Credit cards
American Express: what servicemembers report to the CFPB
CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, complaints tagged servicemember, received 2023 to 2025. Read October 28, 2026. Open the same query on consumerfinance.gov.
- Servicemember complaints
- 1,786
- Closed with money back
- 19%
- 2023 to 2025
- 468 to 695
Servicemembers filed 7% of American Express's 25,607 complaints in the window, against 2.5% across the directory. The complaints are mostly about credit card, and the single most common issue is "Fees or interest". 19% of servicemember complaints closed with money back, against 2% across all 349 companies in this directory. The yearly count rose from 468 in 2023 to 695 in 2025.
What the complaints are about
By product
| Credit card | 849 |
| Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports | 313 |
| Credit card or prepaid card | 161 |
| Prepaid card | 159 |
| Debt collection | 122 |
By issue
| Fees or interest | 269 |
| Incorrect information on your report | 238 |
| Problem with a purchase shown on your statement | 171 |
| Other features, terms, or problems | 141 |
| Trouble using the card | 137 |
| 2023: 468 | 2024: 623 | 2025: 695 |
Which accounts, specifically
| General-purpose credit card or charge card | 1,169 |
| Credit reporting | 429 |
| General-purpose prepaid card | 134 |
| Credit card debt | 106 |
| Gift card | 57 |
What went wrong, specifically
| Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement | 174 |
| Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online | 139 |
| Problem with fees | 138 |
| Charged too much interest | 137 |
| Reporting company used your report improperly | 93 |
Busiest month: January 2025, with 96 servicemember complaints. Most were submitted by web.
Most complaints came from FL (236), CA (180), TX (176) , then GA, LA, NC.
How American Express answered
| Closed with explanation | 1,272 | 71% |
| Closed with monetary relief | 331 | 19% |
| Closed with non-monetary relief | 183 | 10% |
American Express responded within the CFPB's 15-day window on 100% of servicemember complaints (directory-wide: 99%). A complaint closed "with explanation" means the company answered in writing and changed nothing; "monetary relief" means money moved.
In servicemembers' own words
Narratives the CFPB publishes with the consumer's consent. Personal details are removed by the CFPB before publication. Each links to the original complaint.
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Credit card; Getting a credit card. AZ, 2024-08-29. Outcome: Closed with explanation. Complaint 9985053
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Credit card; Fees or interest. LA, 2024-08-29. Outcome: Closed with explanation. Complaint 9984780
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Credit card; Getting a credit card. VA, 2024-08-29. Outcome: Closed with explanation. Complaint 9984744
If this is your problem at American Express
"Fees or interest" is the kind of dispute the SCRA's 6% cap settles for pre-service debt: the written request and the refund estimate; for repossession, foreclosure, a default judgment or eviction, the court-protection guides and the Department of Justice; for a loan or card taken during service, the Military Lending Act. A CFPB complaint is the dated record that follows, and it is the data on this page. This site's verified guide to the company's own military policies: Amex Military Benefits: Annual Fee Waiver & 6% SCRA Cap.
Compare with credit cards peers
- Synchrony 2,400 servicemember complaints; 11% with money back
- Bread Financial 1,318 servicemember complaints; 24% with money back
- Citibank 2,610 servicemember complaints; 15% with money back
- Goldman Sachs Bank (Apple Card) 771 servicemember complaints; 16% with money back
- Capital One 4,581 servicemember complaints; 4% with money back
Next in the directory by volume: Cl, MOHELA, Encore Capital.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints did servicemembers file against American Express?
1,786 complaints tagged servicemember were received by the CFPB about AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2025 (database read October 28, 2026). The tag covers active duty, Guard, Reserve, veterans, retirees, and their spouses and dependents. The yearly count rose from 468 in 2023 to 695 in 2025.
What do servicemembers complain about most at American Express?
Credit card accounts for 849 of the 1,786 complaints, and the most common issue is "Fees or interest" (269). Next: "Incorrect information on your report" (238).
Does American Express give money back when a servicemember complains?
19% of servicemember complaints closed with money back, against 2% across all 349 companies in this directory. 183 closed with non-monetary relief and 1,272 closed with an explanation only. American Express answered 100% of these complaints within the CFPB's 15-day window.
Tools for this topic
- SCRA refund calculator What a lender owes back for charging over 6%.
- Savings calculator What the 6% cap saves you per month and per year.
- Letter generator A rate-cap or lease letter that cites the statute.
CFPB counts for complaints tagged "Servicemember" received 2023-01-01 to 2025-12-31, read October 28, 2026; names are the CFPB's; percentages only at 100+ complaints; a complaint is not a finding of wrongdoing. Method and the full directory.
Heads up: SCRA Saver publishes general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws change and every situation differs. Confirm details with your installation legal assistance office (free for service members) or a licensed professional.