Who is complaining aboutAMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY?
When looking at complaint volume about a company or product, consider company size and/or market share. For example, companies with more customers may have more complaints than companies with fewer customers.
The CFPB does not verify every allegation in a complaint before publishing it.Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Complaint Database. A complaint is a consumer's account of a problem; it is not a finding against the company.
Complaints, last 12 months
11,623
10,099 in the 12 months before · 60,447 since 2011 · 0.2% of all complaints the CFPB received
For its size
54.3per $1bn in assets
Against $214 billion, the assets of its FDIC-insured bank as of 30 Jun 2026.
Median among the 7 peer companies (main category Credit card) with the same size measure: 50.3.
Consumers sent the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 11,623 complaints about AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY in the 12 months to 30 Sep 2026, up 15% on the 10,099 of the 12 months before. The database holds 60,447 complaints about the company going back to 2011.
The FDIC-insured bank of AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY reported $214 billion in assets as of 30 Jun 2026. Its 11,623 complaints in 12 months work out to 54.3 per $1 billion of those assets, close to the median of 50.3 among the 7 peer companies in the same main category that share this size measure. Assets measure the whole institution: one with a large card or consumer-lending business has many more customers per dollar of assets than a commercial or community bank, and its figure will sit higher for that reason alone.
48.9% of the complaints in that period fall under the CFPB product category “Credit card”, followed by “Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports” at 24.3%. The issue selected most often was “Problem with a purchase shown on your statement” (17%).
How the company's responses were recorded over the 12 months: 73.5% closed with an explanation, 14.7% closed with non-monetary relief, 10.4% closed with monetary relief, and 1.4% still in progress when the file was published. 98.8% of responses were marked timely; the median among the 20 companies whose complaints mainly concern “Credit card” is 99.9%.
Among those 20 peer companies the median received 946 complaints in the same 12 months. A complaint is a consumer's account and is not a finding against the company; the CFPB does not verify every allegation in a complaint before publishing it.
Windows end on 30 Sep 2026, the last date in the CFPB file. The latest two to three weeks are incomplete because a complaint is published only after the company responds or 15 days pass.
Compared with peer companies
| Measure | AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY | Peer median (20 companies) | All complaints nationally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complaints, last 12 months | 11,623 | 946 | 6,938,056 |
| Change on the 12 months before | 15% | 15% | 45% |
| Complaints per $1bn in assets (median of the 7 peers with this measure) | 54.3 | 50.3 | — |
| Responses marked timely | 98.8% | 99.9% | 99.6% |
| Closed with monetary or non-monetary relief | 25.4% | 11.6% | 31.6% |
Peers are the 20 companies on this site whose largest complaint category is Credit card and that received at least 20 complaints in the last 12 months. Peer companies differ widely in size; a per-size row appears only when at least five peers share this company's size measure, and its median is taken over those peers alone.
Complaints by month
What the complaints are about
Products and issues are the categories the consumer selects on the CFPB form, shown with the CFPB's wording, in the last 12 months.
- Credit card5,684 · 48.9%
- Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports2,830 · 24.3%
- Debt collection1,829 · 15.7%
- Prepaid card622 · 5.4%
- Checking or savings account568 · 4.9%
- All other categories90 · 0.8%
| Issue (CFPB label) | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Problem with a purchase shown on your statement | 1,980 | 17% |
| Incorrect information on your report | 1,942 | 16.7% |
| Took or threatened to take negative or legal action | 958 | 8.2% |
| Other features, terms, or problems | 943 | 8.1% |
| Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem | 697 | 6% |
| Improper use of your report | 546 | 4.7% |
| Attempts to collect debt not owed | 544 | 4.7% |
| Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers | 533 | 4.6% |
| Fees or interest | 505 | 4.3% |
| Trouble using the card | 443 | 3.8% |
| Other CFPB issue categories | 2,532 | 21.8% |
Credit card
5,684 complaints in the last 12 months (48.9% of this company's total); 4,388 in the 12 months before. That is 6.2% of all complaints in the category nationally. 22.8% of closed complaints ended with relief; 98.6% of responses were timely.
Issues
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Problem with a purchase shown on your statement | 1,980 | 34.8% |
| Other features, terms, or problems | 943 | 16.6% |
| Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers | 533 | 9.4% |
| Fees or interest | 505 | 8.9% |
| Closing your account | 393 | 6.9% |
| Other CFPB issue categories | 1,330 | 23.4% |
Sub-products
| Sub-product | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| General-purpose credit card or charge card | 5,665 | 99.7% |
| Store credit card | 19 | 0.3% |
Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports
2,830 complaints in the last 12 months (24.3% of this company's total); 2,902 in the 12 months before. That is under 0.1% of all complaints in the category nationally. 19.8% of closed complaints ended with relief; 99% of responses were timely.
Issues
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Incorrect information on your report | 1,701 | 60.1% |
| Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem | 551 | 19.5% |
| Improper use of your report | 530 | 18.7% |
| Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services | 24 | 0.8% |
| Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes | 13 | 0.5% |
| Other CFPB issue categories | 11 | 0.4% |
Sub-products
| Sub-product | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Credit reporting | 2,814 | 99.4% |
| Other personal consumer report | 16 | 0.6% |
Debt collection
1,829 complaints in the last 12 months (15.7% of this company's total); 891 in the 12 months before. That is 0.6% of all complaints in the category nationally. 39.9% of closed complaints ended with relief; 99.6% of responses were timely.
Issues
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Took or threatened to take negative or legal action | 958 | 52.4% |
| Attempts to collect debt not owed | 544 | 29.7% |
| Written notification about debt | 161 | 8.8% |
| False statements or representation | 88 | 4.8% |
| Communication tactics | 53 | 2.9% |
| Other CFPB issue categories | 25 | 1.4% |
Sub-products
| Sub-product | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| I do not know | 1,361 | 74.4% |
| Credit card debt | 454 | 24.8% |
| Other debt | 10 | 0.5% |
| Auto debt | 2 | 0.1% |
| Payday loan debt | 1 | 0.1% |
| Other or no sub-product recorded | 1 | 0.1% |
Prepaid card
622 complaints in the last 12 months (5.4% of this company's total); 1,522 in the 12 months before. That is 10.2% of all complaints in the category nationally. 36.8% of closed complaints ended with relief; 99.2% of responses were timely.
Issues
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Trouble using the card | 443 | 71.2% |
| Problem with a purchase or transfer | 83 | 13.3% |
| Problem getting a card or closing an account | 63 | 10.1% |
| Unexpected or other fees | 32 | 5.1% |
| Advertising | 1 | 0.2% |
Sub-products
| Sub-product | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| General-purpose prepaid card | 431 | 69.3% |
| Gift card | 182 | 29.3% |
| Government benefit card | 7 | 1.1% |
| Payroll card | 2 | 0.3% |
How the company responded
The CFPB records one closing category for each complaint, chosen by the company. Shares are of all complaints in the last 12 months.
- Closed with explanation8,544 · 73.5%
- Closed with non-monetary relief1,710 · 14.7%
- Closed with monetary relief1,203 · 10.4%
- In progress166 · 1.4%
The current CFPB export carries no consumer-disputed field, so no disputed rate is shown. The CFPB stopped collecting that field in April 2017.
Where the complaints come from
| State (as reported by the consumer) | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 1,736 | 14.9% |
| Florida | 1,446 | 12.4% |
| New York | 1,179 | 10.1% |
| Texas | 1,158 | 10% |
| Georgia | 720 | 6.2% |
| New Jersey | 483 | 4.2% |
| North Carolina | 358 | 3.1% |
| Illinois | 328 | 2.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 282 | 2.4% |
| Ohio | 252 | 2.2% |
| Washington | 250 | 2.2% |
| Massachusetts | 240 | 2.1% |
Top 12 of 51 states with at least one complaint in the last 12 months. State counts follow population and where the company does business.
Other companies in the same category
Companies whose complaints mainly concern Credit card, nearest in complaint volume. Listed for navigation, in no order of merit.
Questions and answers
How many complaints has the CFPB received about AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY?
11,623 in the 12 months to 30 Sep 2026 (10,099 in the 12 months before that) and 60,447 since 2011. 713 arrived in the last 30 days and 2,509 in the last 90 days; the most recent weeks are incomplete because a complaint is published only once the company responds or after 15 days.
How does that compare for its size?
The FDIC-insured bank of AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY reported $214 billion in assets as of 30 Jun 2026. Its 11,623 complaints in 12 months work out to 54.3 per $1 billion of those assets, close to the median of 50.3 among the 7 peer companies in the same main category that share this size measure. Assets measure the whole institution: one with a large card or consumer-lending business has many more customers per dollar of assets than a commercial or community bank, and its figure will sit higher for that reason alone. The CFPB's own caution: “When looking at complaint volume about a company or product, consider company size and/or market share. For example, companies with more customers may have more complaints than companies with fewer customers.”
What are people complaining about?
48.9% of complaints in the last 12 months are filed under “Credit card”. The issues selected most often were “Problem with a purchase shown on your statement” (17%), “Incorrect information on your report” (16.7%), “Took or threatened to take negative or legal action” (8.2%). These are the categories the consumer picks on the CFPB form; the text of complaints is not used on this site.
How does AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY respond to complaints?
73.5% were closed with an explanation, 14.7% with non-monetary relief and 10.4% with monetary relief; 98.8% of responses were timely (peer median 99.9%).
Does the CFPB verify complaints?
The CFPB does not verify every allegation in a complaint before publishing it. The Bureau publishes a complaint after the company responds, confirming a commercial relationship with the consumer, or after 15 days, whichever comes first. A complaint on file is not a finding that the company did anything wrong.
Where do these figures come from?
From the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database bulk file, counted through 30 Sep 2026, using only the coded fields (company, product, issue, state, dates, company response). Company size comes from FDIC, NCUA or HMDA public files where the company appears in one. Company names are shown as the CFPB publishes them.
Provenance
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Complaint Database, bulk file downloaded 30 Sep 2026, complaints received through 30 Sep 2026. Only coded fields are used (company, product, sub-product, issue, state, dates, company response, timeliness); complaint narratives are never read, stored or shown. Complaints are published once the company responds or after 15 days, so the most recent two to three weeks are incomplete. The company name is shown as the CFPB publishes it. Size measure matched by name to: American Express National Bank. Companies can respond to the CFPB about any complaint; errors in this site's processing are fixed at the next daily build. Size measures: FDIC BankFind (report date 30 Jun 2026), NCUA call reports (30 Jun 2026), HMDA transmittal sheet (2025), Census Bureau population estimates (2025). All are US government works. See this company's complaints at the CFPB · Methodology · Report an error.