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American Express suspends its relationship with Curve Card, just 36 hours after launch

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Here’s something I didn’t see coming.  After launching with much fanfare on Monday, American Express suspended its relationship with Curve Card on Tuesday night.

This came just 36 hours after Amex functionality was launched to the public.  Amex cards had, however, been activated for a test group of Curve Card users for a few months before this.

(EDIT:  Curve has now published a lengthy blog post explaining how the split with American Express occurred.  I copied it into a separate article here.)

If you look on the Curve website, none of the cards are showing the option to link to American Express.  This means that the company is effectively back to the position it was in before Monday.

American Express sent me a statement last night which said:

“American Express participated in a limited Curve beta test where we enabled a small number of Card Members to load funds onto an e-wallet using their Amex Card in the Curve app. Following this beta test we informed Curve that we would not participate in the further roll out of the Curve e-wallet.”

I spoke with Curve’s CEO early this morning and, whilst for legal reasons I don’t want to repeat what he said, he confirmed the position with American Express.

Curve has sent the following to users:

“We are extremely sorry that the top-up functionality for your Amex wallet is currently disabled.

Like thousands of other UK merchants, Curve has a valid merchant agreement to accept Amex payments into its e-wallet. However, on Tuesday evening, Amex decided to terminate this agreement and block all Amex transactions to Curve with immediate effect.

Amex has given no good or fair reason for their decision and we feel it is entirely disproportionate and discriminatory to Curve and all our (joint) customers. UK payment regulations clearly state that Curve should be allowed to access the Amex payment network on a level-playing field with every other fee-paying and legitimate merchant.

Rest assured that you can still spend the funds that you have already topped up to your existing Amex Wallets. If you have contacted us for support, we apologise for the delay in response and will endeavour to do so as soon as possible. We will update you as soon as we have any further information.

With our customers interests in mind, and our mission to deliver to you a truly innovative product, Curve intends to fight Amex’s decision with its full might. We believe financial freedom is the future and we are prepared to fight for yours.”

If there is any more news during the day I will drop it into this article.

TechCrunch has decent take on the subject here if you want to read more.  It is worth noting that the Amex statement given to TechCrunch – 18 hours after my statement – is a bit different:

“We participated in a limited Curve beta test in which we explored enabling Card Members to load funds onto an e-wallet using their Amex Card in the Curve app. A very small number of Amex Card Members participated in the test. Based on the results, we communicated to Curve that we would not participate in the further roll out of Curve because of concerns related to the overall American Express Card Member experience. Subsequently we terminated our contract with them.”

Curve will pay you £10 for trying it out if you use our link.

PS.  In a separate (or perhaps not entirely separate) note, payment company Billhop – we covered Billhop here – sent the following email to users yesterday:

“Due to guidelines from American Express you will no longer be able to make payments to private accounts with an American Express card regardless if the purpose of the payment is related to a business transaction. This change will come into effect on the 7th of February 2019.

You will still be able to use a MasterCard and/or VISA card for transactions to private accounts relating to business transactions including, but not limited to, payroll, housekeeping, rent, nanny services, etc.

Please note that peer-to-peer remittance is still not allowed regardless of card.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.”

Note that this only covers payments to sole traders.  You can continue to use Amex via Billhop to pay a company, local authority, HMRC etc.

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Comments (788)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Rebecca says:
    31 Jan31 January 17:01

    Completely O/T…

    I have a fully refundable flight booked with Latam. There is an online form to cancel the tickets, which I’m trying to do and then will book with avios (£288 vs 9000 avios & £14).
    I’m unable to submit the form as it says I’m not selecting the same country of residence as I did when I purchased it. When I purchased it I could select Ireland. Ireland is not an option on the form. It has Germany or Rest of Europe. I’ve tried every country option and each ahs the same error.
    I’ve tried emailing them and using the contact form and had no response. Short of calling their Spanish speaking phone line does anyone have any suggestions? I don’t speak Spanish! Their UK number on the website doesn’t work.

    • JK says:
      31 Jan31 January 19:08

      Rebecca, I remember struggling with the same issue last year. It might be that “the rest of EU” did the trick.

      I checked my emails and got messages from LATAM from those email addresses: support@casounico.zendesk.com and contacto@cc.lan.com.

      Maybe worth trying to email those?

      • Rebecca says:
        1 Feb1 February 09:38

        Thanks! I’ll try those email addresses.
        I have tried submitting the form with “Rest of Europe”. Tried on my phone, on chrome and IE at work just in case it was an issue with the browser. Think its a ploy to stop you cancelling 🙂

      • Rebecca says:
        1 Feb1 February 12:51

        I rang them in the end. Initially they told me to do it online but they processed it for me when I pointed out I’d been trying all week. Was surprisingly unpainful. And I’ll get the money back in 20 business days instead of the 45 on the online form.

  • Alex says:
    31 Jan31 January 19:34

    Come on everyone- it’s only 265 comments to hit 1000. Last push!

    • Bill says:
      31 Jan31 January 19:56

      Just used 103 GBP of my 200 gbp amex wallet. Worked fine.
      Place I was in doesn’t accept credit card. Only debit.

    • TripRep says:
      31 Jan31 January 22:54

      It will happen we just keep commenting as the story develops…

      • Alan says:
        31 Jan31 January 23:39

        If only comments had only been open on one of the two articles to drive them up even further too!

  • AndyF says:
    31 Jan31 January 20:33

    I have cleared my Amex wallet I topped up just in case. Although I do think these comments are slightly over the top I can’t see it failing due to this, I think it will fail due to a lack of revenue if anything in the long term future. It’s still a great product for me with HMRC.

    Thanks, Rob for letting us know what’s happening, I think a few people have been unfairly commenting on your participation in this. Yet when you give them a tip for a good deal or use of their points in other situations you wouldn’t hear them complaining. You’re doing a good job!

    • Dan says:
      31 Jan31 January 22:53

      I totally agree, Rob is a cool dude. He’s running a business and good luck to him. Of course he needs to push products, he’s not working x hours a day for the good of society (sorry Rob, but you know what I mean). Keep up the good work.

  • Graham Walsh says:
    31 Jan31 January 21:03

    Not read all the comments today, but why on earth did Curve go open beta when they knew they didn’t have a product? Was it the hope of the 180 days period? That is piss poor decision making IMO and not a strategy, also wrecking the image of the company brand.

    • Dan says:
      31 Jan31 January 22:55

      Agree. They’ve really f’d up their image. Not good and barely recoverable. But I hope they survive. We need challengers.

  • Louise says:
    1 Feb1 February 01:54

    Maybe they have kept curve unblocked on the payment front so that they ensure curve does go under/can’t get out of whatever contract they have signed.
    Make the most of it whilst it lasts!

    • Dan says:
      1 Feb1 February 06:56

      Amex have no control over how funds in the curve Amex wallet are spent. It’s basically akin to having bought a gift card.

  • Talay says:
    1 Feb1 February 02:15

    Curve = Mickey Mouse company with a half baked idea and really no product to sell.

    The only and I mean only way it makes any sense for clients is if they can convert their points earning Amex cards into something non Amex acceptors will accept. Without that feature, it is worthless.

    • Big Dave says:
      1 Feb1 February 08:06

      worthless as a business model? maybe, time will tell – useful to users – depends who and why and where – lots of uptake in spain and france and they couldnt add amex

    • Grant says:
      1 Feb1 February 08:27

      I agree that AMEX compatibility was the draw for a large number of people (not that the latest statement from Curve would have you believe that) but there is still some ‘value’ for some users in being able to recharge a debit card payment to a points earning Visa / MC credit card in those places where credit cards are not accepted outright.

      Whether that is enough to see Curve survive remains to be seen.

  • Go says:
    1 Feb1 February 08:07

    Anyone else have curve payments from 28/29th still showing as pending on Amex. All my other transactions from these days have cleared

    • Graham Walsh says:
      1 Feb1 February 08:17

      I can’t see any history of transactions as my wallet is zero so it wants me to top up.

    • Grant says:
      1 Feb1 February 08:29

      Yes, my Curve top-up of £100 on 29/01 is still showing as pending in my AMEX account. All other transactions from that day have cleared.

      The £100 top-up has also been used through Curve and my AMEX wallet balance in Curve in only 30p.

      • TheSkintTraveller says:
        1 Feb1 February 08:58

        Mine have all cleared for that day, I emptied my top up balance as quickly as I could.

    • Anna says:
      1 Feb1 February 08:58

      Yes, I’m just on the phone to Amex as I have had £100 pending since Monday and am £90 away from a gold sign up bonus!

      • Anna says:
        1 Feb1 February 09:06

        CS saying it’s waiting for Curve to take the money, they can’t understand why it’s not gone through. I pointed out that the money left the Curve wallet on Tuesday and has been with the two recipients since then; she was unable to explain it and said she would monitor it for a couple of days then send it to the back office if it hasn’t cleared. Looks as though there may be quite a few payments in limbo then if there’s been a total breakdown between Curve and Amex. Only an issue I guess if you’re waiting to trigger a bonus or voucher!

        • Doug says:
          1 Feb1 February 10:14

          same problem here, limbo since monday on a £300 top up, need to trigger the bonus quick. Guess I will book a refundable hotel just in case.

        • Go says:
          1 Feb1 February 10:27

          I have also spent the money with curve and the recipients including hmrc are showing as paid. Am I correct to assume that as they have been paid, this is a matter that curve and Amex must sort out? In other words curve can’t try to get money back from the recipient

  • Richard Branson says:
    1 Feb1 February 19:52

    You don’t need an amex card – get the virgin credit card, fantastic rewards and on the best airline going …none of this curve/amex kerfuffle required

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