XML 28 R17.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.25.1

Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
--- | ---
Mar. 31, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Contingencies | Contingencies In the ordinary course of business, we and our subsidiaries are subject to various pending and potential legal actions, arbitration proceedings, claims, investigations, examinations, regulatory proceedings, information gathering requests, subpoenas, inquiries and matters relating to compliance with laws and regulations (collectively, legal proceedings). Based on our current knowledge, and taking into consideration our litigation-related liabilities, we do not believe we are a party to, nor are any of our properties the subject of, any legal proceeding that would have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition or liquidity. However, in light of the uncertainties involved in such matters, including the fact that some pending legal proceedings are at preliminary stages or seek an indeterminate amount of damages, penalties or fines, it is possible that the outcome of legal proceedings could have a material impact on our results of operations. Certain legal proceedings involving us or our subsidiaries are described below. On September 30, 2024, we were named as a defendant in a case filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, captioned Pizza Hazel, Inc., et al. v. American Express Co., et al., in which plaintiffs allege that the anti-steering and non-discrimination provisions in our merchant agreements violate federal antitrust law and that the arbitration provision in our merchant agreements violates federal antitrust law to the extent it prevents antitrust challenges to our anti-steering and non-discrimination provisions. Plaintiffs seek, on behalf of themselves and a class of merchants that accept through the OptBlue Program, unspecified damages and an injunction prohibiting us from enforcing our anti-steering and non-discrimination provisions and prohibiting us from enforcing our arbitration provision to the extent the arbitration provision prevents antitrust challenges to our anti-steering and non-discrimination provisions. On March 21, 2024, we were named as a defendant in a case filed in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, captioned 5-Star General Store aka Bento LLC, et al. v. American Express Co., et al., in which plaintiffs allege that the anti-steering and non-discrimination provisions in our merchant agreements violate federal antitrust law and seek, on behalf of themselves and a class of merchants, an injunction prohibiting us from enforcing our anti-steering and non-discrimination provisions and a declaration that we have violated antitrust laws. On January 29, 2019, we were named in a putative class action brought in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, captioned Anthony Oliver, et al. v. American Express Company and American Express Travel Related Services Company Inc., in which the plaintiffs are holders of MasterCard, Visa and/or Discover credit and/or debit cards (but not American Express cards) and allege they paid higher prices as a result of the anti-steering and non-discrimination provisions in our merchant agreements in violation of federal antitrust law and the antitrust and consumer laws of various states. Plaintiffs seek unspecified damages and other forms of relief. The court dismissed plaintiffs’ federal antitrust claim, numerous state antitrust and consumer protection claims and their unjust enrichment claim. For the remaining state antitrust or consumer protection claims, the court certified classes for (i) holders of Visa and MasterCard debit cards in eight states and Washington, D.C.; and (ii) holders of Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards that do not offer rewards or charge an annual fee in two states and Washington, D.C. Trial is scheduled for July 2025. On March 8, 2016, plaintiffs B&R Supermarket, Inc. d/b/a Milam’s Market and Grove Liquors LLC, on behalf of themselves and others, filed a suit, captioned B&R Supermarket, Inc. d/b/a Milam’s Market, et al. v. Visa Inc., et al., for violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, California’s Cartwright Act and unjust enrichment in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, against American Express Company, other credit and charge card networks, other issuing banks and EMVCo, LLC. Plaintiffs allege that the defendants, through EMVCo, conspired to shift liability for fraudulent, faulty and otherwise rejected consumer credit card transactions from themselves to merchants after the implementation of EMV chip payment terminals. Plaintiffs seek damages and injunctive relief. On May 4, 2017, the California court transferred the case to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. On August 28, 2020, the court granted plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. On August 14, 2024, the court granted our motion to compel arbitration as to class members who are subject to our merchant agreements, but did not stay the claims pending arbitration. On November 15, 2024, we appealed to the Second Circuit requesting a stay of all claims against us that are subject to arbitration. On March 31, 2025, we reached an agreement in principle with the class representatives to settle this action, which is subject to negotiation of a complete stipulation of settlement and court approval. In 2006, Mawarid Investments Limited filed a request for confidential arbitration under the 1998 London Court of International Arbitration Rules in connection with certain claims arising under a shareholders agreement between Mawarid and American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. relating to a joint venture between the parties, Amex (Middle East) BSC(c) (AEME). In 2008, the tribunal rendered a partial award, including a direction that an audit should take place to verify whether acquirer discount revenue related to transactions occurring with airlines located in the Middle East region had been properly allocated to AEME since its inception in 1992. In September 2021, the tribunal rendered a further partial award regarding the location of transactions through non-physical channels. In May 2022, the tribunal further clarified the 2021 partial award and the discount rate that should apply to transactions through non-physical channels. In December 2024, the tribunal rendered a further partial award providing further clarifications on the allocation of revenue. A final award is expected in 2025. We are being challenged in a number of countries regarding our application of value-added taxes (VAT) to certain of our international transactions, which are in various stages of audit, or are being contested in legal actions. While we believe we have complied with all applicable tax laws, rules and regulations in the relevant jurisdictions, the tax authorities may determine that we owe additional VAT. In certain jurisdictions where we are contesting the assessments, we were required to pay the VAT assessments prior to contesting. Our legal proceedings range from cases brought by a single plaintiff to class actions with millions of putative class members to governmental proceedings. These legal proceedings involve various lines of business and a variety of claims (including, but not limited to, common law tort, contract, application of tax laws, antitrust and consumer protection claims), some of which present novel factual allegations and/or unique legal theories. While some matters pending against us specify the damages sought, many seek an unspecified amount of damages or are at very early stages of the legal process. Even when the amount of damages claimed against us are stated, the claimed amount may be exaggerated and/or unsupported. As a result, some matters have not yet progressed sufficiently through discovery and/or development of important factual information and legal issues to enable us to estimate an amount of loss or a range of possible loss, while other matters have progressed sufficiently such that we are able to estimate an amount of loss or a range of possible loss. We have accrued for certain of our outstanding legal proceedings. An accrual is recorded when it is both (a) probable that a loss has occurred and (b) the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. There may be instances in which an exposure to loss exceeds the accrual. We evaluate, on a quarterly basis, developments in legal proceedings that could cause an increase or decrease in the amount of the accrual that has been previously recorded, or a revision to the disclosed estimated range of possible losses, as applicable. For those disclosed legal proceedings where a loss is reasonably possible in future periods, whether in excess of a recorded accrual for legal or tax contingencies, or where there is no such accrual, and for which we are able to estimate a range of possible loss, the current estimated range is zero to $190 million in excess of any accruals related to those matters. This range represents management’s estimate based on currently available information and does not represent our maximum loss exposure; actual results may vary significantly. As such legal proceedings evolve, we may need to increase our range of possible loss or recorded accruals. In addition, it is possible that significantly increased merchant steering or other actions impairing the Card Member experience as a result of an adverse resolution in one or any combination of the disclosed merchant cases could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for loss and gain contingencies. Describes any existing condition, situation, or set of circumstances involving uncertainty as of the balance sheet date (or prior to issuance of the financial statements) as to a probable or reasonably possible loss incurred by an entity that will ultimately be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur, and typically discloses the amount of loss recorded or a range of possible loss, or an assertion that no reasonable estimate can be made. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 720 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483359/720-20-50-1 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 5.Y.Q4) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480102/450-20-S99-1 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 5.Y.Q2) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480102/450-20-S99-1 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483076/450-20-50-1 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/450-20/tableOfContent Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483076/450-20-50-4 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483076/450-20-50-9 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 30 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/450-30/tableOfContent Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 450 -SubTopic 30 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483049/450-30-50-1 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingencyDisclosures
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration