Get Started Free
Home›Financial Services›American Express
American Express logo
American Express
Financial Services

American Express Company Overview

American Express logo

American Express

● Active
Financial Services · New York, NY, USA · Est. 1850
Financial ServicesPaymentsFintechTravel↗ Website
$190.0B
Valuation
$69.5B
Revenue
75k+
Employees
1850
Founded

American Express is a globally integrated payments company providing credit cards, charge cards, travel and expense management, merchant services, and financial services to consumers, small businesses, and corporations. Its distinctive closed-loop network — in which American Express serves as both card issuer and payment network — enables premium rewards programs, data-driven merchant partnerships, and differentiated cardholder benefits that command industry-leading spending per card.

Recent Press
5 items
Press Release·2026-01-24
American Express Reports Full-Year and Fourth-Quarter 2025 Financial Results
American Express reported strong full-year 2025 results, with revenues net of interest expense up and continued momentum in card member spending and new card acquisitions.
Press Release·2025-12-17
American Express Declares Regular Quarterly Dividend on Common Shares
The American Express Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.82 per common share on its common stock, payable February 10, 2026.
Product Launch·2025-09-18
There's Nothing Like Platinum: American Express Unveils Updated U.S. Consumer and Business Platinum Cards
American Express unveiled fully refreshed U.S. Consumer and Business Platinum Cards, each offering over $3,500 in annual value, representing the company's largest-ever investment in a card refresh.
Press Release·2025-06-16
American Express Announces Major Updates Coming to U.S. Platinum Cards
American Express announced its largest-ever card refresh initiative, with sweeping benefit upgrades to U.S. Consumer and Business Platinum Cards planned for later in 2025.
Acquisition·2025-04-16
American Express Completes Acquisition of Center
American Express completed its acquisition of Center, an expense management software company, expanding its suite of financial tools for small and medium-sized businesses.
Company History
10 milestones
Henry Wells, William Fargo, and John Butterfield founded American Express as a premium express mail and package delivery company in Buffalo, New York. The company rapidly built a reputation for reliable delivery of valuables and currency across the northeastern United States.

American Express Organization Structure & Team

Org Chart
74,600 employees · Click a leader to explore their team
82,600 across 12 departments
Chief Executive Officer
Stephen Squeri
Christophe Le Caillec — Departments
· 82600 people across 12 depts

American Express Financials, Revenue & Market Share

Annual Revenue
$69.5B
+5% vs prior year
YoY Growth
+5%
From $42.4B to $69.5B
Revenue / Employee
$883K
Annual revenue per full-time employee
Revenue Growth
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
$42.4B
$52.9B
$60.5B
$65.9B
$69.5B
Market Share
US Premium Credit and Charge Card Spending
24%
share
American Express
24%
Chase (Visa/MC)
28%
Citi (Visa/MC)
14%
Capital One
12%
Bank of America
11%
$3.5T
TAM
$650B
SAM
$65.9B
SOM
Revenue Streams
Discount Revenue (Merchant Fees)51%
Net Interest Income24%
Card Member Fees14%
Service Fees and Other11%
Business Units
Global Consumer Services Group55%
Consumer card issuing business covering the Platinum, Gold, Green, Blue Cash, and co-brand card portfolios for individual cardholders in the US and internationally.
Global Commercial Services30%
Corporate card and expense management business serving SMBs and large enterprises with the Business Platinum, Business Gold, and corporate card programs.
Global Merchant and Network Services15%
Merchant acquiring and network services business operating the Amex closed-loop network, managing merchant relationships, and processing card transactions globally.

American Express Internal Tools & Processes

Internal Tools
12 departments
Global Consumer Services18000 people · 3 roles
Standards & Certifications
10 standards
Compliance frameworks, security audits, and quality certifications this company maintains.
Security
PCI DSS Level 1
Certified
American Express is a PCI DSS Level 1 certified payment brand and card network, maintaining the highest tier of Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard compliance across its global card processing, issuing, and merchant network operations to protect cardholder data at scale.
Security
SOC 2 Type II
Certified
American Express's digital platforms, mobile applications, and data management systems maintain SOC 2 Type II certification, ensuring that cardholder account data, transaction records, and Membership Rewards points balances are managed to the highest operational security standards.
Security
ISO 27001
Certified
American Express holds ISO 27001 certification for its information security management system, governing how Amex protects cardholder data, employee information, and business-critical financial system assets across its global technology infrastructure.
Privacy
GDPR
Compliant
American Express is fully compliant with the EU General Data Protection Regulation across its European card issuing and merchant acquiring operations, governing how Amex collects, processes, and stores personal data of European cardholders and merchant partners.
Privacy
CCPA
Compliant
American Express complies with the California Consumer Privacy Act, providing Amex cardholders in California with rights to access, delete, and opt-out of sale of their personal financial and behavioral data collected through Amex card usage and digital platforms.
Regulatory
FINRA
Compliant
American Express Financial Advisors and its broker-dealer subsidiaries operate in compliance with FINRA rules governing the sale of financial products, requiring American Express advisors and registered representatives to meet suitability, disclosure, and supervision standards.
Regulatory
Bank Secrecy Act / AML
Compliant
American Express maintains a comprehensive Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering compliance program across its card, banking, and network operations, including customer due diligence, suspicious activity reporting, and OFAC sanctions screening for all card transactions.
Regulatory
TRUTH IN LENDING (Reg Z)
Compliant
American Express complies with Regulation Z (Truth in Lending Act) disclosure requirements for all Amex revolving credit card products, ensuring cardholders receive accurate APR, fee, and credit terms disclosures in card agreements and monthly statements.
Quality
ISO 20022
Compliant
American Express has adopted ISO 20022 financial messaging standards for its payment network and corporate payment operations, enabling richer payment data exchange with banking partners and improving reconciliation capabilities for Global Commercial Services enterprise customers.
Environmental
TCFD
Compliant
American Express publishes Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)-aligned climate risk reporting, disclosing how physical and transition climate risks affect Amex's business model, investment portfolio, and supply chain financing activities.

American Express Interview Preparation

Interview Prep
Role-specific interview questions and keywords. Select a department, then click any role to prepare.
Global Consumer Services· 3 roles

American Express Products & Competitors

Product Suite
5 products · select one to explore
Financial Services
Financial Services
The Platinum Card
A premium travel and lifestyle card with unmatched benefits.

The Amex Platinum Card is a charge card offering best-in-class travel rewards, airport lounge access at over 1,400 lounges globally, and concierge services. It is designed for frequent business and leisure travelers seeking luxury perks and elevated Membership Rewards earning.

Use Cases
Accessing Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass lounges at major international airportsEarning 5x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.comLeveraging $200 airline fee credits and $200 hotel credits for premium travel bookings
No image
Key Customers
JPM
JPMorgan Chase Sapphire
C
Citi
COF
Capital One
Competitive Intelligence
VSChase Sapphire Reserve
THEM

Chase's flagship travel card offering 3x points on travel and dining, Priority Pass lounge access, and a $300 annual travel credit — targeting premium travelers with a $550 annual fee.

EDGE

Broader global lounge network including Centurion Lounges and exclusive hotel/airline transfer partners

VSCiti Prestige Card
THEM

Citi's premium travel card with 5x points on air and hotels, a $250 travel credit, and complimentary 4th-night hotel benefit for cardholders with a $495 annual fee.

EDGE

Superior concierge and lifestyle benefits with a longer-standing brand prestige in premium cards

VSCapital One Venture X
THEM

Capital One's flagship rewards card with 2x miles on all purchases, Priority Pass lounge access, and a $300 annual travel credit at a $395 annual fee targeting value-seeking travelers.

EDGE

More exclusive card access with higher aspirational brand value and the Centurion Lounge differentiation

Related Companies

Questrade logo
Questrade
Financial Services
Questrade is Canada's largest independent online brokerage, offering self-directed investing in stocks, ETFs, options, FX, and CFDs at industry-leading low fees. Founded in 1999, it serves over 400,000 active accounts and also provides managed portfolios through Questwealth, with over $30B in assets under administration.
JPMorgan Chase logo
JPMorgan Chase
Financial Services
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the largest U.S. bank by assets and a global leader in investment banking, commercial banking, financial services, and asset management, serving consumers, corporations, governments, and institutional investors in over 100 countries. The firm operates through four major segments: Consumer & Community Banking (Chase), Commercial Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking, and Asset & Wealth Management.
Mastercard logo
Mastercard
Financial Services
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry that connects billions of consumers, merchants, financial institutions, governments, and businesses worldwide, enabling secure and convenient transactions across 210+ countries and territories. Through its multi-rail network spanning credit, debit, prepaid, and real-time payments, Mastercard facilitates over 100 billion transactions annually and provides value-added services including fraud prevention, data analytics, cybersecurity, and open banking solutions.
Morgan Stanley logo
Morgan Stanley
Financial Services
Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management, and investment management services to corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals in 42 countries. Its three business segments—Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management—collectively manage over $7 trillion in client assets, making Morgan Stanley one of the largest financial institutions in the world by client assets. The firm is known for its equity underwriting franchise, wealth management platform, and E*TRADE retail brokerage.
Wealthsimple logo
Wealthsimple
Financial Services
Wealthsimple is a Toronto-based digital financial services platform that offers commission-free stock and ETF trading, automated investing, tax filing, savings accounts, and cryptocurrency trading to Canadians. It has grown into Canada's largest fintech by assets under management, serving over 4 million clients with a mobile-first, low-fee approach that democratizes access to financial products previously reserved for high-net-worth individuals.
Manulife Financial logo
Manulife Financial
Financial Services
Manulife Financial is a leading international financial services group headquartered in Toronto, Canada, offering insurance, wealth management, and financial advice to millions of customers across Canada, the United States (John Hancock), and Asia. Operating under the Manulife brand in Canada and Asia and John Hancock in the United States, the company manages over $1.4 trillion in assets under management and administration.