American Express said its cards were accepted at more than 190 million merchant locations worldwide, an increase of about 20 million during 2026. Acceptance outside the United States has more than doubled over the past four years. The company said its location estimate was measured in July and includes merchants enabled through partners, payment facilitators and digital wallets.
Since 2021, American Express said its accepting locations doubled in Canada, Japan and Mexico, tripled across Europe and quadrupled in Singapore. The company highlighted Barcelona, Hong Kong, Paris and Sicily among destinations where it strengthened coverage. The company said it had also built strong coverage in cities that draw cardholders for major global sporting events, such as Melbourne, Mexico City and Vancouver.
PARTNERS EXTEND THE ACCEPTANCE NETWORK
American Express attributed the expansion to closer relationships with global payment platforms, payment facilitators, licensed partners and local acquirers. Its release said cards were accepted by an estimated 800 or more transit authorities worldwide, as well as all major European airlines and most four- and five-star hotels. It also reported double-digit growth in international restaurant acceptance since 2021.
Reuters described the expansion as an effort to narrow a longstanding international acceptance gap with Visa and Mastercard. American Express reported that billed business rose 9% to $455.8 billion in its most recent quarter, while second-quarter revenue increased 10% to $19.6 billion. Reuters reported that American Express is pursuing greater international market share, particularly among younger customers.
HOW THE FIGURE IS MEASURED
The 190 million figure counts proprietary and partner-acquired merchant locations where the merchant is enabled to accept American Express. The company said the estimate includes about 80 million merchants in China and Brazil, including locations reached through digital wallets.