SEC FORM 3

SEC Form 3

FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Buckminster Douglas E.

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

BELGRAVE HOUSE

76 BUCKINGHAM PALACE ROAD

(Street)

LONDON

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
11/23/2009

3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
AMERICAN EXPRESS CO [ AXP ]

4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)
	Pres, Int'l Consumer & SBS

5. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Common Stock	90,512	D
Common Stock	11,414.73⁽¹⁾	I	401(k) Trust

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	02/28/2002⁽²⁾	02/27/2010	Common Stock	26,732	$38.224	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	04/10/2002⁽²⁾	04/09/2010	Common Stock	4,113	$41.315	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	02/26/2003⁽²⁾	02/25/2011	Common Stock	39,984	$38.922	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	01/28/2003⁽²⁾	01/27/2012	Common Stock	39,984	$31.941	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	01/27/2004⁽³⁾	01/26/2013	Common Stock	37,128	$29.239	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	01/26/2005⁽³⁾	01/25/2014	Common Stock	37,128	$43.977	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	01/24/2006⁽³⁾	01/23/2015	Common Stock	30,845	$45.768	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	01/23/2007⁽³⁾	01/22/2016	Common Stock	49,500	$51.865	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	01/25/2008⁽³⁾	01/24/2017	Common Stock	50,000	$57.77	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	07/31/2008⁽³⁾	07/30/2017	Common Stock	50,000	$58.54	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	01/31/2009⁽³⁾	01/30/2018	Common Stock	100,000	$49.13	D
Phantom Stock Units	⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	Common Stock	203.14⁽⁵⁾	$0⁽⁶⁾	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Shares held in reporting person's account under the Company's Retirement Savings Plan. This plan uses unit accounting, and the number of shares that a participant is deemed to hold varies with the unit price of the Company pooled stock fund.

2. These options vested in three equal annual installments beginning on the date shown as "Date Exercisable."

3. These shares become exercisable in four cumulative annual installments of 25% each beginning on date shown as "Date Exercisable."

4. The units are to be settled following the reporting person's retirement or other termination of service.

5. Includes phantom stock units acquired pursuant to a dividend reinvestment feature of the Company's Supplemental Retirement Plan.

6. The phantom stock converts into common stock on a one-for-one basis.

Remarks:

Exhibit List Exhibit 24 - Power of Attorney

	/s/ Michael G. Kuchs, attorney-in-fact	12/02/2009
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.