American Express Commits More than $200 Million to Help Get Customers Shopping Small with its Largest-Ever Global Shop Small Campaign

American Express, which has a long history of backing small businesses, today announced its largest-ever global Shop Small Campaign, that includes a commitment of more than $200 million over the next several months to help jumpstart spending at small merchants¹, many of which were impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, in continuation of our longstanding support for minority-and women-owned businesses, American Express is building a coalition, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, that will bring together the U.S. Black Chambers, the National Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Business League and Walker’s Legacy with a $10 million pledge over the next four years to fund a program that will provide grants to U.S. Black-owned small businesses to assist in their recovery and address the challenges they face due to racial and social inequalities. A portion of the grant will also fund building the capacity of the network by offering leadership development and business mentoring. More information will be available at ShopSmall.com.

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According to the Small Business Recovery Research conducted by American Express, 62 percent of U.S. small businesses reported that they need to see consumer spending return to pre-COVID levels by the end of 2020 in order to stay in business. To help encourage consumers to Shop Small, eligible and enrolled U.S. Card Members can receive $5 back after they spend $10 or more at an eligible U.S. small merchant when they shop online, curbside or in-store, up to 10 times beginning today through September 20, 2020. Enroll by July 26, 2020 at ShopSmall.com. Eligibility and terms apply. Similar offers are rolling out globally in Australia, Canada and the UK, with France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain and more to follow.

“American Express has backed small business owners through challenging times for decades, and we are standing for them today as many struggle to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Stephen J. Squeri, Chairman and CEO of American Express. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities, and now is the time to join together and help them rebound from this global crisis, because their success is critical to job creation, strong economies and thriving neighborhoods."