Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The Company We are a global payments and premium lifestyle brand powered by technology. Founded in 1850 and headquartered in New York, American Express’ card-issuing, merchant-acquiring and card network businesses offer products and services to a broad range of customers, including consumers, small businesses, mid-sized companies and large corporations around the world. These products and services are offered through various channels, including mobile and online applications, affiliate marketing, customer referral programs, third-party service providers and business partners, in-house sales teams, direct mail, telephone and direct response advertising. The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 (the 2025 Form 10-K). If not materially different, certain note disclosures included therein have been omitted from these Consolidated Financial Statements. The interim Consolidated Financial Statements included in this report have not been audited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, which consist of normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the interim Consolidated Financial Statements, have been made. Results of operations reported for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year. The preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. These accounting estimates reflect the best judgment of management, but actual results could differ. Certain reclassifications of prior period amounts have been made to conform to the current period presentation. We have updated our presentation and disclosure of Card Member loans and Card Member receivables to present them on a combined basis as Card balances. Results for the first quarter of 2026 and prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the new presentation. Previously, Card Member loans represented balances on our credit card products and revolve-eligible balances on our charge card products, which included balances that Card Members paid in full as well as balances that Card Members paid over time with interest, and Card Member receivables represented balances on our charge card products that need to be paid in full on or before the Card Member’s payment due date. The updated Card balances presentation includes both revolve-eligible balances and balances that need to be paid in full, reflecting the evolution of our card products over time, primarily due to the expansion of lending features on our charge card portfolio. This presentation change has no impact on the recognition or measurement of outstanding Card balances and associated reserves for credit losses. Business Events On February 25, 2026, we announced plans to build a new approximately 1.95 million square foot headquarters at 200 Greenwich Street (2 World Trade Center site) in New York City. In connection with the project, we have a commitment of up to $2.8 billion for the cost of construction. When the building goes into service, capitalized construction costs will be depreciated over the estimated useful life of the premises. We also recognized a finance lease liability of $370 million, which represents the present value of contractual fixed lease payments over the term of a land lease, and a corresponding increase to the right-of-use finance lease asset. On January 12, 2026, we completed the acquisition of our partner’s interest in our Switzerland joint venture (Swisscard AECS GmbH). Upon acquisition, we recognized within our International Card Services (ICS) segment $272 million of intangible assets, which will be amortized over an estimated weighted average useful life of approximately eight years, $136 million of Goodwill and a gain for the remeasurement of our existing ownership interest. The allocation of the purchase consideration for the acquisition is preliminary as certain estimates related to the valuation of assets and liabilities are subject to finalization. Additionally, we now consolidate a variable interest entity (VIE), Swiss Payments Assets AG, which securitizes Card balances arising from Swisscard’s business to provide for the issuance of collateralized debt securities to third party investors; such consolidation is not material to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Recently Issued Accounting Standards In November 2024 and as amended in January 2025, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued updated accounting guidance on the Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026 and for interim reporting periods beginning December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. The updated guidance includes the requirement for a new tabular disclosure within a Note to the Consolidated Financial Statements, to disaggregate defined expense categories from the expense report lines presented on the Consolidated Statements of Income. We are currently assessing the updated guidance; however, it is not expected to have a material impact to our Consolidated Financial Statements. In September 2025, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued updated guidance on accounting for internal-use software, effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. The amendments modernize guidance to consider different methods of software development, updating the requirements for capitalization of software costs. We are currently assessing the updated guidance; however, it is not expected to have a material impact to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

We are a global payments and premium lifestyle brand powered by technology. Founded in 1850 and headquartered in New York, American Express’ card-issuing, merchant-acquiring and card network businesses offer products and services to a broad range of customers, including consumers, small businesses, mid-sized companies and large corporations around the world. These products and services are offered through various channels, including mobile and online applications, affiliate marketing, customer referral programs, third-party service providers and business partners, in-house sales teams, direct mail, telephone and direct response advertising.

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 (the 2025 Form 10-K). If not materially different, certain note disclosures included therein have been omitted from these Consolidated Financial Statements.

The interim Consolidated Financial Statements included in this report have not been audited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, which consist of normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the interim Consolidated Financial Statements, have been made. Results of operations reported for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year.

The preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. These accounting estimates reflect the best judgment of management, but actual results could differ.

We have updated our presentation and disclosure of Card Member loans and Card Member receivables to present them on a combined basis as Card balances. Results for the first quarter of 2026 and prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the new presentation. Previously, Card Member loans represented balances on our credit card products and revolve-eligible balances on our charge card products, which included balances that Card Members paid in full as well as balances that Card Members paid over time with interest, and Card Member receivables represented balances on our charge card products that need to be paid in full on or before the Card Member’s payment due date. The updated Card balances presentation includes both revolve-eligible balances and balances that need to be paid in full, reflecting the evolution of our card products over time, primarily due to the expansion of lending features on our charge card portfolio. This presentation change has no impact on the recognition or measurement of outstanding Card balances and associated reserves for credit losses.

On February 25, 2026, we announced plans to build a new approximately 1.95 million square foot headquarters at 200 Greenwich Street (2 World Trade Center site) in New York City. In connection with the project, we have a commitment of up to $2.8 billion for the cost of construction. When the building goes into service, capitalized construction costs will be depreciated over the estimated useful life of the premises. We also recognized a finance lease liability of $370 million, which represents the present value of contractual fixed lease payments over the term of a land lease, and a corresponding increase to the right-of-use finance lease asset.

On January 12, 2026, we completed the acquisition of our partner’s interest in our Switzerland joint venture (Swisscard AECS GmbH). Upon acquisition, we recognized within our International Card Services (ICS) segment $272 million of intangible assets, which will be amortized over an estimated weighted average useful life of approximately eight years, $136 million of Goodwill and a gain for the remeasurement of our existing ownership interest. The allocation of the purchase consideration for the acquisition is preliminary as certain estimates related to the valuation of assets and liabilities are subject to finalization. Additionally, we now consolidate a variable interest entity (VIE), Swiss Payments Assets AG, which securitizes Card balances arising from Swisscard’s business to provide for the issuance of collateralized debt securities to third party investors; such consolidation is not material to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

In November 2024 and as amended in January 2025, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued updated accounting guidance on the Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026 and for interim reporting periods beginning December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. The updated guidance includes the requirement for a new tabular disclosure within a Note to the Consolidated Financial Statements, to disaggregate defined expense categories from the expense report lines presented on the Consolidated Statements of Income. We are currently assessing the updated guidance; however, it is not expected to have a material impact to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

In September 2025, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued updated guidance on accounting for internal-use software, effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. The amendments modernize guidance to consider different methods of software development, updating the requirements for capitalization of software costs. We are currently assessing the updated guidance; however, it is not expected to have a material impact to our Consolidated Financial Statements.