We've partnered directly with American Express (Amex) as a bill payment provider, so you can now pay UK-based businesses with your Amex business or corporate card through Apron. We charge your card and pay your supplier on your behalf by bank transfer, even if they don't accept Amex themselves.
Note: Amex is available to selected customers to start with, and we'll open it up to more over time. If you don't see Amex as a payment option, it isn't available on your account yet, but you can let us know your interest, and we'll work on adding it for you in the upcoming weeks.
What you can pay with Amex
You can use an Amex business or corporate card to pay UK-based businesses. Personal Amex cards can't be used for payments in Apron.
That includes batch payments, as long as every bill in the batch is for the same business. Amex can't be used for:
Payroll
HMRC and other tax payments
Payments to individuals
International payments
Batch payments to more than one recipient
For these, you can always pay from your bank account, another credit card, or Apron Wallet.
How paying with Amex works
Create a payment or select the bills you want to pay as usual, then choose Amex as your payment method.
If you've paid with Amex through Apron before, you'll be asked to add your card again once.
The first time you pay a supplier with Amex, you'll need to add their:
Phone number
Email address
Business category
Address
We'll remember these for future payments to that supplier.
Need a hand with the basics? Check out our articles: Get started with payments, Make manual payments and Pay bills in batches.
When your supplier gets paid
Amex payments have an earlier cut-off than other card payments, so timing depends on when you pay:
Before 7 PM UTC: your supplier is paid the next working day, around 2 PM.
From 7 PM UTC onwards: your supplier is paid one working day later, around 2 PM.
7 PM UTC is 8 PM UK time during British Summer Time and 7 PM UK time in winter.
Paying on a tight deadline? Pay earlier in the day, or use another credit card, your bank account or Apron Wallet instead.
Not sure if your card is a business card?
Amex business cards, like Business Gold or Business Platinum, are aimed at small businesses. You don't need a limited company: sole traders, freelancers and partnerships usually qualify.
Corporate cards work a bit differently. The company applies for them, rather than an individual, and they're designed for established, mid-sized to large businesses.
If you're still not sure which type of card you have, get in touch with our Support team, and we'll help you check.
Need help?
If you have questions about paying with Amex, get in touch with our Support team through live chat or at [email protected].