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American Express has officially unveiled a new initiative called NFT travel stamps, giving its U.S. consumer cardholders a way to digitally commemorate international journeys. Announced on Sept. 16, the program will distribute blockchain-based collectibles to Amex customers who link their card to the Amex Travel App.
Each stamp is built as an ERC-721 token on Ethereum’s layer-2 Base network. The design displays the country or region visited, the date earned, and a short description — while keeping personal travel details off-chain to protect privacy.
“As physical passport stamps continue to disappear, Amex Passport creates an opportunity for Card Members to celebrate their travels,” — Luke Gebb, Executive Vice President at Amex Digital Labs.
Unlike most NFTs, American Express clarified that its NFT travel stamps are not speculative assets. They carry no resale value, cannot be traded, and are not listed on secondary markets. Instead, they function as personal collectibles stored in the Amex Passport section of the Amex Travel App.
Customers automatically receive stamps when they make an in-person purchase abroad in one of 130 qualifying destinations. Transactions can be processed using either the physical card or digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Data from Base Explorer shows the Amex NFT contract was deployed less than a month ago, and over 20,000 NFT travel stamps have already been issued.
“Amex is taking a cautious but creative step,” said Priya Desai, a payments industry analyst at Finextra. “By removing the trading element, these collectibles focus purely on user engagement rather than speculation.”
The launch of Amex’s NFT travel stamps reflects a broader trend: NFTs are moving beyond art and speculation to serve practical functions in industries like tourism and transportation.
In 2023, German airline Lufthansa Group introduced a loyalty program where passengers could collect NFT-based rewards minted on Polygon. India’s Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has issued NFT tickets for special trains on multiple occasions. And in South Korea, Jeju Island is considering a blockchain-powered resident tourism card in 2025, offering discounts, subsidies, and loyalty perks.
“Travel is a natural space for digital collectibles because journeys are deeply personal and memorable,” said Ankit Bhatia, co-founder of Sapien Network. “Programs like Amex’s NFT travel stamps bring blockchain into daily life in a way that feels intuitive.”
This is not American Express’s first venture into blockchain. Earlier this year, the company partnered with Coinbase to launch the upcoming Coinbase One Card, expected in fall 2025. The card will allow customers to earn Bitcoin rewards ranging from 2% to 4%, depending on their Coinbase asset holdings.
The combination of NFT travel stamps with crypto-enabled cashback highlights Amex’s broader strategy: blending traditional financial services with blockchain-powered experiences. While rival financial institutions remain cautious, Amex is actively testing real-world applications of digital assets that focus on customer engagement.
For everyday Amex cardholders, the rollout of NFT travel stamps offers a simple, no-cost way to preserve travel memories. Unlike digital photos, these collectibles are immutable and verifiable on the blockchain, ensuring a permanent digital record of one’s journeys.
The initiative could also help normalize blockchain adoption among mainstream consumers, many of whom may have never interacted with NFTs before. By emphasizing nostalgia and personal value over speculation, American Express is introducing blockchain in a way that appeals to travelers rather than crypto traders.
“The value here isn’t financial but emotional,” said Gebb of Amex Digital Labs. “Our goal is to give travelers a lasting, digital way to mark their journeys.”
With more than 20,000 stamps already issued in under a month, the program is gaining traction. If successful, it may inspire other payment providers, airlines, and tourism boards to experiment with NFT-based loyalty programs.
