B&Q will now accept American Express cards

Just in time for a Bank Holiday weekend full of DIY, American Express has announced that B&Q will now accept its cards.

A reader tipped us off about this last week after seeing a sign in his local store, but forgot to take a photograph. Rhys and I both headed down to our respective local B&Q stores looking for evidence but couldn’t find any. The rumours were true, however.

For years, B&Q was the company we always mentioned as the exception when discussing ‘who accepts American Express?’. If you were ultra-dedicated, you would go to Tesco or another retailer to buy B&Q gift cards with your American Express card, but this wasn’t exactly ideal or practical for most people.

I’m not sure who the biggest hold-out is now. Aldi and Lidl both take American Express. Costa Coffee seems to have pulled back from its decision to stop taking American Express this month, as the ‘no more Amex’ signs quietly disappeared.

For clarity, I am not sure of the exact day that this kicks in. It will definitely be in place before the Bank Holiday weekend but it might not be working today.

Based on what we’ve seen when Amex has brought other major partners on board, we may see a cashback offer popping up to encourage cardholders to visit and to show B&Q it is getting a return on its investment.

If you will now spend more time in B&Q, remember to join B&Q Club. You receive reward vouchers based on your spending and all new members receive a £5 discount voucher, valid on a £30 purchase.

Want to earn more points from credit cards? – December 2021 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit or charge card, here are our November 2021 recommendations based on the current sign-up bonus. 

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the top current deals:

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers.

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and free for a year Read our full review

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points sign-up bonus and a long list of travel benefits Read our full review

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending:

Barclaycard Select Cashback Credit Card

1% cashback and no annual fee Read our full review