Paying Your American Express Bill: A Guide to the Correct Addresses

Paying your credit card bill on time each month is an important aspect of maintaining good credit and avoiding late fees. For American Express cardholders it’s crucial to know the proper payment address to mail your check or money order to. With multiple addresses available it can get confusing. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll outline the different American Express payment addresses to use for various situations.

Overview of American Express Bill Pay Options

American Express offers cardholders several ways to pay their monthly bill in addition to mailing a payment. You can make a payment:

• Online through your account
• Via the Amex mobile app
• By phone
• With automatic payments

Paying online, on the app, or by phone allows your payment to process faster, usually within 1-2 business days. Mailing your payment takes longer to post to your account, so make sure to mail it 5-7 days before your due date.

While automatic payments provide convenience, some people still prefer to mail payments themselves. Read on to learn the correct American Express addresses to use.

Standard American Express Payment Address

The standard mailing address to send your American Express bill payment is:

American ExpressP.O. Box 96001Los Angeles CA 90096 – 8000

This is the address you’ll want to use for your monthly bill payments. When mailing your payment here, be sure to:

• Make the check or money order payable to American Express.
• Include your 16-digit American Express account number on the check.
• Mail it 5-7 days before your due date to ensure on-time delivery.
• Send via USPS First Class mail for standard delivery times.

As long as you mail your payment to this address properly, American Express will receive and process it accordingly. Just don’t expect it to post to your account as quickly as electronic payment methods.

Overnight Payment Address

If your payment due date is rapidly approaching, you may need to send your payment via expedited mail to ensure it arrives on time. For overnight delivery, the American Express payment address is:

American Express
Attn: Express Mail Remittance Processing
20500 Belshaw Ave
Carson, CA 90746

This is American Express’s designated address for courier and express mail payments. Payments sent here are accepted 24/7. However, anything received after 5:00pm will be processed the next business day.

When sending your payment overnight:

• Put it in an express mail envelope from USPS, FedEx, UPS, or other courier.
• Write “Express Mail” clearly on the envelope.
• Include your American Express account number.

Your payment will receive expedited handling and posting to your account when mailed to the overnight remittance address.

Prepaid Card Payment Address

For American Express prepaid card accounts, the payment address is different than the standard one:

American Express Global Payment Options
Executive Consumer Relations

So if you need to reload your American Express prepaid card balance, be sure to mail your check to this address. As with any payment, include your prepaid card’s account number.

Using the right address prevents processing delays and ensures your payment is applied promptly.

How Long Does an American Express Mailed Payment Take to Process?

Now that you know the correct addresses, you may be wondering how long mailed payments take to process. Here are the standard timeframes:

• Payments mailed to the regular P.O. Box address: 5-7 days to post.

• Payments sent via overnight express mail: 24-48 hours to post.

• Payments for prepaid cards: Up to 7 days to post.

Electronic payments still process the fastest, usually posting within 24-36 hours. But knowing the processing times for mailed payments can help you time it right.

What Happens if You Mail Your Payment to the Wrong Address?

Mailing your American Express bill payment to the wrong address can cause processing delays, late payments, and headaches. Here’s what you can expect if you use an incorrect payment address:

• Delayed posting – Your payment may take many extra days to reach Amex and post to your account. This could result in late fees and interest charges if it arrives after your due date.

• Returned payment – American Express may return the payment to you rather than trying to process it from an invalid address. This will cause your payment to be late.

• Applied to wrong account – If you omit your account number, Amex may not be able to identify where to apply the payment. It could get lost or credited incorrectly.

• Additional late fees – Due to the delays caused by an incorrect address, you may incur late payment fees from American Express.

To avoid these headaches, always double check that you have the complete, accurate American Express address before dropping your payment in the mail.

Tips for Hassle-Free American Express Payments

Making on-time American Express bill payments doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some tips for smooth, hassle-free payments:

• Pay electronically – For fastest processing, pay online through your account, via the Amex app, or by phone.

• Use auto-pay – Set up automatic monthly payments from your bank account so your bill gets paid on its own.

• Know the addresses – Keep this article handy so you always have the correct address for any payment situation.

• Include your account number – Putting your 16-digit account number on checks and documents prevents processing issues.

• Mail it early – Send your payment 5-7 days before your due date to account for mail time.

• Use expedited shipping – If your payment is late, send it overnight so it gets there ASAP.

• Call customer service – If you have any address questions or payment issues, Amex customer service can help.

The Bottom Line

Understanding the proper American Express payment addresses is key to on-time bill payment. Use the regular P.O. Box for monthly payments, the overnight address for expedited payments, and the prepaid card address for reloading those accounts. Following the tips above helps ensure your American Express payments get processed quickly and easily every time.