CFPB Consumer Complaint Profile
American Express Company
What 53,944 consumer complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reveal about how this company handles credit, billing and collection disputes.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 53,944
- Total complaints
- 10,403
- Last 12 months
- 99.7%
- Timely response
- 59
- States affected
The verdict
American Express Company ranks #14 of 3,848 financial companies by CFPB complaint volume, with 53,944 complaints on record. Its on-time response rate is 99.7%, ahead of the 93% median among companies with 100+ complaints.
- #14
- of 3,848 companies by volume
- 99.7%
- answered on time
- Credit card or prepa…
- most-complained product
- 59
- states with complaints
Percent of CFPB complaints answered within the regulator's expected window. Industry benchmark sits at 95%.
Reading this profile
Complaints by Product
Top Issues
Complaints by Year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 61 |
| 2012 | 939 |
| 2013 | 1,113 |
| 2014 | 1,385 |
| 2015 | 1,683 |
| 2016 | 2,375 |
| 2017 | 2,363 |
| 2018 | 2,859 |
| 2019 | 2,826 |
| 2020 | 3,172 |
| 2021 | 3,330 |
| 2022 | 3,929 |
| 2023 | 6,116 |
| 2024 | 8,920 |
| 2025 | 10,559 |
| 2026 | 2,314 |
Complaints by State (Top 15)
Company Responses
What the CFPB Complaint Record Shows for American Express Company
American Express Company carries 53,944 complaints in the CFPB's database, 10,403 of them filed within the past 12 months. Consumers spanning 59 states and territories have weighed in, giving this a nationwide footprint. The single largest complaint category is "Credit card or prepaid card," which consistently leads the product-level breakdown and signals where consumer friction is most acute. Within that category, the most frequently cited specific issue is "Problem with a purchase shown on your statement" - a useful starting point for anyone trying to understand what goes wrong most often in the company's consumer interactions.
99.7% of CFPB-forwarded complaints against American Express Company get a reply inside the Bureau's 15-day window. That is at or above benchmark levels, a sign the company handles intake and escalation well. In 27.2% of resolved cases, the consumer formally disputed the company's response - a rough measure of how often the first resolution missed the mark. 29.5% of resolved complaints ended with some monetary or non-monetary relief for the consumer.
How to read complaint counts
Complaint counts alone do not tell the full story, larger institutions with more customers will naturally generate more complaints in absolute terms. The more informative signals are the direction of the yearly trend shown above, the state-level concentration (which hints at regional servicing issues or regulatory exposure), and the ratio of monetary-relief closures to closed-without-relief outcomes. Taken together, these fields give consumers a reasonable empirical basis for deciding whether to escalate a dispute, and give researchers a starting point for investigating institutional patterns.
Educational data summary, not financial or legal advice. Individual complaint outcomes vary. Consumers should consult a qualified attorney or financial advisor for guidance on a specific dispute.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CFPB complaints does American Express Company have?
American Express Company has 53,944 total consumer complaints filed with the CFPB, with 10,403 filed in the last 12 months.
Does American Express Company respond to complaints on time?
American Express Company has a 99.7% timely response rate to CFPB complaints. That is a strong response record by CFPB standards.
What product generates the most complaints for American Express Company?
The most complained-about product for American Express Company is "Credit card or prepaid card." You can view the full product breakdown on this page.
What is the most common complaint issue with American Express Company?
The most common issue reported by consumers about American Express Company is "Problem with a purchase shown on your statement." All complaint issues are listed above with their counts.
How do I file a complaint against American Express Company?
You can file a complaint against American Express Company directly with the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. The CFPB will forward your complaint to the company and work to get you a response, typically within 15 days.
In how many states have consumers complained about American Express Company?
Consumers in 59 states and territories have filed complaints about American Express Company with the CFPB. This count includes the 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and smaller CFPB-tracked jurisdictions such as Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and military postal codes (APO/FPO), which is why it can exceed the 52 states and territories that have a dedicated state page on this site.
Similar Companies
Matched by complaint volume nationwide and by product category - a different peer set than the sibling-portal links below.
Similar complaint volume (~53,944)
Also handles Credit card or prepaid card
Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database CFPB Consumer Complaint Database Data through March 2026
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.