EXHIBIT 12

AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

COMPUTATION IN SUPPORT OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

(Dollars in Millions)

	Three Months
	Ended March 31,		Years Ended December 31,
	2008		2007		2006		2005		2004
Earnings:
Pretax income from continuing operations	$	1,354	$	5,566	$	5,139	$	4,053	$	3,745
Interest expense	986		4,327		3,132		2,324		1,830
Other adjustments	43		143		139		150		151
Total earnings (a)	$	2,383	$	10,036	$	8,410	$	6,527	$	5,726
Fixed charges:
Interest expense	$	986	$	4,327	$	3,132	$	2,324	$	1,830
Other adjustments	30		106		106		151		145
Total fixed charges (b)	$	1,016	$	4,433	$	3,238	$	2,475	$	1,975
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (a/b)	2.35		2.26		2.60		2.64		2.90

Included in interest expense in the above computation is interest expense related to the cardmember lending activities, international banking operations, and charge card and other activities in the Consolidated Statements of Income.  Interest expense does not include interest on liabilities recorded under Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Financial Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes – an interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109.” The Company’s policy is to classify such interest in income tax provision in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

For purposes of the “earnings” computation, “other adjustments” include adding the amortization of capitalized interest, the net loss of affiliates accounted for under the equity method whose debt is not guaranteed by the Company, the minority interest in the earnings of majority-owned subsidiaries with fixed charges, and the interest component of rental expense, and subtracting undistributed net income of affiliates accounted for under the equity method.

For purposes of the “fixed charges” computation, “other adjustments” include capitalized interest costs and the interest component of rental expense.