American Express expands UK reach with 46% growth in Merchant Acceptance.

Woman using Amex card to pay at a terminal.
Editorial credit: American Express

American Express (Amex) has announced that a record number of UK businesses are now accepting Amex payments, highlighting a surge in new partnerships.

New merchants joining the Amex network include Decathlon (46 stores across the UK) and Screwfix, alongside high street retailers like Footasylum (65 locations nationwide) and Farmfoods.

These partnerships have contributed to a 46% increase in the number of UK locations accepting Amex Cards over the past three years.

While American Express has recently partnered with larger retailers, the number of small businesses joining its network has also risen by 50% in the past three years, positioning this segment as a significant area for growth.

Dan Edelman, General Manager, UK Merchant Services at American Express, said: “Our positive momentum is fueled by a commitment to ensuring our cardmembers can use their Amex Card at more of the places they want to shop. 

“Because we have a high value offer, there are more businesses on our network than ever, and we remain focused on making it simpler for all sizes of merchants to welcome the spending power of Amex cardmembers.”

The company’s commitment to simplifying Amex payment acceptance for businesses of all sizes was evident in its recent partnership with Worldpay, designed to help smaller businesses more easily accept Amex transactions.

Beyond expanding the number of locations where cardmembers can use their cards, American Express has also bolstered its UK presence by introducing innovative solutions like ‘Plan It.’ This feature enables credit card members to manage their finances by breaking down purchases from their statements into manageable instalments.

This aligns with a February survey showing that 50% of UK adults representing over 26.4 million people had used buy now, pay later (BNPL) services to pay for goods and services.