GoKawiil
Tech News
American Express has announced layoffs affecting thousands of positions, attributing the cuts to its adoption of artificial intelligence tools. The move follows Barclays' announcement a day earlier that it would cut about 5,000 jobs, roughly 5% of its workforce, as part of a similar AI-driven restructuring.
American Express announced a partnership that brings more than 1 million Airbnb properties into American Express Travel, alongside new rewards opportunities. Platinum cardholders will get exclusive benefits when booking Airbnb stays through the Amex platform, expanding beyond the service's traditional focus on luxury hotels.
American Express has unveiled a new system called the Intent Intelligence Framework, built to verify and preserve a customer's actual purchase instructions as AI agents carry out transactions. The framework starts with a Create Intent API meant to capture that intent before an agent completes a purchase, and it builds on Amex's ACE Developer Toolkit launched in April.
American Express announced the addition of new Centurion Lounges at Newark and London Heathrow airports. Existing lounges in Philadelphia and Houston are also set for significant enlargements, with the Newark lounge becoming the largest in the company's portfolio. The expansion aims to enhance premium travel amenities for cardholders.
American Express has introduced an expense-management platform featuring artificial intelligence tools, launched alongside a new corporate card offering. The rollout targets businesses managing employee spending and travel expenses.
Apple has rolled out several Apple Pay updates alongside iOS 27, including a redesigned checkout screen that lets users swipe between cards and view rewards, balances and pay-later details more easily. Apple and American Express also launched a partnership allowing customers to redeem Membership Rewards points directly at Apple Pay checkout, valued at 0.7 cents per point. Additionally, a new Tap to Share feature extends Tap to Pay on iPhone, letting customers share contact info, shipping details and loyalty data with participating merchants in-store.
An Entrepreneur contributor describes visiting Yamagata, Japan for a niche sake-brewing workshop instead of typical tourist spots, citing a 2026 American Express survey that found 79% of millennial and Gen Z travelers now prioritize hands-on local experiences over famous landmarks. The writer, a CEO with experience traveling to 33 countries, draws parallels between avoiding crowded tourist destinations and pursuing underexplored business opportunities rather than obvious, saturated markets.
Mastercard has signed a new deal aimed at letting AI-driven shopping agents complete purchases using customer payment credentials. The move comes as rivals Visa and American Express are also preparing their own systems to support autonomous, AI-powered shopping bots.
American Express is launching a new Centurion Lounge at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, set to open September 17. The lounge will feature a full bar, a dedicated coffee bar, and food inspired by local Dutch cuisine, marking the brand's entry into one of Europe's busiest travel hubs.
American Express built a new feature called Amex Passport that converts card transactions abroad into digital collectible stamps stored in its mobile app, using blockchain technology on the Base platform. The idea originated from an employee who noticed that physical passport stamps are disappearing, backed by survey data showing most travelers want digital ways to mark trips. Amex has since expanded the feature to let cardholders generate stamps retroactively for trips dating back to 2019.
Apple has unveiled several Apple Pay upgrades tied to iOS 27, including a redesigned checkout screen that lets users swipe between cards and view balances and rewards at a glance. The company also partnered with American Express to let customers redeem Membership Rewards points directly during checkout, valued at 0.7 cents per point. Additionally, a new 'Tap to Share' feature extends Tap to Pay on iPhone, letting shoppers share contact and loyalty info with merchants in-store.
A Harvard Business School analysis led by Professor Mark Egan finds that interchange fees baked into retail prices generate about $9.2 billion annually in net rewards for affluent credit card users, while cash and debit customers pay the same higher prices but receive little or none of that money back. Across the broader economy, the researchers estimate roughly $30 billion moves each year from cash and debit users to credit card users at the same stores.