| American Express is a fascinating story of | | | | services, although the banks could have done |
| American success. Most people hear ?American | | | | the same to them, the American Express brand |
| Express? and think credit cards and even | | | | was already well trusted. They started with |
| think of a new, edgy company. The truth | | | | money orders, and were selling traveler's |
| might be otherwise, but does American Express | | | | checks already in 1891! They next expanded |
| like their brand's position? The answer | | | | into Europe and in 1905, were commissioned by |
| appears to be ?yes,? and it appears to be | | | | the US government to be the official money |
| working. | | | | exchanger to the new emigrants to cut back on |
| | | | the swindling. The first brand that most |
| American Express is a company that is over | | | | emigrants saw was American Express! |
| 150 years old, and got its name from its | | | | |
| first service: an express company that | | | | World War 1 brought American Express into the |
| shipped valuables. The old days of the | | | | travel industry by helping stranded American |
| delivery business was tightly related to | | | | civilians get home at a time when no other |
| money. People had to ship money and money | | | | bank would take their checks. During this |
| orders, there was not a strong Post Office | | | | time, American Express continued to expand |
| like there is today, and you could not | | | | into the travel business. Soon following, |
| confidently ship larger items, or valuables. | | | | the Great Depression struck and it was a |
| As the United States grew west, banks | | | | bittersweet time for American Express. |
| established themselves, and were a large | | | | |
| client of American Express. They hired | | | | American Express is much more than a credit |
| American Express to help move money, gold, | | | | card company, they have earned their edgy |
| stock certificates and customers' valuables. | | | | reputation from the beginning, for a later |
| | | | history, 1930-today, check back for: |
| As this became more profitable, American | | | | |
| Express cut back on their large parcel | | | | American Express: More than Credit Cards: |
| deliveries and began to ?cut out the | | | | Part II. |
| middleman? by offering their own financial | | | | |