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Tag: American Express

  • American Express Launching Crypto Rewards Credit Card

    American Express Launching Crypto Rewards Credit Card

    In a first for the credit card company, American Express has launching a card that rewards users with cryptocurrency instead of traditional rewards.

    Cryptocurrency and blockchain tech are in the process of revolutionizing a range of industries, although none as much as the finance market. JPMorgan has started using blockchain for collateral settlements, Mastercard has partnered with Bakkt to support crypto, and now American Express is getting in on the action with its own crypto rewards credit card, in partnership with Abra.

    According to TechCrunch, the company has not revealed what cryptocurrencies will be supported, but Abra founder and CEO Bill Barhydt told the outlet that customers will eventually be able to choose from multiple different cryptocurrencies.

    American Express customers wanting to take advantage of the crypto rewards will need to be registered with Abra, where they will be able to use the company’s exchange to swap rewards for a variety of cryptocurrencies.

    “Eventually, we’re also working on a solution that will allow you to use your existing crypto balance to affect your credit line, which is something we’ll probably launch in the future. I think that’s a big benefit because a lot of crypto holders are kind of penalized when it comes to banking and credit,” Barhydt said.

    The new card is expected launch in the latter part of 2022.

  • 57% of Small Businesses in US Are Now Fully Open

    57% of Small Businesses in US Are Now Fully Open

    As restrictions ease around the country, a new reports shows that 57% of all small businesses are fully open.

    Small businesses were among the hardest hit as a result of the pandemic, with many lacking the infrastructure to move online or the resources to wait out long lockdowns. As restrictions ease, however, a slight majority have resumed full operations.

    In its Small Business Recovery Report, Kabbage polled more than 550 small businesses. Of those polled 57% are now fully open.

    Interestingly, one-third of the businesses said they were now either selling exclusively online or had significantly expanded their online sales. Online sales accounted for 57% of their total revenue, up from 37% before the pandemic.

    The mass shift to sell online has changed the mindset of small businesses about adopting new technologies. Overall, 77 percent of small businesses agreed they’re more open than ever before to replace old systems and adopt new technologies to run their company more efficiently.

    Understanding the status of small businesses and their future is an important step in understanding how to move forward.

    “We knew the path to recovery would look different across businesses, but it’s clear there’s a stark difference between the largest and smallest of small businesses—which represent more than 80 percent of all companies in the U.S.,” said Rob Frohwein, Co-founder of Kabbage, an American Express Company. “As our economy recovers it’s imperative all small businesses, especially those most marginalized and vulnerable, have equitable access to financial tools, systems and stimulus programs to ensure we all rebound from this crisis together.”

  • Scott Kennedy of CSIS: China Amex Approval is #fakeopening

    Scott Kennedy of CSIS: China Amex Approval is #fakeopening

    Scott Kennedy, who is the Deputy Director, Freeman Chair in China Studies at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said on Twitter that Amex finally winning Chinese market approval is not a breakthrough for China market access. He labeled it as a #fakeopening. “NOT a breakthrough for China market access,” noted Kennedy. “Amex still at least year-plus away from operations. And why should it be required to operate in a joint venture? #fakeopening.”

    He was also asked, How many American jobs will it create? Zero? Kenney replied, “Far more than 0, but difficult to calculate for financial services firms. AMEX activity in CH which requires job support in US + Repatriated profits that AMEX invests directly, puts in banks which lend to others + Chinese users that increase consumption US products.”

    Kennedy then added, “Other cross-border commercial activity that emerges out their business. + Same when Visa, Mastercard follow. + Marginal improvement in efficiency of China’s own firms, permits smarter investments, greater consumption. Lesson: Liberalization benefits diffuse, but exist.

    American Express getting market approval in China is being widely reported in the media as a promising development in light of the current trade war. Philippe Roy, Director Global Client Group Europe for Amex, reflecting on the news said, “American Express just became the first US credit card company to get the green light to start building its own payments network in China.”

    Earlier this year Scott Kennedy spoke about US-China relations:

  • Tori Spelling Says She and Dean McDermott Not Bankrupt or Struggling Financially

    Tori Spelling has spoken out in recent days in her attempt to squelch rumors she and husband Dean McDermott are bankrupt and in the midst of serious financial struggles.

    In an interview with People magazine, the former Beverly Hills, 90210 star hopes to clear up some of the rumors surrounded her finances.

    Tori Spelling explains that the rumors started following the release of her 2013 book, Spelling It Like It Is.

    “It was one chapter. I thought I was being relatable, talking about how celebrities go through financial struggles, too, we make mistakes, too,” she explains. “We’re not perfect, we have made a lot of choices financially with real estate that didn’t work out…and that just escalated into this story about financial struggles, bankruptcy. To this day that haunts me!”

    “It’s like the plastic surgery story that came out about me when I was 16 when I’d had my nose done as a teenager,” Tori Spelling continues. “That still haunts me to this day when I’ve had nothing else done – well, except my boobs.”

    There was one rumor/question about Tori Spelling that, even though the topic came up, she never really answered during her interview. In January, she was allegedly sued by American Express for $37,981.97–an outstanding balance from the previous summer.

    When asked about the lawsuit, she had the following to say.

    “I just want that story to go away!” she says. “We’re doing a great new series, I’m really happy, we’re doing a new show on Cooking Channel–we’re not bankrupt, we’re not struggling, we’re fine!”

    See how Tori Spelling dodged the question?

    “[The] kids [are] good, family’s good, I’m healthy, finances [are] good,” she continues.

    Tori Spelling went on to say she and Dean McDermott frequently have discussions about money with their children.

    “My husband and I work really hard. I mean, I’m constantly out there working,” she says. “It’s so important for my children to see that both their parents are working, and we talk to them about it. My kids are like, ‘It’s not fair, why aren’t you home more?’ And I explain [things] to them and we talk about money.”

    Tori Spelling never did directly answer the question about the American Express lawsuit. What do you suppose that is all about?

    If Tori Spelling owes American Express that kind of money, then things aren’t as “fine” as she says.

  • Etsy Teams Up With American Express For Small Business Saturday

    Etsy Teams Up With American Express For Small Business Saturday

    It’s only September, but it’s certainly not too early to be thinking about Small Business Saturday if you are in fact a small business.

    Etsy, which gives many small businesses a marketplace to sell their goods, announced on Thursday that it is partnering with American Express OPEN and supporting the “Shop Small” movement. The company is encouraging shoppers and small businesses to “discover and showcase the local artisans in their communities” on Small Business Saturday.

    “Both Etsy and American Express OPEN share a mission of supporting the growth and continued success of independent businesses because when small businesses succeed, their communities benefit,” says Etsy’s Rand Niederhoffer. “Small businesses account for 55% of all jobs and 54% of all sales in the US with 52% of consumers saying the primary reason they choose to shop at a small business is because they feel it is important to their neighborhood and community.”

    “Small businesses across the country are encouraged to get involved by inviting a local Etsy designer to showcase their products at an in-store trunk show,” Niederhoffer adds. “Each participating small business will receive a Trunk Show activation kit that includes an Etsy gift card to assist with the cost of supplies for the event, as well as an American Express Shop Small Reward Card. Plus, one lucky business will win a boutique design refresh from Rue Magazine, courtesy of American Express.”

    Etsy says the events provide its sellers with a way to get their products in front of customers in an offline retail setting, and small businesses that host can increase foot traffic.

    More information on the initiative is here.

    Image via Etsy

  • League of Legends American Express Cards Announced, Come With RP

    League of Legends has quietly become one of the most popular games in the entire world. The MOBA has now gotten so big that mainstream credit card companies are looking to cash in on the phenomenon.

    American Express this week announced that it and Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends, have joined forces to introduce League of Legends-themed prepaid credit accounts. The accounts will have a reward system attached that can provide players with Riot Points (RP, an in-game League of Legends currency). American Express is also now the “official payment partner” for the League Championship Series and an “official partner” for the World Championship.

    “Riot Games is passionate about serving their players and giving them avenues for enhancing their gaming experience” said Stefan Happ, SVP for U.S. payment options at American Express. “Together we’ve been able to create a great co-branded product with a unique rewards program that will help League of Legends players earn Riot Points whenever they use their Card to make qualifying purchases.”

    The “RP+” program attached to the accounts gives players 1,000 RP for registering, 1,000 RP for putting $20 in the account, and 1,000 RP for using the cars for 10 purchases. Setting up the card with direct deposit will get players 10,000 RP. All together, players can earn 13,000 RP – more than $85 worth of RP.

    Those who sign up for the card can choose from six different League of Legends backgrounds for their card. The backgrounds include art for Teemo, Vi, Lux, Twisted Fate, the Summoner’s Cup, and the League of Legends logo.

  • Twitter, Amex Partner to Let You Buy Stuff with Hashtags

    Twitter, Amex Partner to Let You Buy Stuff with Hashtags

    Twitter and American Express have just announced a new program that will allow users to make purchases inside of Twitter by simply tweeting out specific “Buy” hashtags.

    Here’s how the hashtag-buying works, after you sync your Amex card to Twitter of course.

    Cardmembers tweet special product #hashtags for the product they want to purchase with their synced Card. Cardmembers then check their Twitter mentions in the @ Connect tab for a response from @AmexSync containing a confirmation #hashtag. Tweet the confirmation #hashtag within 15 minutes of the response from @AmexSync to confirm the purchase.

    And the product(s) should arrive on your doorstep via 2-day shipping.

    The hashtag-buying will officially kick off Wednesday at noon ET with these specific products:

    $25 American Express Gift Card: $15.00; Amazon Kindle Fire HD: $149.99 plus tax; Sony Action Cam & Waterproof Headband Mount: $179.99 plus tax; Urban Zen Bracelet Designed by Donna Karan: $80.00 plus tax; Xbox 360 4GB console with a 3-month Xbox LIVE Subscription and 2 game tokens: $179.99 plus tax; Xbox Controller: $29.99 plus tax.

    “Based on the initial success of Amex Sync for offers, we know there is significant power in combining our assets with Twitter’s platform to bring value to Cardmembers and merchants,” said Leslie Berland, Senior Vice President, Digital Partnerships and Development at American Express. “Now, we’re leveraging our unique technology and closed-loop network to introduce a seamless solution that redefines what’s possible in the world of social commerce.”

    Amex has partnerships with Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook and other networks that leverage synced accounts, but until now these have only been used to unlock discounts or purchase credits. This is the first time that social media users will be able to initiate an actual purchase with something as simple as tweeting out a hashtag.

  • Facebook, AMEX Partner To Give Small Businesses A “Big Break”

    For the second straight year, American Express and Facebook are teaming up for the “Big Break for Small Business” contest, which is “designed to transform the way small businesses connect and engage with customers online” – namely their social media presence.

    And this year, five lucky businesses will win $25,000 in cash. Not only that, but they will get to work with AMEX and Facebook “branding experts,” who will tutor them in marketing and social media strategy.

    “The winners will learn how to use Facebook to build their brands and better market their products and services to their existing customer base and reach new customer segments. Each winner will get practical and personal training on best practices using Facebook Pages, Ads and Social Plugins, and will receive consultation on their current use of Facebook.”

    All small businesses have to do is go to the Facebook AMEX OPEN page and click “enter now.” The entry process involves a short questionnaire where the entrants explain how they would use the contest winnings to improve and grow their small business. They have until 11:59 ET on July 13th to enter.

    The top 10 entries will be hand-picked by AMEX OPEN Social Media VP Laura Fink, Facebook head of Global Marketing Communications Heather Freeland, and others including Bonobos CEO Andy Dunn. Once they narrow down the finalists, the five winners will be selected by Facebook users via online vote.

    According to AMEX and Facebook, finalists will be judged on “commitment to their business and growth, commitment to the community that fuels their business, overall social media and business need where American Express OPEN and Facebook could improve their business, and energy and enthusiasm for the entrepreneurial community.

    If your’re a small business looking to increase your social media presence, it can’t hurt to sign up. You can receive some marketing tools and $50 in Facebook advertising credits just for entering. The ten runners-up will additionally receive $2,500 in advertising credits.

    If you want to read about last year’s winners, be sure to check out the Big Break portal.

  • Foursquare / AMEX Deals Jump Across The Pond

    Back in March of 2011, Foursquare partnered up with American Express for a deals program that allowed users to get money back on their purchases by checking-in. After Foursquare users link their accounts to their American Express cards, all they have to do it check in to a participating merchant, redeem the deal and use the linked card. A few days later, a credit will appear on the user’s AMEX statement. The deals usually looks something like “Spend X, get X back,” with “X” representing to same dollar amount.

    Back in December of 2011, Foursquare extended those deals and announced that hundreds of thousands of businesses were part of the program.

    Now, what was previously a U.S.-only venture has jumped across to pond.

    Today, Foursquare is announcing that some Foursquare/American Express deals are now available in the UK. For those of you in the area, here’s what you’re looking at to start off with:

    Bella Italia: Spend £10 or more, get £10 back
    Café Rouge: Spend £10 or more, get £10 back
    Eat: Spend £5 or more, get £5 back
    House of Fraser: Spend £10 or more, get £10 back
    Nando’s: Spend £10 or more, get £10 back
    PizzaExpress: Spend £10 or more, get £10 back
    Primark: Spend £10 or more, get £10 back (except for the concession stores!)
    Strada: Spend £10 or more, get £10 back
    Tesco: Spend £5 or more, get £5 back

    You can only redeem the special once per card and only personal AMEX cards are allowed.

    Foursquare boasts that over $1 million in credits have been applied to cardholders since the partnership kicked off.

  • Zynga Launches FarmVille Rewards Program with American Express

    Zynga Launches FarmVille Rewards Program with American Express

    You like playing FarmVille, but are really not too keen on the idea of paying real money for virtual products, otherwise known as in-game purchases. It’s reasonable to balk at that, but Zynga, the makers of FarmVille, have announced another option for you to earn Farm Cash to make those crop or cow purchases without having to directly fork over your cold, hard cash: just buy real-world items.

    Zynga announced today that it’s partnering with American Express to launch the Zynga Serve Rewards Program, a prepaid card program that will give you a Farm Cash kickback with purchases over $25 or more. For those unfamiliar with the service, Serve is a digital wallet where you can transfer and receive funds that’s provided by American Express.

    It works like this: you register for the Serve Rewards program in order to receive the prepaid card in the mail. Add money to the card via your real credit card, bank card, or cash (you have to use a GreenDot MoneyPak for that last option). Activate the card and then set out to the mall or boutique or wherever American Express is accepted, make some purchases, and then you’ll receive the in-game rewards in real time.

    Dan Schulman, President of Enterprise Growth, American Express, said he’s thrilled to be a Zynga partner. “As the commerce landscape continues to change, and online and offline spending converges, Serve is focused on partnering with companies like Zynga to create unique value for our customers in the environments they love,” he said in a statement.

    This isn’t the first partnership that Zynga’s entered with a credit card company to provide benefits to fans of its games. In December, Zynga partnered with Discover Card to launch an in-game rewards program that allowed players to trade in rewards points for a Zynga gift card.

    Zynga expects to launch a similar rewards program for additional games later this year, such as CastleVille and CityVille.

    Humph. I guess us avid players of Words With Friends just get to keep on keeping on without any fun in-game rewards. That’s fine, Zynga. I don’t need those bonus features anyways to continue to kick everybody’s ass at that game.

  • Foursquare and AmEx Offer SXSW 2012 Deals

    Foursquare and AmEx Offer SXSW 2012 Deals

    Foursquare, the location-based social networking app that debuted at SXSW is heading back to SXSW 2012. And, they want to give you some money.

    If you have a Foursquare account and an American Express card (U.S. only), you can sync the two together and get discounts galore when you visit SXSW 2012. Foursquare recommends that you use their app while in Austin, specifically the Explore feature. When you do so, you will be shown the best places in town, based on where you, your friends and Austin’s local experts have been. In the app, you will see deals for American Express card holders marked in orange.

    The Foursquare blog tells how to redeem your $10 savings at all the locations you’ll find marked:

    Redeeming your $10 is super easy – tap ‘Load to Card’ on the Special screen once you’ve checked in, pay with your American Express® card, and see the $10 credit on your bill in a few days. No need to show your phone to an employee or anything. (If you want to be super prepared, you can sync your card in advance here.)

    According to Foursquare, there are thousands of places at which you can redeem a $10 savings.

    The American Express Terms and Conditions on the Foursquare program do mention a few more details.

    Once you have completed the registration/syncing process, when you use your Foursquare account to “check in” to a location for which an Offer exists, an electronic message will be sent to your mobile device through your Foursquare account notifying you of an available Offer (such as, by way of example, a statement credit or point of sale discount) and you must activate certain Offers by pressing the “Load to Card” or similar button. To redeem an Offer, you must follow the instructions in the Offer Terms and use your Registered Card for the entire purchase described in the Offer at the location described in the Offer, unless otherwise indicated in the Offer Terms.

    So, apparently there will be offers sent to your phone via Foursquare, not just orange markers within the app itself.

  • American Express Payments Now On Facebook

    If you are a regular addict of Facebook and you have some debts to pay or cash gifts to give, you can now get those chores done without ever leaving the social networking site. Serve from American Express has launched their digital payment app for Facebook. You can send, receive and request money effortlessly with their new tool.

    It is simple to use. If you want to request money, select a friend, send the message, and the request will appear on their wall (the amount will not show up). There are no fees involved and as long as the recipient is a registered Serve member all they have to do is enter their PIN number and the payment will be sent. What could be easier?

    Another interesting feature of the Facebook Serve app is the ability to set-up a widget to raise money such as selling an item or creating a for charity campaign. A statement from American Express Enterprise Growth Group President, Dan Schulman commenting on the app said:

    “The way people exchange money is evolving, and so is Serve,”

    “We’re constantly working to bring our customers a seamless and consistent payment experience—one that makes sense for our increasingly social lives, whether that’s paying a friend back for movie tickets or sending someone money for your share of the vacation house—it can now be sent on Facebook.”

    It looks like Facebook keeps finding new ways to keep users busy on their site. I know many people who are never logged out of Facebook and this will be a great addition for them. Also it’s a great way to get some money out of those friends who keep promising to pay you back, but never seem to have any cash on them. They’re gonna hate this! We might see some people getting rid of their accounts over this app. Thanks American Express!

  • Foursquare and American Express Launch Specials for Cardholders

    Back in March, just before SXSW, Foursquare announced a partnership with American Express that would see card users getting discounts, by checking in at stores, restaurants, etc. They began testing in Austin, where those who linked their AmEx and Foursquare accounts could spend at least $5 at a local merchant, and get a $5 savings applied to their monthly statement.

    “When we launched, the response was overwhelmingly positive. So, after SxSW, we sat down with American Express to plot the future,” writes Foursquare Director of Business Development Tristan Walker on the Foursquare blog. “Today, we’re happy to announce that the partnership is going national. Across the whole country, at select merchants, you can now check-in with foursquare, pay with your American Express card, and get big savings on your monthly statement.”

    “Our national launch with foursquare reflects our continued focus on digital innovation aimed at bringing value to cardmembers and merchants where they’re already engaged and focused,” says Ed Gilligan, Vice Chairman at American Express. “The success of our pilot just a few months ago proved that American Express’ digital capabilities and foursquare’s expanding application created something extremely powerful. We’re thrilled to take this partnership to the next level. For us, this is just the beginning.”

    “Partnering with American Express to offer Specials to their millions of cardmembers on a nationwide basis not only allows us to provide a completely seamless redemption experience to both users and merchants, it also enables merchants to really measure the success of their offline marketing efforts with foursquare,” said Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley. “The load-to-card functionality of the Smart Offer APIs provides the millions of American Express merchants with an effortless way to serve up Specials to our more than 10 million users.”

    At SXSW, we interviewed Foursquare Director of Business Development Eric Friedman, who talked about the partnership a bit (while Crowley played an actual game of Foursquare in the background):

    @EricFriedman
    Eric Friedman    RT @AmericanExpress Amex and @foursquare go national! Sync, explore, save… GET STARTED NOW at http://aexp.co/ZU2 10 hours ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    @naveen
    naveen    shock-and-awe week is back: @foursquare and @americanexpress teaming up for specials again, this time nationwide: http://t.co/bxDH9nJ 9 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    @AmericanExpress
    American Express    Cardmembers nationwide can now sync their Amex cards w/ @foursquare to unlock exclusive specials! http://aexp.co/AgO 1 hour ago via Amex Publisher · powered by @socialditto

    Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley retweeted this:

    @stanmichaelbash
    Stan Bashmashnikov    Welp, looks like I’ve made a decision for my secondary credit card! – “AMEX Teams With Foursquare” – http://t.co/kfAsujk cc: @dens @naveen 9 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    To take advantage, simply link your accounts, check in at participating stores and tap “load to card” on the Special in Foursquare, and pay with your AmEx card. They’re kicking off the launch with stores H&M (where you can spend $75 and get $10 back) and Sports Authority (where you can spend $50 and get $20 back). On the Foursquare blog, they also talk about several New York restaurants who are already offering specials.

    Earlier this week, Foursquare announced that it’s surpassed 10 million users.

  • My Morning Jacket Circuital Release Date Comes With Live YouTube Performance

    Vevo, along with partners YouTube and American Express, have announced a live concert experience around an upcoming performance from the band My Morning Jacket, to be directed by Todd Haynes.

    The show takes place on May 31 in our (and MMJ’s) home state of Kentucky, and the project, titled My Morning Jacket UNSTAGED, will be streamed live on YouTube, as the latest example of how online video is changing the game.

    “Something like this even a few years ago would have been unthinkable, what with how clumsy movie cameras and film editing used to be,” says Vevo in a blog post. “Until now, live-streamed online concerts have often been not much better than a guy with a handicam somewhere in the front row. But now, with advanced cameras and digital editing, the best directors can create a unique vision for a live music event, and fans in front of screens around the world can see that vision come together in real time! The result is not that you feel like you were there, but that the experience is designed for you where you actually are.”

    My Morning JacketJust announced, our American Express UNSTAGED concert on 5/31 in Louisville will livestream at http://bit.ly/lWtKCF 4 hours ago · 213 likes · 24 comments

    YouTube is really starting to take live video seriously. The Royal Wedding, for example, was broadcast live, via the Royal YouTube channel. As far as music, the Coachella festival was also broadcast live via 3 channels (for multiple stages and simultaneous performances).

    Last month, YouTube announced the launch of YouTube Live, a new home page for live content on the site, as well as a live streaming platform for select partners. “With over 2 billion views a day, it’s easy to think about YouTube as a place to watch videos recorded in the past,” the company said. “But you’ve told us you want more – and that includes events taking place right now.”

    The My Morning Jacket performance coincides with the release of the band’s new album Circuital, which is already available for pre-order.

    I had the pleasure of seeing My Morning Jacket here in Lexington a couple weeks ago, and I can vouch for them putting on a good show. UNSTAGED should certainly be easier on the wallet.

  • Foursquare Partners with American Express

    Foursquare Partners with American Express

    Foursquare and American Express have entered into a partnership that will see card users getting discounts at stores, restaurants, etc. via Foursquare.

    WebProNews recently exchanged a few tweets with Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley, following an article we posted questioning how Foursquare will continue to compete with Facebook and its Places service. You can see that exchange here. In a nutshell, he explained that Foursquare has different use cases, and that we should talk after SXSW, implying that multiple announcements were coming.

    Now, news of the American Express deal has come out via the Wall Street Journal. This may be the main thing Crowley was referring to as it should be a pretty big deal for Foursquare. The publication reports:

    Under the arrangement, AmEx customers can register their cards in the Foursquare system to get access to special offers from merchants who are also Foursquare participants. Customers who shop at those merchants with an AmEx card will receive credits and electronic notification that they have redeemed the offer. Merchants who participate in the program would potentially see more sales.

    The partners will pilot the service next week in Austin, Texas, at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, a weeklong conference for technology start-ups. Sixty local merchants will honor the “spend $5, save $5” promotion.

    The two companies will reportedly expand the program into various cities.

    In addition, Foursquare mentions that Foursquare 3.0 is coming soon on the company’s SXSW page (as well as some parties, panels, and new badges). It will be interesting to see what comes with version 3.0 in terms of features that Facebook will have a hard time matching. I’m sure credit card partnerships aren’t out of the realm of possibility for the company whose valuation continues to increase.

  • American Express Partners With Zynga On Virtual Goods

    American Express said today it would allow its card customers to pay for virtual goods from Zynga using their reward points.

    FarmVille-Windmill Cardmembers enrolled in the rewards program cans use points to purchase Zynga game cards, along with a variety of virtual goods, such as FarmVille manors and windmills, Café World fountains and stoves, and YoVille roadsters and robots. Typing "Zynga" in the keyword search on www.membershiprewards.com brings up all virtual goods for use in Zynga’s games.

    "Our partnership with American Express marks the first time that virtual goods are available for purchase with rewards points and reinforces our commitment to offer consumers meaningful experiences that enhance their game play," said Vishal Makhijani,  SVP of Business Operations at Zynga.

    "Cardmembers can instantly redeem their reward points to purchase limited edition virtual goods for their favorite Zynga games."

    Zynga and American Express will continue to expand the offers available over the coming weeks. On December 6 another 20 virtual goods will be made available including the FrontierVille Fancy Gold Hot Tub, FrontierVille Fancy Gold Fountain, Treasure Isle Zebra, and FarmVille Golden Retriever. Also on December 6, Cardmembers will be able to redeem for specific game cards for FarmVille, FrontierVille, YoVille, and Café World.
     

  • SearchManager Consolidates Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, & Facebook Ad Campaigns

    American Express has launched a new search marketing tool for small businesses via its OPEN forum. The tool, powered by Clickable, is called SearchManager, and lets business owners manage paid search campaigns across Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing, Microsoft adCenter, and Facebook ads from one dashboard.

    SearchManager from American Express manages search campaigns"According to Forrester Research, search advertising is the most popular interactive marketing tactic and is expected to grow 15 percent per year for the next four years," a representative for American Express tells WebProNews. "Google alone generated an estimated $54 billion for U.S. businesses in 2009. So why haven’t small business owners fully leveraged the power of search marketing?"

    He says that the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor found that nearly three quarters of entrepreneurs are not spending money on search engine marketing.

    "Complexity and opaqueness are two of the biggest reasons small businesses have avoided using pay-per-click tools, and many of those willing to dip their toe in the search marketing pool have been disappointed with the results," he tells us. "Roughly 50% of businesses that buy search ads don’t come back the following year, according to research firm Borrell Associates."

    American Express is offering a 30 day free trial period for customers interested in the product. More info on the tool can be found here.