AmEx Surpasses 190M Merchant Locations Worldwide

American Express has achieved a major milestone in its expansion efforts, announcing that its credit cards can now be used at over 190 million merchant locations worldwide. This marks a significant increase from just four years ago, when AmEx's acceptance outside the US had more than doubled.

The company has been working to narrow the gap between itself and rival card networks Visa and Mastercard, which have historically had broader international reach. To achieve this goal, AmEx focused on strengthening its presence in locations where its customers are most likely to spend their time, including popular travel destinations like Barcelona, Hong Kong, Paris, and Sicily.

The company's efforts appear to be paying off, with billed business, a measure of spending on AmEx-issued cards, increasing 9% to $455.8 billion in the most recent quarter. Revenue also grew 10% to $19.6 billion in July.