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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
INTRODUCTION
Overview
American Express Company, together with its consolidated subsidiaries (“American Express,” the “Company,”
“we,” “us” or “our”), is a global services company that provides customers with access to products, insights and
experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Our principal products and services are charge and credit
payment card products and travel-related services offered to consumers and businesses around the world.
We were founded in 1850 as a joint stock association. We were incorporated in 1965 as a New York corporation.
American Express Company and its principal operating subsidiary, American Express Travel Related Services
Company, Inc. (“TRS”), are bank holding companies under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the
“BHC Act”), subject to supervision and examination by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the
“Federal Reserve”).
Our headquarters are located in New York, New York in lower Manhattan. We also have offices in other locations
throughout the world.
During 2015, we principally engaged in businesses comprising four reportable operating segments, with corporate
functions and certain other businesses in Corporate & Other:
U.S. Card Services (“USCS”)
International Card Services (“ICS”)
Global Commercial Services (“GCS”)
Global Network & Merchant Services (“GNMS”)
Corporate & Other
During the fourth quarter of 2015, we announced organizational changes that combined our corporate and small
business organizations into a business-to-business focused group and combined our merchant-related businesses,
among other changes. Our financial disclosures will reflect these organizational changes starting in the first quarter of
2016, which is consistent with when our executives will begin to review financial information aligned to the new
segments. Our reportable operating segments will be as follows:
• U.S. Consumer Services, including our U.S. Consumer Card Services business and American Express Travel &
Lifestyle Services in the United States
• International Consumer and Network Services, including our International Consumer Card Services business,
American Express Travel & Lifestyle Services outside the United States and our Global Network Services
(“GNS”) business (from GNMS)
• Global Commercial Services, including our Global Corporate Payments business, American Express OPEN and
small business services businesses in the United States and internationally (from USCS and ICS, respectively),
merchant financing products (from GNMS) and foreign exchange services operations (from Corporate & Other)
•Global Merchant Services, including our Global Merchant Services business and our Plenti and Loyalty Partner
businesses (from USCS and ICS, respectively)
1