All Brands Owned by American Express Company

Who founded American Express? Henry Wells, William G. Fargo, and John Warren Butterfield merged their express freight companies into American Express on March 18, 1850 in Buffalo, New York. Wells and Fargo also co-founded Wells Fargo two years later.

Is American Express a bank? Yes. It has operated as a bank holding company since 2008 and issues cards and deposits through American Express National Bank, a Utah-chartered industrial bank.

What companies does American Express own? Its notable owned businesses include the reservation platforms Resy and Tock, mobile ordering company Rooam, and fraud prevention firm Accertify. It also holds a minority stake in American Express Global Business Travel.

Does American Express own OpenTable? No. OpenTable is owned by Booking Holdings. American Express owns its main rivals, Resy and Tock, and has proposed buying the European platform TheFork for $700 million.

How does American Express make money? Through merchant discount fees on transactions, annual card membership fees, and net interest income on revolving card balances. Card fees are the fastest-growing line.

Where is American Express headquartered? At 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City area of Lower Manhattan, New York. In 2026 the company announced a plan to develop and occupy a new headquarters at 2 World Trade Center.