Company milestone · 1850
American Express was started in Buffalo, New York, as a freight forwarding company through the merger of the express companies owned by Henry Wells, William G. Fargo and John Warren Butterfield. [1]
American Express Logo
Archive record · not confirmed as the current logo.
Logo files, variants & history · SVG, PNG · updated 2 mo ago
File checks recorded: The file registry records a passed file-format check for each file.AI-assisted source check: An AI-assisted process compared the artwork with its recorded source URL; an editor has not reviewed it.Editorial / reference only: Recorded use status for this logo record.
Brand profile
About American Express
Payment card and financial services company
American Express Company (Amex) is an American bank holding company and multinational financial services corporation that specialises in payment cards. It is headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City.
It was started in 1850 in Buffalo, New York, as a freight forwarding company formed by merging the express businesses of Henry Wells, William G. Fargo and John Warren Butterfield.
The company introduced financial and travel services in the early 1900s and launched its first charge card on 1 October 1958.
Its Blue Box logo, introduced in 1975, places two bars of outline lettering across the centre of a blue square. Pentagram redrew the logo in 2018.
Available in this archive
American Express logo files at a glance
American Express has 6 downloadable files in SVG, PNG in this archive. 1 logo record is catalogued; that is not the number of verified redesigns.
PNG renditions reach 2,048 pixels on the longest side.
Choose a format and size ↓File library
Files & downloads
Browse recorded formats and variants for American Express. Source formats appear first, followed by raster sizes.
Available from SimilarLogo
SVG · Primary
Monochrome rendition · Community reproduction
PNG · Primary
Monochrome rendition · Community reproduction
PNG · Primary
Monochrome rendition · Community reproduction
PNG · Primary
Monochrome rendition · Community reproduction
PNG · Primary
Monochrome rendition · Community reproduction
PNG · Primary
Monochrome rendition · Community reproduction
A file link or download does not grant a trademark licence or permission to reuse a logo.
Brand heritage
Logo history & brand milestones
One logo record is catalogued. The milestones below are dated separately from it.
The bulldog emblem recorded in 1898, the 1975 Blue Box and its 2018 redrawing, as recorded in the cited sources. The sources checked name no designer for the 1975 Blue Box. Company and product dates are labelled separately from design changes.
Visual identity milestone · 1898
The architect Edward H. Kendall added the American Express bulldog, or watchdog, logo in terracotta relief to the facades of the company’s expanded stables at 4–8 Hubert Street in New York. [1]
Product milestone · 1958-10-01
American Express launched its charge card with an annual fee of $6; 250,000 cards had been issued before the launch date. [1]
Logo milestone · 1975
The Blue Box logo was introduced, with the name in two bars of outline lettering crossing through the centre of a blue square. [2] [3]
Logo milestone · 2018-04
Pentagram redrew the Blue Box letterforms while keeping the composition, added a non-outline version of the lettering for use outside the box, and introduced an alternate logo for small digital spaces that crops the wordmark to “AM EX”. [2] [3]
Research sources
- American Express ↗ · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-25
- American Express ↗ · Pentagram · accessed 2026-09-25
- Pentagram refreshes American Express’ visual identity for first time in 37 years ↗ · It’s Nice That, 2018-04-09 · accessed 2026-09-25
Compiled 2026-09-25 by AI-assisted source review. Each statement links its sources; an editor has not yet independently confirmed them.
Dates not verifiedStatus unverified
American Express logo Monochrome rendition · Community reproduction
Monochrome community vector reproduction from Simple Icons. The SVG is a sanitized drawing copy and PNGs are generated renditions, not official press-kit masters. The collection date is not the logo’s introduction date.
1/1
All 1 logo record for American Express
- American Express logo Monochrome rendition · Community reproduction (this page)
Colour sample
Rendition colours
Black (primary sample)Primary
- HEX
- #000000
- RGB
- 0, 0, 0
Text contrast on white21:1 · AAA
Text contrast on near-black1.11:1 · Fail
Colour recorded with the Simple Icons community reproduction. It is not an owner-published colour specification. See other black logos →
Design context
Logo design & typography notes
The 2018 lettering was developed with the type designer Jeremy Mickel and has single-line and stacked versions drawn for different sizes.
Wikipedia describes a gladiator or centurion figure, which appears at the centre of several American Express cards, as a company logo; it is separate from the Blue Box.
From the researched record (AI-assisted source review); see research sources.
Reference
Frequently asked
Who designed the American Express logo?
Blue Box logo redraw and lettering system (2018) is credited to Pentagram (agency). Blue Box lettering (2018) is credited to Jeremy Mickel. The designer of the specific file version shown on this page is not recorded. [2] [3]
Can I use the American Express logo?
Download for identification, news and comparison. Commercial use needs the owner's permission. This page never grants a licence. Always check the owner's brand guidelines.
When did American Express change its logo?
1975: The Blue Box logo was introduced, with the name in two bars of outline lettering crossing through the centre of a blue square. 2018-04: Pentagram redrew the Blue Box letterforms while keeping the composition, added a non-outline version of the lettering for use outside the box, and introduced an alternate logo for small digital spaces that crops the wordmark to “AM EX”. [2] [3]
What file formats are available for the American Express logo in this archive?
Available file formats: SVG, PNG. Dimensions, source and usage conditions are listed for each file below.
Visual neighbours
No close visual matches
No other archived mark is listed as a close match; that is not a uniqueness or trademark check. The similarity check shows weaker candidates.
Same industry
More Fintech & Payments logos
Listed because the archive records the same industry, United States first.
Provenance
Source & evidence
Simple Icons community reproduction (github.com/simple-icons/simple-icons · icons/americanexpress.svg), checked by an AI-assisted process; an editor has not reviewed it.
Editorial / reference only. Download for identification, news and comparison. Commercial use needs the owner's permission. This page never grants a licence.
Technical provenance
Source typeSimple Icons community reproductionInspect source reference ↗
Source reviewAI-assisted check · 2026-09-08; no editor reviewInspect the recorded website
- Source
- github.com/simple-icons/simple-icons · icons/americanexpress.svg
- Source date
- 2026-09-08
- Recorded by
- Archive import with an AI-assisted source check
- Originality
- Community vector reproduction; not an official master
- SHA-256
- e7eee391d64ab39387266811dc6382ad41e8fd7601cced4bcb473a1efb49667b
SHA-256 of the recorded file. Checksums identify exact bytes, not who created the artwork.
Cite or link to this record
SimilarLogo. “American Express logo record.” Updated 2026-09-08. https://similarlogo.com/brand/american-express/
Record Change log (1)
2026-09-08American Express: source-attributed artwork and PNG/SVG renditions added.
This is a monochrome community vector reproduction from Simple Icons, not an official press-kit master. Downloads include a cleaned SVG and PNG sizes generated from it. The collection date is not the logo’s introduction date.
All logos and trademarks on SimilarLogo are the property of their respective owners and are provided for informational, editorial and identification purposes only. Availability here does not imply any licence, affiliation or endorsement. Rights holder? Claim this brand · Request removal · Report an error. Staff review each request; there is no automatic takedown.