American Express | billingtips

American Express cards are unique among the credit and debit cards issued by the major U.S. card companies. By that I don’t mean that AmEx’s card programs are all that different from their competitors’. Well, perhaps some of them are, but other issuers have programs which are so similar to AmEx’s that you would not be able to tell them apart, unless you saw the brand logos on the terms and conditions disclosure.

American Express Card Number Format and Security Features

There are several different types of American Express cards and not all of them will display all of the security features listed below, but most of them will. Moreover, the American Express card number format will always be the same. Here is how to recognize a valid AmEx card:

What does the AmEx card number start with? All American Express card account numbers are embossed and begin with “37” or “34”. This rule applies to all AmEx cards. By comparison, Visa card numbers begin with “4,” MasterCard’s start with “5” and Discover’s — with “6”.
What is the American Express card number length and how is it formatted? AmEx account numbers are embossed, 15-digit long, with no alterations and spaced in three blocks of 4, 6 and 5 digits from left to right: “3xxx xxxxxx xxxxx”. This is another unique AmEx security feature. In contrast, Visa, MasterCard and Discover numbers are all 16-digit long and spaced in four groups of four digits each.
The AmEx card number format complies with the rules set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which is the organization charged with the task of allocating issuer identification numbers (IINs) to the card networks. For all networks, the IIN is always comprised of the first six digits of the card number and in the image to your right it is “375987”.

What is the AmEx Card Identification Number? The Card Identification Number (CID) is AmEx’s card security code and is the equivalent to Visa’s CVV2, MasterCard’s CVC 2 and Discover’s CID. Unlike its competitors who all use three-digit formats and place them on the back of their cards, either in or immediately to the right of the signature panel, AmEx’s CID is four-digit long and is printed above the embossed card number on the right or left side of the card’s face.
Where is the cardholder name located? The cardholder name is printed in the lower left corner of AmEx cards, just as the rival payment networks do it.
Where is the AmEx account opening date located? The “Member Since” date is embossed to the right of the expiration date. By comparison, Visa, MasterCard and Discover all place the “Member Since” date to the left of the expiration one.
Where is the AmEx expiration date and how is it formatted? The expiration, or “Valid Thru,” date is embossed above the cardholder name field, in the format “mm/yy”.
How should the Centurion image look like? The Centurion image is of course unique to the brand (not to mention trademarked). It is present on some, but not all, of the company’s cards, it is phosphorescent and the words “AMEX” are visible under UV light.
Where is the hologram located? Some AmEx cards feature a hologram of the Centurion image embedded into the magnetic stripe.
How does the AmEx card number look like if printed within the mag stripe? Also uniquely, the account number is printed within the signature field of most AmEx cards and it must match the embossed one on the front of the card and the one printed on the transaction receipt. In contrast, the competitors only print the last four digits of their card numbers in the signature field.
Where is the signature stripe located? The signature field is located below the magnetic stripe, much as it is on Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards. The words “Cardmember Signature” are printed underneath it.