Amex Hits 190 Million Global Merchant Locations as International Acceptance Doubles

American Express has reached a milestone of 190 million merchant locations globally, adding approximately 20 million new points of acceptance this year alone. For fintech professionals, this aggressive expansion signals a strategic pivot to close the "acceptance gap" with competitors, leveraging high-growth partnerships to integrate into the everyday spending habits of its premium cardholder base.

What was announced

The expansion represents a significant acceleration in the company’s global footprint, with the number of merchant locations outside the United States more than doubling over the last four years. This growth is underpinned by a strategy that prioritises "priority cities" and high-value spending categories. Since 2021, the company has tripled its acceptance locations across Europe, including the UK and France, and quadrupled its presence in Singapore. In North America, locations in Canada and Mexico have doubled in the same period.

The network expansion is heavily reliant on a partnership-led model. American Express is collaborating with global payment platforms such as Adyen, as well as regional fintechs and acquirers like Dojo in the UK and Mercado Pago in Mexico and Argentina. In China, the company is expanding digital payment capabilities through a partnership with Alipay. These collaborations allow the network to scale rapidly across merchants of all sizes, from local SMEs to global enterprises.

Specific focus has been placed on travel and transit. American Express is now accepted at an estimated 800 or more transit authorities worldwide, covering major networks in London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and Beijing. In the hospitality sector, the cards are accepted at the vast majority of 4- and 5-star hotels globally and by all major European airlines. This international scaling complements the company’s position in the U.S., where it has maintained 99% parity acceptance at locations that take credit cards since late 2019. For merchants, the incentive for adoption remains the spending power of the network; in the U.S., average annual spending on American Express Cards is three times higher than that of cards on other networks.

"Our approach is very deliberate: we’re focused on adding acceptance in the cities and categories where our Card Members want to spend. By combining our own acquiring capabilities with strong bank, fintech, and payment facilitator partnerships, we’re able to reach and serve more Merchants of all sizes—helping them grow their businesses while giving Card Members more places to confidently use Amex around the world."

Anna Marrs, Group President, Global Merchant & Network Services at American Express.

The companies involved

American Express is a global integrated payments company that provides customers with access to products, insights, and experiences. It operates one of the world's largest payment networks, historically positioned as a premium service for high-net-worth individuals and corporate clients. Unlike some competitors, it often acts as both the card issuer and the merchant acquirer.

Adyen is a prominent global payment platform used by many of the world’s leading companies. It provides a modern end-to-end infrastructure connecting directly to Visa, Mastercard, and other payment methods across online, mobile, and in-store channels. Dojo is a UK-based payment provider that focuses on providing rapid, integrated payment solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. Mercado Pago is the fintech arm of Mercado Libre, operating as a major payment ecosystem across Latin America, specifically in Mexico and Argentina. Alipay, operated by Ant Group, is one of the world's largest digital payment and lifestyle platforms, serving as a critical gateway for international brands to reach consumers in China.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the strategic moves of these payment leaders. Recently, we covered how Global CFOs Shift Focus to Cash Flow Management and AI Automation Over External Risks in a report released by American Express. Our coverage of the UK market included the news that YouLend and Dojo Hit £2bn Milestone to Close UK SME Funding Gap, highlighting Dojo’s growing influence in the merchant services space. Additionally, we have reported on Adyen’s expansion efforts, including how Adyen and Flatpay Partner to Scale Transparent SMB Payment Solutions Across Europe and an Adyen Report indicating that 40% of Hong Kong retailers are targeting global expansion despite rising fraud risks.

What this means

The rapid expansion of the American Express network suggests a fundamental shift in the competitive dynamics of merchant acquiring. By moving toward parity acceptance globally, Amex is effectively removing the primary friction point that has historically deterred cardholders from using their cards for everyday transactions. This puts significant pressure on traditional mass-market schemes like Visa and Mastercard, as the "premium" demographic Amex commands is no longer siloed in luxury retail or high-end travel. The reliance on fintech partners like Dojo and Adyen also highlights a broader industry trend: the decentralisation of merchant acquisition. The question for the sector now is whether this ubiquity will eventually dilute the perceived exclusivity that allows Amex to maintain its higher merchant discount rates.