American Express (NYSE: AXP) and Knot, an Amex Ventures portfolio company, have teamed up to launch a new pilot feature that simplifies adding payment information at select merchants.
The feature rolled out as a limited pilot for select American Express customers to enable them to seamlessly add their payment information for some of their favorite merchants, including Bloomingdale’s, Hilton and Macy’s, to enjoy a continued smooth checkout experience.
How it Works
Knot is a fintech company specializing in card-on-file management. It offers a user-friendly solution for customers to automatically add their card-on-file at select merchants. With Knot, Amex can enable its customers to update card-on-file information instantly, enhancing convenience and decreasing friction experienced by merchants by requiring no technical integration.
The new functionality is possible because of two technologies working together. One is Knot’s CardSwitcher™, which lets customers change their payment methods easily with different merchants without the need to enter their Card. The other is American Express proprietary technology, which enables customers to share their payment data securely with their permission.
Relationship Between Amex and Knot
The new functionality is the result of a collaborative innovation process between American Express and Knot, which began with an initial Series A investment from Amex Ventures in 2023. Amex Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of American Express, seeks to invest in early-stage startups that can help American Express accelerate innovation and create value for its customers and partners. Through its investment in Knot, Amex identified an opportunity to use the startup's technology to solve a common pain point for Card Members and merchants and worked closely with Knot to develop and launch the functionality.
For example, an Amex Card Member that has purchased items previously at one of the select merchants in the past, but not saved down their Card for future transactions can now easily do so when prompted. By utilizing the functionality, future transactions for the customer and merchant will occur more seamlessly.
“At Amex Ventures, we believe in more than just investing capital - we believe in helping founders validate product-market fit and scale their business through partnerships,” said Matt Sueoka, SVP and Head of Amex Ventures. “Our new functionality with Knot is a great example of how collaboration with portfolio companies can lead to meaningful commercial opportunities. We’re proud to work alongside innovative companies like Knot to bring new solutions to our customers and enhance the value of American Express membership.”
“We know Card Members and merchants alike value seamless digital experiences, and we are committed to delivering innovative solutions that make their lives easier,” said Stephanie Schultz, Vice President and Head of Partnerships at Amex Digital Labs. “Our partnership with Knot demonstrates how we’re using the latest technology to simplify payments for Card Members while helping merchants increase efficiency and drive online checkout conversions.”
“We’re excited to further our relationship with American Express and help improve the customer experience for Amex Card Members when checking out,” said Rory O’Reilly CEO & Co-Founder of Knot. “Partnering to power this functionality underscores our mission of building a financially interconnected future for both users and merchants.”
Select American Express US Consumer and Small Business Card Members interested in learning more about the functionality can log into their American Express account for additional details.