Blog. Spotlight on: American Express.
May 20, 2026 | Author Giuliana Vittiglio
As a long-standing supporter of the hospitality industry, American Express has partnered with Hospitality Action for the past three years to help support hospitality people when they need it most. The partnership is built on a shared commitment to the people at the heart of our industry, helping to make our sector a better place for everyone. We recently caught up with the Amex team to talk about what inspired their support and why the industry matters so deeply to them.
What first inspired Amex to support Hospitality Action?
Amex’s relationship with Hospitality Action is rooted in our long-standing connection to the hospitality sector. It’s an industry that’s a passion point for Cardmembers who enjoy dining out and experiences across the wider hospitality sector. Hospitality is a sector we actively support as a business through ongoing initiatives like Shop Small, along with a series of targeted marketing campaigns that help merchants grow by incentivising our Cardmembers to spend.
We also see first-hand, through our merchant relationships, both how rewarding and how demanding the sector can be. When we learned more about Hospitality Action’s work supporting people facing challenging times, it strongly resonated with our commitment to backing the people behind the businesses we serve.
How does supporting charitable initiatives align with Amex’s wider values or mission?
At American Express, backing our customers and communities is central to our purpose. Through various Community Impact programmes, we provide funding, resources and volunteering to help build resilient communities and support small businesses. In the UK, this includes initiatives like the Backing International Small Restaurants grant programme, now in its fifth year, which provides hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding to independent restaurants in London and Manchester. Supporting organisations like Hospitality Action is a natural extension of this approach - helping ensure the people behind these businesses are supported as well.
Why is it especially important to Amex to support people working in hospitality?
Hospitality is a cornerstone of the communities we operate in and a vital part of our expanding merchant network. The sector is powered by people working in fast-paced and often demanding environments, and their wellbeing is essential to its long-term sustainability.
That’s why we focus on supporting both businesses and the individuals behind them - through initiatives that drive customer demand, as well as programmes that provide funding during challenging times. Our partnership with Hospitality Action plays an important role in ensuring that support reaches those who need it most.
What role do partnerships like this play in strengthening the wider hospitality community?
Partnerships like this help bring the industry together around a shared purpose. Through our network, we’re able to connect merchants, industry bodies and charitable organisations, while also using our brand platforms to raise awareness at scale.
By working with Hospitality Action, we aim to help amplify the support available to hospitality workers and encourage a more open, supportive industry culture. This kind of collaboration is key to building a more resilient and connected hospitality community.
What are you most excited about for the future of our partnership?
We’re proud of how the partnership has developed over the past three years and excited about what comes next. Looking ahead, we want to continue supporting Hospitality Action’s vital work while exploring opportunities to expand our impact - through fundraising, grant support and deeper integration into our merchant marketing campaigns.
We’re also focused on creating more ways for our colleagues and wider merchant base to participate in the partnership. Strengthening those connections, and reaching even more people across the hospitality sector, is something we’re genuinely excited about.
We’re incredibly grateful to Amex for their continued support and shared belief in the importance of caring for hospitality people. To learn how your business can do the same, please get in touch.