About American Express
From its beginnings as a freight forwarding company in the United States (US), American Express (Amex) started to transition into financial products and travel services in the late 19th to early 20th century. By 1950, the first charge card was introduced, offering American Express customers an innovative and convenient way to pay. From that point on, Amex had developed several card products and other offerings. Today, Amex has expanded to over 200 countries and has become the world's largest single-card issuer.
American Express issues both credit cards, which allow revolving balances, and charge cards, which require full repayment each billing cycle. While primarily credit-focused, Amex also offers co-branded prepaid debit card options in select regions, providing additional flexibility for account-linked spending.
American Express card payments can made:
- Online – through online stores, e-commerce platforms, apps, digital marketplaces, etc.
- Offline – in-person, via POS terminals and contactless options
Benefits of American Express cards for merchants
1. Global acceptance
Although it is mostly used in the US, where half of American Express-issued cards are based, Amex is accepted in multiple countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other regions. Accepting American Express cards opens up your business to a customer base that had a global circulation of 140 million American Express cards in 2023. Take note, however, that smaller or emerging markets may have lower acceptance and limited usage.
2. Charge cards and credit card payments in-store and online
Businesses can accept American Express card payments at online checkouts (via Click-to-Pay) as well as at Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals in merchant locations worldwide. Furthering its international reach, American Express cards can also be used for contactless payments by integrating them with e-wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
3. Multi-currency payment processing
A multi-currency merchant account allows cross-border payments processing. With this feature, businesses can reach card members globally, using over 100 processing currencies and 18 settlement currencies, without the cost of setting up locally.
4. E-wallet integration in multiple countries
American Express integrates with multiple wallets globally, enabling secure and convenient contactless payments. Mobile wallets that are compatible with Amex cards include:
- Apple Pay: Widely used for contactless payments in-store, online, and in-app.
- Google Wallet: Supports purchases in-store, online, and in-app, with added features like public transport payments in some regions.
- Samsung Wallet: Available for eligible American Express cards, allowing seamless payments through Samsung devices.
- Alipay: Recently integrated to support international travellers using American Express cards at merchants across China.
- Other regional wallets: American Express also connects with Alipay+ and supports payments through 12 additional major e-wallets across Asia.
5. Access to business financing
Merchants are offered business financing solutions, including lines of credit and business loans. These solutions come with flexible funding options like single repayment and instalment terms from six to 24 months. With these financing solutions, businesses can fund expansions, manage cash flow, and cover unexpected business expenses. Take note that merchants must meet the requirements of a credit assessment and pre-approval before receiving loan funds of anywhere between USD 2,000 and USD 250,000.
6. Secure transactions
Amex implements strong security measures to prevent fraudulent transactions, including secure EV chip technology, cardholder verification via online card security codes, and one-time PIN via American Express SafeKey.
Other business benefits
1. Corporate cards
While American Express corporate cards are fundamentally similar to personal cards, there are a few differences. Business cards have the potential for higher spending limits and enhanced rewards and flexibility compared to personal cards. For US customers, on-time payments and low credit utilisation on business credit cards may boost a merchant’s business credit score with credit bureaus.
2. Merchant rewards programme
Like personal credit cards, American Express credit cards and charge cards also come with attractive rewards and cash back programs. These programs may offer points, introductory bonuses, or cash backs on qualified purchases — subject to card type, spending threshold, and promo timeframe. Take note that you can only get points or cash back on your Amex business credit and charge cards for purchases made in business and other qualified categories.
3. SmartBill Pro
SmartBill Pro is an American Express merchant feature that helps merchants save time by automating actions like card updates, authorisation, and submission processing into a single step rather than as three separate tasks. This feature reduces time spent on manual processing of recurring payments and declined transactions.
4. Online account management
Merchants can efficiently manage their American Express accounts in different categories or even by individual employees in their merchant dashboards. With these business-tuned online services, merchants can track expenses, manage cash flow, control employee spending, gain insights into spending patterns, and get custom reports through the merchant dashboard. These tools can typically be integrated with a business’s existing accounting systems.
Merchant considerations
Just like any other business decision, merchants should do their due diligence before including a payment option in their e-commerce stores. Here are a few things for consideration:
1. Higher merchant fees
American Express has higher acceptance in upmarket industries like travel and hospitality, luxury goods and services, fine dining, and larger general retail, opening up businesses to a distinct consumer demographic. This premium positioning means that, just as personal card fees are higher for consumers, merchant fees are also higher compared to other major card networks.
2. Processing times
American Express processes payments within 24 to 36 hours. However, payments may not be deducted from your customer's account balance for up to five business days. Refunds generally take five to 14 days to process. For specific turnaround times, merchants should confirm processing schedules with Amex.
3. Merchant regulations
Take note that American Express has merchant regulations that dictate transaction limits per country and per industry. For example, Argentina has the same ARS 80,000 transaction limit for both card contact and contactless payments. Australia, however, has differing transaction limits for contact (AUD 35) and contactless (AUD 200) payments. Amex also has regulations for “Card Not Present Charges” or for charges made by mail, telephone, or the Internet, where merchants must comply with a specific set of procedures to accept and validate such payments.
4. Limited acceptance in emerging markets
Merchants focused on global trade may find it difficult to reach customers in emerging markets with Amex alone. To cover more ground, balance Amex acceptance with alternative payment methods through a payments gateway like Antom.
Accept American Express payments with Antom
American Express is a leading financial services provider and payments network that offers merchants access to a wide range of features — from premium business cards and rewards programs to secure transaction processing and advanced online account management tools. Accepting Amex can be particularly beneficial for businesses aiming to reach high-value customers, especially in established and affluent markets where cardholders are known for their brand loyalty and elevated spending power.
If you’re looking to accept American Express, Antom can help you get started. Our expertise in payment infrastructure, global reach, and tailored merchant solutions make it easy to integrate Amex alongside other major payment methods. Contact us to learn how we can support your business growth by connecting you to the right payment options for your target markets.
