The purchase of coins from the mint represents absolutely no additional risk to American Express versus other purchases. It's absolutely not a cash advance or currency exchange. They're just taking advantage of an opportunity and think that their customers are too stupid to notice. As consumers, it's our job to make their suffer the consequences of their idiotic policy by not using their credit card for such purposes. Actually, I don't use one anyway (except for travel) because there are better options.
BTW, the mint could literally solve this problem in minutes. Like most normal competitive businesses, all they'd have to do is tell Amex that they no longer accept their cards. If they did so, Amex would promptly revise their policy. Of course they won't do that because of the lobbyists involved.
BTW, the mint could literally solve this problem in minutes. Like most normal competitive businesses, all they'd have to do is tell Amex that they no longer accept their cards. If they did so, Amex would promptly revise their policy. Of course they won't do that because of the lobbyists involved.