American Express : Acquires Pocket Concierge

American Express today announced it has acquired Pocket Concierge, a premium restaurant reservation platform, that provides easy access to high-end restaurants in Japan. Founded in 2011, Pocket Concierge offers the ability to search and book restaurant reservations in real-time with more than 800 premium restaurants throughout Japan. With this acquisition, American Express plans to provide its Card Members with additional access to reservations at top restaurants in Japan.

'Our Card Members love to dine out, so we are always exploring ways to provide them with greater access to reservations across the globe,' said Chris Cracchiolo, SVP of Global Loyalty and Benefits, American Express. 'Pocket Concierge's reservation platform and extensive relationships with top Japanese restaurants provide us with a great opportunity to continue to enhance and expand upon the dining access we provide to our Card Members across the globe.'

'Pocket Concierge is a service which was created on the back of the passion and inspiration I received while working as a chef, paired with the experience of my childhood around my family's restaurant,' said Kei Tokado, Founder and CEO, Pocket Concierge. 'It is a great pleasure to work with American Express, a company which has great relationships with restaurants all around the globe.'

Pocket Concierge plans to continue providing all existing services to its current customers and restaurant partners for the time being.

Information Related to Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes forward-looking statements that reflect management's expectations about future events, including expectations regarding the transaction. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. The words 'expect,' 'intend,' 'plan,' 'will,' 'may,' 'should,' 'could,' 'would,' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. American Express undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the underlying assumptions related to the transaction proving to be inaccurate or unrealized, and the company's ability to integrate Pocket Concierge and leverage its platform and technology. A further description of these and other risks and uncertainties can be found in American Express' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and its other reports filed with the SEC.