By Riddhi Dhingra

American Express cards have gained traction with Gen Z, having a long standing history of being synonymous with luxury, the company has become successful in adapting to a new younger customer base. A report from Yahoo Finance states that in 2023, 75 per cent of new customers were Gen Z and millennials. 

Liz Fromet from The Financial Brand attributes its growth to the company’s new strategy of catering the rewards program to Gen Z’s interest—premium experiences and more advanced digital capabilities. The company has partnered with brands like Disney+, Hulu and Uber—even popular festivals like Coachella. Some Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students are choosing to hop on the Amex bandwagon, signing up for entry-level cards.

Students are becoming Amex cardholders in hopes of attaining invite-only premium cards and cashing in on travel discounts. Financial experts say the brand’s marketing strategy is the reason for its success among younger generations.

Second-year aerospace engineering student Arshdeep Singh received his Amex card in mid-December 2025. He aims to eventually qualify for the invite-only American Express Centurion card.“I have almost 3,000 or 4,000 points…I am trying to gather these points and use them for [travel] tickets,” he said.

First-year biomedical science student Dhyanesh Doctor, a recent Amex member, notes that even the entry-level Amex is superior to other cards on the market. “You can take it as cash back, air points or even points for hotels…so it’s kind of flexible,” he said, compared to other companies where you are limited to choosing one form of reward.

*Richard Deklerk, an adjunct professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management, said he was surprised by the growing number of young Amex members. “I’m not a big fan of paying to use an Amex card…I don’t think there’s a big benefit,” he said.

*Deklerk says that Amex’s marketing tactics are the main reason young people have signed up. “When you’re taking out your girlfriend or boyfriend and you whip down the plastic and, [its like] oh wow, you got an Amex,” he said. “Amex looks a little classier than your Visa and Mastercard.”

*Deklerk, as a former Amex user, recognizes the benefits of the card for frequent travelers. He recalls cashing in on the high credit limits, free weekends trips, attending concerts and securing upgrades to suites and lounges. “Right now I am not travelling anywhere so I would not get the full benefits of an Amex…it’s not great if you don’t use it,” he says.

Despite Singh’s loyalty to the company, he recognizes the limitation of using the card in Canada.

“The downside…is that some shops don’t accept this card,” Singh says.

Doctor echoes the same sentiment “It’s not that useful in Canada,”he said, adding that the card holds more value in the United States. Despite the challenges, he still intends to keep his card “almost everyone has it…because it has all of these benefits,” he said, noting the rise of Amex among his peers.

*Correction: The print version of this story includes the wrong spelling of this source’s name. The Eyeopener regrets this error.