Historically, American Express has been much less widely-accepted than its larger rival networks Visa and Mastercard, but these days Amex cards are accepted at just about every major UK supermarket.
UK supermarkets that accept American Express May 2025:
Aldi
Lidl
Tesco
Asda
Sainsbury’s
Morrisons
Waitrose
M&S
Co-op
Ocado
Does Tesco accept Amex?
Yes. As one of the largest retailers in the world, Tesco accepts credit card payments made using Visa, Mastercard or American Express cards (as do most UK supermarkets). This applies to transactions that take place in-store, online or at its petrol stations.
Does Lidl accept Amex?
Yes. After a long wait for shoppers, in April 2019, Lidl updated the payment options section of its site to announce that alongside Visa and Mastercard, customers of the popular discount chain can now pay for their groceries using American Express.
Does Aldi accept Amex?
Yes. The German discount chain opened its first UK store in Birmingham in 1990 and now has over 700 across the country. You can use your American Express, Visa or Mastercard to pay for your groceries – at the beginning of 2018 Aldi opted to join the majority of UK supermarkets in accepting Amex.
Does Asda accept Amex?
Yes. As one of the largest UK supermarkets and a subsidiary of the US retail giant Walmart, it’s no surprise that Asda accepts credit card payments made using Visa, Mastercard or American Express cards (as do most UK supermarkets). This applies to transactions that take place in-store, online or at its petrol stations.
Does Morrisons accept Amex?
Yes, you can use your American Express card at any Morrisons supermarket, as well as when shopping online or ordering delivery. Morrisons also accepts all Visa and Mastercard credit cards, but does not accept Maestro, Solo or Electron cards.
Does Waitrose accept Amex?
Yes, you can use American Express at Waitrose and all other brands under the John Lewis umbrella. Amex also occasionally offers special deals to Waitrose customers, such as earning in-store credit for any purchases made at Waitrose using your American Express card.
Does Sainsbury’s accept Amex?
Yes. As one of the largest UK supermarket chains, Sainsbury’s accepts card payments made using Visa, Mastercard or American Express. This applies to transactions in-store, online or at its petrol stations. Additionally, Sainsbury’s acquired Argos in 2016, so you can use your Amex there too.
Does Ocado accept Amex?
Yes, online supermarket Ocado also accepts all American Express cards, as well as Visa, Mastercard and PayPal. This means that you can order your groceries online and have them delivered to your door using your Amex card.
With savvy UK consumers always on the hunt for ways to earn rewards on day-to-day spending and to make their pennies go a little further, credit cards offering cashback or rewards are a popular choice. American Express is one of the biggest names in this space, but understandably, you would want to double-check that the network is accepted at the merchants you visit most.
If you already have an Amex, you now know which supermarkets have given the network the green light and can shop with peace of mind.
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Chris Lilly is Head of publishing at finder.com. He's a specialist in personal finance, from day-to-day banking to investing to borrowing, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their money. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more. See full bio
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