BMW dealerships that allow purchasing with a credit card?

deathwish · 06-19-2021, 06:30 AM

Is there any list of dealerships that allow a BMW or at least 10% of it to be charged on an AMEX charge card?

I ask this question because every time I purchased or leased a bimmer in the past, I always used a charge card (that rewarded me with points). I was never told about any limit. The dealerships that accepted the cards were Wetchester BMW & Manhattan BMW. They are different from most other bimmer dealerships in that they were both owned by BMW NA. (Westchester BMW no longer exists. It was replaced by BMW of Westchester which is now an independent dealer.)

I leased my last bimmer from another dealership & when it came time to pay the down payment, they said that they do not accept AMEX at all. I never thought to ask if they accepted it but in hindsight, I would have looked for another dealership had I known prior to negotiating a price. The rewards points are really valuable.

I intentionally searched for my next bimmer using the American Express Auto Purchasing program (https://amexnetwork.truecar.com/) but to my surprise the dealerships only have to accept a minimum of $2,000 on the AMEX card to be included on the the list & the dealership I am purchasing my next X5 from, BMW of Mt Kisco will only accept a maximum of $2,500 on any credit card.

Is there any list of dealerships listing criteria such as the maximum they allow to be charged on an AMEX or any charge card or credit card? If not, can we start a thread that lists them?

95blkmax · 06-19-2021, 08:43 AM

There is no "list" for this kind of stuff. Most dealerships are individually-owned franchises with a few corporate-owned. It is fully up to the individual location if they want to accept a particular credit card, or if they want to set whatever limits they want.

Your best bet would be to literally sit and call dealerships in your area and ask that question to either the sales managers or GMs. I'm sure if you speak to a random sales person they may tell you yes just to bring you in the door and then "find out they don't accept AmEx anymore". So you definitely want to get that confirmation from a higher up

540iSUP · 06-19-2021, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 95blkmax

There is no "list" for this kind of stuff. Most dealerships are individually-owned franchises with a few corporate-owned. It is fully up to the individual location if they want to accept a particular credit card, or if they want to set whatever limits they want.

Your best bet would be to literally sit and call dealerships in your area and ask that question to either the sales managers or GMs. I'm sure if you speak to a random sales person they may tell you yes just to bring you in the door and then "find out they don't accept AmEx anymore". So you definitely want to get that confirmation from a higher up

This...

About 23 years ago my parents bought a BMW using a CC. Scored major reward points and I believe the card was new so it was zero interest. However, my dad did have a good relationship with that dealer due to purchasing vehicles from them before.

JJ 911SC · 06-19-2021, 08:55 AM

North of the 49 Parallel, both my Mini and BMW dealer will take 3K max on Visa or MC but not on AE (higher cost).

cb804 · 06-19-2021, 09:16 AM

Credit card fees for AMEX (over 3%) are the highest in the industry. As everyone has said, it is up to each individual dealer. But I'm sure the fees are limiting what they allow you to charge on a credit card.

blkonblk · 06-19-2021, 10:24 AM

Niello BMW Elk Grove allowed max of $5k to finance to open a new cc with Elan BMW cc and also gave me 25k points

deathwish · 06-19-2021, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ 911SC

North of the 49 Parallel, both my Mini and BMW dealer will take 3K max on Visa or MC but not on AE (higher cost).

Thanks for the info.

deathwish · 06-19-2021, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blkonblk

Niello BMW Elk Grove allowed max of $5k to finance to open a new cc with Elan BMW cc and also gave me 25k points

Great deal.

I hate getting a new cc when they try to push it in department store but i would if I was offered a deal like yours.
Thanks for the info.

deathwish · 06-19-2021, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 540iSUP

This...

About 23 years ago my parents bought a BMW using a CC. Scored major reward points and I believe the card was new so it was zero interest. However, my dad did have a good relationship with that dealer due to purchasing vehicles from them before.

That last time I heard of someone buying a new german car with a cc was Frasier Crane on Cheers. I thought it was impossible to do in real life. I read a story about someone who did purchase a new hyundai with an AmEx but this is the first bimmer.

blkonblk · 06-19-2021, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deathwish

Quote:

Originally Posted by blkonblk

Niello BMW Elk Grove allowed max of $5k to finance to open a new cc with Elan BMW cc and also gave me 25k points

Great deal.

I hate getting a new cc when they try to push it in department store but i would if I was offered a deal like yours.
Thanks for the info.

I was ready to payoff purchase but the offer was so good. I had to keep the loan at least for a month.

I now have a little over 80k points which is $1000 worth of parts or service at any dealer

chris3g · 06-19-2021, 01:24 PM

at some point amex did maintain a list of dealers who would allow the entire purchase on the card in their auto purchase program. i haven't looked into this in a long time and maybe the info is no longer available on the website, but possibly they can still help with this if you call them.

deathwish · 06-19-2021, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris3g

at some point amex did maintain a list of dealers who would allow the entire purchase on the card in their auto purchase program. i haven't looked into this in a long time and maybe the info is no longer available on the website, but possibly they can still help with this if you call them.

Good idea. I’ll call them.
Currently their auto purchasing program website lists has a list of dealers that will except at least $2000 on an AMEX.

six75LT · 06-19-2021, 03:24 PM

you were able to put these charges on an amex without having to pay transaction fees? thats wild

Glen e · 06-19-2021, 04:51 PM

I was a general manager of a BMW dealership in the early 90s. Whenever I had a guy that wanted to use AMEX for the full amount I would say “sure, but I gotta bump the price 3%”… That usually ended that discussion.

BMWCCA1 · 06-19-2021, 09:54 PM

Our dealership has a $3,000 limit on credit card purchases but treats Amex no differently.

thestimp · 06-20-2021, 12:44 AM

If you offer to pay the 3% fee for the dealer they might let you, thats on top of the 3% already for a cc. Is it worth paying 6% CC tax?

Vegetable · 06-20-2021, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWCCA1

Our dealership has a $3,000 limit on credit card purchases but treats Amex no differently.

That sucks. I have a few company cars that I have purchased in full with my 80k limit. I pay it off right away, and love the rewards. 3K is like a non-business personal down payment. Lame.

FCX5 · 06-20-2021, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blkonblk

Niello BMW Elk Grove allowed max of $5k to finance to open a new cc with Elan BMW cc and also gave me 25k points

Yeah. I did the same when I bought mine and charge everything BMW to the BMW CC. The points are very attractive and have over 88K points in less than 6 months. It is way better than Amex if you're spending on BMW products.

BMWCCA1 · 06-20-2021, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vegetable

That sucks. I have a few company cars that I have purchased in full with my 80k limit. I pay it off right away, and love the rewards. 3K is like a non-business personal down payment. Lame.

Of course you love it! Free money. But it really isn't free. And why would you expect a dealership to take an additional 3% hit on already skinny profits? You can look up the profit margin. It just ain't gonna happen. I use Amex for everything I buy where it is accepted. My favorite restaurant won't take it. I still eat there. First world problems.

blkonblk · 06-20-2021, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FCX5

Quote:

Originally Posted by blkonblk

Niello BMW Elk Grove allowed max of $5k to finance to open a new cc with Elan BMW cc and also gave me 25k points

Yeah. I did the same when I bought mine and charge everything BMW to the BMW CC. The points are very attractive and have over 88K points in less than 6 months. It is way better than Amex if you're spending on BMW products.

Time to redeem some CF bits

FCX5 · 06-20-2021, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blkonblk

Quote:

Originally Posted by FCX5

Quote:

Originally Posted by blkonblk

Niello BMW Elk Grove allowed max of $5k to finance to open a new cc with Elan BMW cc and also gave me 25k points

Yeah. I did the same when I bought mine and charge everything BMW to the BMW CC. The points are very attractive and have over 88K points in less than 6 months. It is way better than Amex if you're spending on BMW products.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FCX5

Quote:

Originally Posted by blkonblk

Niello BMW Elk Grove allowed max of $5k to finance to open a new cc with Elan BMW cc and also gave me 25k points

Yeah. I did the same when I bought mine and charge everything BMW to the BMW CC. The points are very attractive and have over 88K points in less than 6 months. It is way better than Amex if you're spending on BMW products.

Time to redeem some CF bits

Totally! The points added up pretty fast plus you get 25% when you use them at a BMW dealer.

VAcurler · 06-21-2021, 01:15 PM

My down payment was limited to anything but an AmEx. I think it was a few grand. I too just got the BMW CC for the signup bonus and because I was buying an extended warranty from BMW outside the initial sales price (via one the supporters of this forum). Will use the rewards towards the LSD soon

06-19-2021, 06:30 AM	#1
deathwish Private 23 Rep 64 Posts Drives: 2010 335D Sport iDrive Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: New York, USA iTrader: (0)	BMW dealerships that allow purchasing with a credit card? Is there any list of dealerships that allow a BMW or at least 10% of it to be charged on an AMEX charge card? I ask this question because every time I purchased or leased a bimmer in the past, I always used a charge card (that rewarded me with points). I was never told about any limit. The dealerships that accepted the cards were Wetchester BMW & Manhattan BMW. They are different from most other bimmer dealerships in that they were both owned by BMW NA. (Westchester BMW no longer exists. It was replaced by BMW of Westchester which is now an independent dealer.) I leased my last bimmer from another dealership & when it came time to pay the down payment, they said that they do not accept AMEX at all. I never thought to ask if they accepted it but in hindsight, I would have looked for another dealership had I known prior to negotiating a price. The rewards points are really valuable. I intentionally searched for my next bimmer using the American Express Auto Purchasing program (https://amexnetwork.truecar.com/) but to my surprise the dealerships only have to accept a minimum of $2,000 on the AMEX card to be included on the the list & the dealership I am purchasing my next X5 from, BMW of Mt Kisco will only accept a maximum of $2,500 on any credit card. Is there any list of dealerships listing criteria such as the maximum they allow to be charged on an AMEX or any charge card or credit card? If not, can we start a thread that lists them? Last edited by deathwish; 06-19-2021 at 06:37 AM.. Reason: typo
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06-19-2021, 08:43 AM	#2
95blkmax Captain 231 Rep 693 Posts Drives: '11 535 M-Sport Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Oklahoma City iTrader: (0)	There is no "list" for this kind of stuff. Most dealerships are individually-owned franchises with a few corporate-owned. It is fully up to the individual location if they want to accept a particular credit card, or if they want to set whatever limits they want. Your best bet would be to literally sit and call dealerships in your area and ask that question to either the sales managers or GMs. I'm sure if you speak to a random sales person they may tell you yes just to bring you in the door and then "find out they don't accept AmEx anymore". So you definitely want to get that confirmation from a higher up __________________ I'm on the YouTubez now!! Check it out -> https://www.youtube.com/@turbospool 2011 F10 Shuenk N55+ Turbo'd is SOLD. Building a 2018 Golf R!
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06-19-2021, 08:55 AM	#4
JJ 911SC Crusty Old Navy Chief 27345 Rep 1,713 Posts Drives: 2022 X3 M40i, 1983 911SC Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (0) Garage List 2022 X3 M40I [10.00] 1983 Porsche 911SC ... [7.50]	North of the 49 Parallel, both my Mini and BMW dealer will take 3K max on Visa or MC but not on AE (higher cost).
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06-19-2021, 09:16 AM	#5
cb804 Captain 2426 Rep 946 Posts Drives: 340 xDrive, M2C Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0)	Credit card fees for AMEX (over 3%) are the highest in the industry. As everyone has said, it is up to each individual dealer. But I'm sure the fees are limiting what they allow you to charge on a credit card.
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06-19-2021, 10:24 AM	#6
blkonblk Private First Class 240 Rep 203 Posts Drives: 2021 M2C LBB Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: DubsTown iTrader: (0)	Niello BMW Elk Grove allowed max of $5k to finance to open a new cc with Elan BMW cc and also gave me 25k points
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06-19-2021, 01:24 PM	#11
chris3g Colonel 2966 Rep 2,075 Posts Drives: 2023 M3 xdrive Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NJ iTrader: (4)	at some point amex did maintain a list of dealers who would allow the entire purchase on the card in their auto purchase program. i haven't looked into this in a long time and maybe the info is no longer available on the website, but possibly they can still help with this if you call them.
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06-19-2021, 03:24 PM	#13
six75LT First Lieutenant 918 Rep 365 Posts Drives: 2020 M4 ZCP Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	you were able to put these charges on an amex without having to pay transaction fees? thats wild
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06-19-2021, 04:51 PM	#14
Glen e Retired from BMWNA 199 Rep 184 Posts Drives: ‘21 X2 m35i Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: Fort Lauderdale iTrader: (0)	I was a general manager of a BMW dealership in the early 90s. Whenever I had a guy that wanted to use AMEX for the full amount I would say “sure, but I gotta bump the price 3%”… That usually ended that discussion. __________________ Glen Ft Lauderdale '23 228i GC
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06-19-2021, 09:54 PM	#15
BMWCCA1 BMW Owner Since 1971 2538 Rep 1,528 Posts Drives: 1964 700 Sport Cabriolet Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Central Virginia iTrader: (2) Garage List 2013 BMW 128i [10.00]	Our dealership has a $3,000 limit on credit card purchases but treats Amex no differently.
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06-20-2021, 12:44 AM	#16
thestimp Lieutenant Colonel 1070 Rep 1,803 Posts Drives: 22 X3MC MBB - C-17 Globemaster Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Pittsburgh, PA iTrader: (1) Garage List 2022 X3mC [10.00] 2016 BMW M3 [0.00]	If you offer to pay the 3% fee for the dealer they might let you, thats on top of the 3% already for a cc. Is it worth paying 6% CC tax?
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06-21-2021, 01:15 PM	#22
VAcurler Private First Class 119 Rep 151 Posts Drives: 21 F23 M240i MT + 09 e90 328i Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Colorado iTrader: (0)	My down payment was limited to anything but an AmEx. I think it was a few grand. I too just got the BMW CC for the signup bonus and because I was buying an extended warranty from BMW outside the initial sales price (via one the supporters of this forum). Will use the rewards towards the LSD soon
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