Same if they pass on the card costs to the customers though - card user doesn't want to pay the true cost of using their card, they can choose to shop elsewhere.

This would make sense if (and only if) all other things are equal. In reality it is slightly more complicated than that.

The second-largest chain, Jumbo, will happily accept my AMEX credit card. In many cases, the groceries are even (slightly) cheaper there. That's why it has been my preferred place to do the groceries for years. But I find my self goes to ah much more often than Jumbo recently, simply because I moved and there is one right across the street.

As a general rule, ah (and bol.com) do not accept credit cards (or debit cards that need to go through the credit card network). This can be independently verified on Google Maps if you look for those 1-star reviews.

There are a small handful ah branches (see below) in tourist spots that does accept credit cards. In all other places, you should see posters apparently made by the staff that puts red crosses on Visa, MasterCard and AMEX logos near the entrance and/or the checkout kassa.

From https://www.ah.nl/klantenservice/onze-winkels/zelfscannen-en... (in Dutch):

> In sommige winkels kan je met je creditcard of buitenlandse pre-paid debetkaart betalen: de winkels op Schiphol, veel stationswinkels, de winkel achter het paleis op de Dam in Amsterdam en de winkel aan de Weteringschans in Amsterdam. Bij alle andere winkels kan dit niet.

It does make sense because Girocard and some variations of Maestro only charge 0.125%