American Express is a global service company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.  A leader in global payments, American Express is the largest card issuer by purchase volume and operates a worldwide network that processes millions of merchant transactions daily.

The Company has direct relationships with both Card members and merchants.  This creates a “closed-loop”, whereby we have access to information at both ends of the Card transaction. This allows American Express to analyse information on Card member spending and build analytical tools that enable us to provide targeted marketing and other information services for merchants, and special offers and services to Card members.

American Express also invites banks and other institutions to issue Cards and, in some countries, act as merchant acquirers on the American Express network.  By leveraging our global infrastructure and the appeal of the American Express brand, we broaden our Card member and merchant base for our network worldwide. This strategy enables American Express to enhance its presence in countries where we already do business and expand our presence into new geographic areas.

The Company is equally focused on expanding its alternative mobile and online payment services.  For example, in the United States our digital software-based platform Serve® enables consumers to spend, send and receive money, and make person-to-person payments online at serve.com, via mobile phones and at merchants that accept American Express Cards.

American Express has a rich heritage of operating in Europe, reaching as far back as 1891.  Today, we are present in over 20 European countries and manage our business principally thorough American Express Payment Services Limited, the legal entity for our merchant acquiring business, and American Express Services Europe Limited, the legal entity for our card issuing business.  Both are licensed payment institutions, regulated by the U.K. Financial Services Authority.

Our range of products and services includes:

• Charge and credit card products;
• Expense management products and services;
• Consumer and business travel services;
• Stored value products such as Travellers Cheques and other prepaid products;
• Network services;
• Merchant acquisition and processing, servicing and settlement, and point-of-sale, marketing and information products and services for merchants;
• Market and trend analyses and related consulting services, fraud prevention services, and the design of customised customer loyalty and rewards programmes.