, among others. Many bakeries, kiosks, small restaurants and medical practices, on the other hand, take only girocard or cash. As of 14 September 2026.
Can you pay with American Express at Aldi?
Yes. ALDI Nord announced in December 2017 that all roughly 2,300 stores accept the American Express credit card. ALDI SÜD also lists American Express in its customer FAQ. VoyageHacks could not access either chain’s current payment pages on 14 September 2026; when in doubt, the card terminal at checkout shows the accepted cards.
Does Edeka take American Express?
Not everywhere. Edeka stores are mostly run by independent retailers, and VoyageHacks found no central statement from Edeka on Amex acceptance. Large stores often take the card, small ones not always. Bring a Visa, Mastercard or girocard as a backup for Edeka.
Can I pay with Amex on Deutsche Bahn?
Yes. Deutsche Bahn explicitly names American Express as an accepted credit card on bahn.de, alongside Diners Club, Mastercard and Visa. That applies to bookings on bahn.de and in the DB Navigator app. Business cards with an invoicing function may be treated differently.
Why do some merchants not accept American Express?
Mainly because of the cost, and because Germany is a girocard country. Per the 2025 EHI study, girocard accounts for 41.5% of turnover in brick-and-mortar retail, and per the Bundesbank, 51% of all transactions are still paid in cash. Small merchants therefore often connect only girocard and the big networks Visa and Mastercard.
Can I pay with Amex at a post office branch?
In Deutsche Post’s online shop, yes, American Express is listed there as a credit card. In post office branches, though, no, according to an October 2023 report by t-online. VoyageHacks found no current statement from Deutsche Post about its branches, so bring another card for the counter.
Verdict
At the supermarket, on the train, with Lufthansa and online, you’ll get by fine with American Express in Germany; at the bakery, the market and the post office branch, you won’t. Knowing that, the smart move is to pair an Amex for points and insurance with a fee-free Visa or Mastercard. Which Amex fits you is in the Amex card comparison Germany.