American Express Snaps Up Center in Strategic Move to Strengthen Spend Management Capabilities

Credit card issuers that offer cards to business customers equip them with a transaction tool that can bring convenience and efficiency to their purchasing practices. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Some issuers complement their credit card offerings with complementary services that can modernize a business’s approach to spend management.

American Express announced on April 16 that it has completed its purchase of Center, a software company that provides small and medium sized businesses with expense management solutions. The acquisition, which American Express first announced in early March, positions the company to bring more value to its business cardholders.

Raymond Joabar serves as the Group President, Global Commercial Services with American Express. He said in a press release that, as a leader in the small business and corporate card arena, it’s Amex’s job to help customers manage their businesses with increased efficiency. And one way to accomplish that is by offering innovative products and services.

“By integrating Center’s outstanding talent and technology, we can save our customers time and money and strengthen our leadership position in commercial card payments,” Joabar said.

Founded in 2018, Center has followed a mission of bringing simplicity to business expense management, according to Naveen Singh, the company’s CEO and Co-Founder. Center’s robust product lineup includes solutions geared toward businesses operating in certain industries, including construction, manufacturing, and professional services.

Incorporating Center’s solutions into American Express’s platform stands to yield synergies that help businesses spend less time overseeing spend management, allowing them to focus more on their core competencies.

“We have always believed that card and expense management should be deeply linked, and we believe that even more great work can be done by incorporating our capabilities and talent into American Express,” Singh said in a statement accompanying Amex’s announcement of the acquisition.

Business customers questioning whether American Express’s purchase of Center will benefit them can rest assured knowing that the company is keeping Center’s team intact. An Amex spokesperson said in an email that Center’s 160 full-time employees are set to join the American Express team.

Trade policies have upended the stock market in 2025, and consumers who have seen their retirement nest eggs disappear before their eyes may be tightening their financial belts in the coming months and years. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index plummeted for the fourth straight month in April.

Joanne Hsu, the Director of the Surveys of Consumers and a Research Associate Professor at the university, said in notes accompanying the index release that declines in consumer sentiment are unanimous across age, education, income, and political affiliation.

“Consumers report multiple warning signs that raise the risk of recession: expectations for business conditions, personal finances, incomes, inflation, and labor markets all continued to deteriorate this month,” Hsu said. “Long-range inflation expectations climbed from 4.1% in March to 4.4% in April.”

Consumer sentiment fell for the fourth consecutive month in April.

Businesses that rely on consumer spend of discretionary income may be bracing for decreasing opportunities to grow revenue in the near future. That could lead chief financial officers to place a greater emphasis on expense management while companies weather troubling economic conditions.

That notion isn’t lost on credit card issuers who serve businesses. U.S. Bank recently announced its rollout of a new spend management platform for business customers, and American Express’s acquisition of Center is another sign that issuers are striving to meet the unique needs of businesses in 2025.

Center’s software can automate accounting functions, provide businesses with real-time views of employee card activity, and help executives make informed decisions. American Express cited the following ways that a system for managing cards and expenses can assist its business customers:

Customization: Businesses will be able to tailor their expense management platform to suit their needs, which American Express believes will help companies save time in auditing and tasks related to general ledger upkeep. 

Finance teams that work with Center save “an average of 90% of the time previously spent” on expense management tasks, according to American Express.

Improved Employee Experience: Amex said employees will be able to use a mobile-friendly app to manage expenses with ease. A streamlined expense submission function can save employees time when it comes to tracking and reporting card expenditures.

Compliance Assurance: A robust spend management platform allows business owners to gain confidence that employee spend aligns with company policies. 

“I am pleased to welcome the Center team to American Express and add their technology and capabilities to our B2B offerings,” Joabar said.

“Together, we will work to enhance the value of our commercial cards through a seamless card-based expense management platform that automates the entire process, from program and policy set-up, to point of spend, to accounting,” he concluded.