About American Express

American Express (Amex) is a globally recognized financial services corporation headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1850, it is best known for its charge cards, credit cards, and traveler’s cheques. Unlike Visa or Mastercard, which are payment networks used by various banks, American Express is both the card issuer and the payment network.

The brand is synonymous with prestige, premium travel rewards, and exceptional customer service, making it a highly attractive partner for affiliates in the finance, travel, and luxury lifestyle niches.

American Express Affiliate Program Overview

The American Express affiliate program allows partners to earn commissions by referring new cardmembers to their range of personal and business credit cards. It is a performance-based program managed through major affiliate networks.

Feature Description
Industry Finance, Banking, and Insurance
Product Type Credit Cards (Consumer & Business), Charge Cards, Banking Services
Affiliate Program Type CPA (Cost Per Action) / CPS (Cost Per Sale)

American Express Affiliate Program Offers

American Express provides affiliates with the necessary tools to promote their cards effectively while maintaining strict brand compliance.

Feature Description
Promotional Materials High-quality banners, text links, creative assets, and reporting tools provided via the affiliate network.
Affiliate Cookie Duration 7 Days (This is shorter than the industry average, meaning the user must apply within a week of clicking).
Accepted Traffic Source Content sites (Blogs), Social Media (with disclosure), Email Marketing (non-spam), Review sites.

Note: Incentivized traffic (cashback/points given by the affiliate) is often restricted.[
Accepted Countries Region-specific. Separate programs exist for USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Netherlands, etc. You must join the specific program for your audience’s region.
Explicit Content Prohibited. Sites displaying adult content, violence, or illegal activities are strictly banned.
Religious or Political Content Restricted. Amex generally avoids placement on highly polarized political or religious websites to maintain brand neutrality.

American Express Affiliate Commissions & Payments

The program pays a one-time fee for every “approved” application. Leads that are submitted but rejected by Amex’s credit underwriting do not generate a commission.

Feature Description
MLM No. This is a single-tier affiliate program.
Commission Rate Up to $200 – $300 per approved account (varies heavily by card tier and region).

Example: Premium cards like Platinum often pay higher than basic cashback cards.
Commission Structure Fixed CPA. You earn a flat fee per successful conversion (approved application).
Payout Frequency Monthly (typically Net-30, meaning you are paid 30 days after the month ends).
Payout Methods Direct Deposit, Check, or Wire Transfer (managed by the affiliate network).
Minimum Payout Varies by Network. Typically $50 or $100 (e.g., CJ Affiliate or Rakuten thresholds).

Suitable Affiliates for American Express Affiliate

Who is this affiliate program suitable for?

  • Bloggers: Especially those in Personal Finance, Travel (Points & Miles), Business/Entrepreneurship, and Lifestyle niches.
  • YouTubers: Creators reviewing credit cards, sharing travel hacks, or offering financial advice.
  • Influencers (Instagram/Lifestyle): Those with an affluent audience interested in luxury travel and premium perks.
  • TikTokers: Creators sharing “money hacks” or “travel tips” (requires careful compliance with financial disclosure laws).
  • KOL (Key Opinion Leaders): Financial experts whose advice is trusted by their followers.
  • KOC (Key Opinion Consumers): Everyday users sharing their genuine positive experiences with Amex rewards.

American Express Affiliate Software

American Express does not manage its program in-house. It relies on third-party Affiliate Networks to handle tracking and payouts.

Primary Networks:

  • CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction): Common for Amex US and Canada.
  • Rakuten Advertising (LinkShare): Often used for specific card offers.
  • Daisycon / Awin: Used for various European regions.
  • Impact: Used for some banking/checking products.

3 Alternatives for American Express Affiliate Program

Here is a comparison of American Express with three other major credit card affiliate programs: Chase, Capital One, and Bluevine (focused on business banking, a key Amex competitor).

Comparison Factor American Express Chase Capital One Bluevine (Business Focus)
Average Bill N/A (Credit Card) N/A (Credit Card) N/A (Credit Card) N/A (Banking)
Entry Fees Free Free Free Free
Withdrawal Threshold ~$50 – $100 ~$50 – $100 ~$50 ~$10
Payment Frequency Monthly (Net-30) Monthly (Net-30) Monthly Monthly
Commission (CPA) $50 – $300 (High) $50 – $200 $25 – $150 Up to $100+
Conversion High (Premium Brand) Very High (Popular Cards) High (Mass Market) Good (Niche Business)
Marketing Materials Banners, Links Banners, Text Links Banners, Widgets Banners, Landing Pages