Overview
American Express Co., founded in 1850, is a bank holding company focused on global payment services.
American Express headquarters is in New York.
Datacenter
American Express—ad spending, facts and profile
Stats and facts on the biggest U.S. and global advertisers
Credit:
Ad Age composite
Business segments and operations
Marketing spending
Worldwide ad spending:
Total worldwide advertising spending figures shown in the Ad Age World’s Largest Advertisers report are stated “marketing” expenses.
American Express disclosed worldwide marketing expenses of $5.213 billion in 2023, down 4.5% from $5.458 billion in 2022.
The company’s 10-K filing for calendar 2023 said:
“Marketing expense decreased 4 percent year-over-year, primarily driven by lower levels of spend on customer acquisition.”
U.S. ad spending:
Total U.S. advertising spending figures shown in the Ad Age Leading National Advertisers report are Ad Age Datacenter estimates of U.S. marketing spending.
Links to Ad Age’s advertiser rankings
Latest rankings: U.S.
The Ad Age Leading National Advertisers 2024 ranking was released Oct. 28, 2024.
Past rankings: U.S.
Ad Age Leading National Advertisers 2023
Ad Age Leading National Advertisers 2022
Latest rankings: worldwide
The Ad Age World’s Largest Advertisers 2024 ranking was released Dec. 9, 2024.
Past rankings: worldwide
Ad Age World’s Largest Advertisers 2023
Ad Age World’s Largest Advertisers 2022
Deals and strategic moves
American Express in 2020 bought Kabbage, a financial technology company providing cash flow management solutions to small businesses in the U.S.
American Express in 2019 bought Resy, a digital restaurant reservation booking and management platform.
American Express in 2019 bought LoungeBuddy, a digital platform that lets travelers find, book and access airport lounges worldwide.
American Express in 2019 bought Pocket Concierge, a restaurant reservation platform for high-end restaurants in Japan.
Citigroup in 2016 replaced American Express as the exclusive U.S. provider of credit cards for Costco Wholesale Corp.
Divestitures:
American Express Co. in June 2014 completed a deal to turn its wholly owned Global Business Travel division into a joint venture with Certares, a New York-based investment firm.
American Express Global Business Travel in May 2022 went public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. Upon closing of the deal, the travel company took the name Global Business Travel Group. It continues to conduct business under the brand American Express Global Business Travel.
American Express in September 2005 spun off its financial-planning and financial-services business, the former American Express Financial Corp., as Ameriprise Financial.
Management and employees
American Express in October 2017 named Stephen J. Squeri chairman-CEO effective Feb. 1, 2018. Squeri, who had been vice chairman, succeeded Kenneth I. Chenault, who retired.
Squeri, age 58 at the time of the October 2017 announcement, joined American Express in 1985 as a manager in the traveler’s check group.
See more: American Express management
See more: American Express careers
Stock
American Express trades on the New York Stock Exchange. Ticker: AXP
History
The company was founded in 1850 when Henry Wells, William Fargo and John Butterfield merged their companies to form American Express.
American Express became a bank holding company in November 2008, changing its organizational structure in the wake of the financial markets’ fall 2008 meltdown.
See more about American Express and its history
