GoKawiilA manager’s idea to turn card transactions into collectible stamps lands American Express at No. 3 on Best Workplaces for Innovators 2026. Physical passport stamps are becoming less common, but an American Express survey found that 73% of adults want more ways to digitally commemorate their trips abroad. A manager at American Express had an idea: turning card transactions into virtual collectible stamps, accessible through the Amex mobile app. Teams spanning American Express’s Digital Labs, tech, travel, and other departments created what’s now called Amex Passport, harnessing blockchain technology to generate and track the stamps, which have become one of the largest nonfungible token (NFT) collections on the blockchain platform Base. In response to customer feedback, Amex has expanded the program so cardholders can generate stamps for trips going back to 2019.
American Express harnessed blockchain to create Amex Passport
American Express turned an employee's idea into Amex Passport, a feature that converts card transactions abroad into digital collectible stamps minted as NFTs on Base. It's a rare example of a major financial institution finding a consumer-friendly, non-speculative use for blockchain, and it shows how internal innovation programs can produce shipped products, earning Amex the No. 3 spot on Best Workplaces for Innovators 2026.
- Amex Passport turns card transactions into virtual travel stamps in the Amex app, now one of the largest NFT collections on Base.
- The idea originated with a manager and was built by cross-functional teams across Digital Labs, tech, and travel.
- Customer feedback drove an expansion letting cardholders generate stamps for trips dating back to 2019.
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