While American Express is making progress, and revenue gains, on the issuing side it is steadily, though slowly, conceding revenue on the acquiring side of the business.The average merchant fee charged by American Express at December 2009 was 1.94 per cent, down from 2.04 per cent a year earlier and 2.19 per cent three years earlier. The Reserve Bank of Australia publishes monthly data on merchant fees at its website.Merchants fees also continue to ease, though much more incrementally, among banks where the average, (for MasterCard and Visa purchases) is now 0.86 per cent and also at Diners Club (where the average merchant fee is now 2.13 per cent).