Plastic money - in the form of debit, credit and charge cards - is fast replacing hard cash as a means of payment.   In Australia, the plastic card industry is dynamic and highly competitive, with over 27 million cards and card products having a spend of nearly $73 billion during 1998.
	Since it was founded almost 150 years ago, American Express has played an important part in facilitating global travel and instigating a worldwide system of financial services. It is also the world’s largest travel organisation.   American Express is a blue chip company with an enormous global presence, employing 72,000 people across the world. Its  Blue Box  logo is one of the most widely recognised corporate symbols, and the classic green American Express Card, first launched in 1958 and introduced into Australia in 1974, is the most famous Charge Card in the world. It is accepted at establishments in over 160 countries around the world. American Express offers a wide range of benefits to its members which ensures its popularity remains undiminished, and in fact is increasing. The Membership RewardsTM loyalty program is part of an overall marketing package orchestrated by American Express. The program, which was launched in 1991, now operates in over 30 countries. American Express also has a very high profile amongst its corporate customers. In Australia, for example, it currently provides a service to eight of the top ten BRW-listed companies
	In the year 2000, American Express celebrates its 150th anniversary. In those 150 years it has developed into one of the world’s most famous companies - famous for its charge and credit cards, travel services and financial facilities. The American Express Company originated as an express freight company. It grew out of a union between Wells & Co and two other similar express carriers, Livingston & Fargo and Butterfield, Wasson & Co.  American Express first operated under the company slogan “Safety & Dispatch”  accompanied by a bulldog logo.   From the outset, American Express played an important part in people’s lives - even occasionally saving them! During the American Civil War in the 1860s American Express transported vital supplies to Union Army depots and facilitated the democratic process by issuing election ballots to troops in the field. American Express first underwrote a money order product in 1882, when it became clear that it was far safer than shipping sums of cash. Money orders became increasingly common from the mid-1880s onwards.   American Express originally established banking relationships across Europe to transfer money from immigrants based in the United States to their families in the Old World. The company also pledged to pay money on Telegraphic Order at a moment’s notice, between points thousands of miles apart, and to sell small drafts or money orders “which can be cashed at 15,000 places”.  Despite the increasingly high profile of American Express financial services, it was still chiefly a freight express business. However, as a major step towards facilitating greater and easier travel in 1891, the American Express Travellers Cheque, the first of its kind, was invented. This offered a solid guarantee that the cheque represented US dollars which could be converted into a variety of currencies. The beauty of this simple cheque was that it was refundable should it be lost or stolen.   One of the most famous American Express offices opened in 1900, at 11, Rue Scribe in Paris, This became something of a magnet to tourists in Europe. When World War I broke out on 3 August 1914, around 150,000 Americans were trapped in Europe, many in awkward situations. American Express offices across Europe were jammed with Americans frantic to get home. Money was mailed to points all over Europe to help people further afield make their way home. In many places the locals were hoarding and trading in American Express Travellers cheques rather than trusting in their own currency. In its role as a freight carrier, the company was inundated with baggage left in the rush to flee Europe. Whatever the crisis, and no matter how difficult the obstacles, American Express managed to reunite families, help travellers trace long-lost baggage, and secure a safe exit for thousands of people. In 1915 the Manchester Guardian dubbed it The “Romantic Company” because of the way it shuttled messages between prisoners of war and their families. After the war, American Express extended its travel organisation and its international financial operations in Latin America, Europe and the Far East. American Express actually arranged the first round-the-world leisure cruise in 1922. Even during the Depression of the 1930s, American Express continued to cash its travellers cheques despite the fact that most US banks were closed and their assets frozen. The famous green American Express Charge Card didn’t make an appearance until 1958, well after World War II.   Since then, American Express has expanded rapidly into various new areas of finance and travel, and started its own publishing business in 1968. Also in 1986, the company set up new headquarters at the World Financial Centre in New York - a fitting location for a company with the global prestige and financial heritage of American Express.  American Express began continuous operation in Australia in the 1950s, when a travel service desk operated out of the prestige Sydney department store, David Jones. The famous green Charge Card made its debut here in 1974, and this year celebrates its 25th anniversary. The American Express Corporate Card was introduced into Australia four years later in 1978, followed by the Gold CardTM in 1982. The first American Express Credit Card was launched in May 1997, followed later the same year by the most exclusive of cards, the American Express Platinum Card.
	The American Express Company operates in two core businesses: travel and financial services. Throughout the world, American Express employs around 72,000 people. Its main businesses are American Express Travel Related Services, American Express Financial Advisors and the American Express Bank.   American Express Financial Advisors offer financial planning and investment advisory services to individuals and businesses in Europe, Asia and the Americas. American Express  banking arm has three major businesses: correspondent, commercial and private banking and consumer financial services.   American Express Travel Related Services is by far the largest business in the American Express organisation and in fact generates around half of all American Express  profits. This is the most famous sector of American Express, operating the American Express Card products as well as a worldwide network of American Express Travel Service and Representative Offices.   Although most famous for its Charge Card, American Express has expanded its portfolio of products - from  traditional charge and credit cards, through to affinity cards, stored value cards and new products such as debit and smart cards. During 1996 the company made significant strides in broadening the number of products offered. For example in the US, the first lifestyle product, the Golf Card was launched, as well as new co-branded cards with ITT Sheraton and Delta Air Lines. Credit cards have also been launched in key international markets, with the American Express Blue Credit Card making its Australian debut in 1997, the AMP Credit Card in 1998 and a wide array of affinity cards in 1999.  The American Express strategy is to continue to customise its products for specific groups, rather than trying to meet the needs of a mass market with a single product.
	Recent years have seen a variety of loyalty programs and extra services added to the American Express product portfolio. The American Express corporate travel business has seen massive growth through an acquisition in 1993 which secured the Thomas Cook Group Ltd and the Thomas Cook Partnership. This rendered American Express the world’s largest business travel agent. In Australia, American Express also acquired the travel services of the National Australia Bank and of Westpac. The Australian dollar Travellers Cheque was also introduced in 1994. The Japan / Pacific / Asia / Australia Regional Operations Centre for American Express was established in Sydney in 1996 and is a flagship multicultural workplace in Australia.
	The Blue Box American Express corporate logo made its debut in 1974 and has since gone on to become one of the world’s most familiar brands. American Express has always keenly supported its quality service and products with effective advertising.  It has produced one of the world’s most famous and universally recognised slogans: “Don’t leave home without it”.   Many American Express TV advertising campaigns have become famous, and featured celebrities. Campaigns have focussed on the benefits of owning an American Express Card above any other. Sticky situations are unstuck by brandishing an American Express Card or Travellers Cheques. The many perks and privileges afforded by American Express Cardmembership were underscored in the 1987 Membership has its privileges  campaign and the subsequent Portraits  campaign, which highlighted the extremely stylish image of the American Express brand along with the wide range of globally available services it provides. Testimonials from successful people such as Margaret Whitlam and Elle Macpherson, as well as sports heroes Herb Elliot, Max Walker and Dennis Lillee, all further accentuated the prestige of the American Express brand.  More recently Jerry Seinfield has become a very popular spokesperson for American Express.
	American Express guarantees an efficient, quality and reliable service at all times. It is a global brand, which has a prestigious appeal throughout the world. American Express strives to deliver personal relevance to its Card members by constantly developing products and services to meet individual needs.