AMERICAN EXPRESS CO — Director's Dealing 2005

Jan 26, 2005

SEC Form 4 — Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership

Issuer: AMERICAN EXPRESS CO (AXP)
CIK: 0000004962
Period of Report: 2005-01-24

Reporting Person: CRITTENDEN GARY L (Member, Global Leadership Team)

Non-Derivative Transactions

Date	Security	Code	Shares	Price	A/D	Holdings After	Ownership
2005-01-24	Common Shares	A	8606	—	Acquired	122584	Direct

Derivative Transactions

Date	Security	Exercise Price	Code	Shares	A/D	Expiration	Underlying	Ownership
2005-01-24	Employee stock options (right to buy)	$52.285	A	145000	Acquired	2015-01-24	Common Shares (145000)	Direct
2004-12-30	Phantom Stock Units	$	A	59	Acquired		Common Shares (59)	Direct

Holdings (Non-Derivative)

Security	Shares	Ownership
Common Shares	160	Indirect

Footnotes

F1: Restricted stock award will vest in 4 equal annual installments (1/4 on Jan. 24th of 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively) subject to continuous employment and the Company's achievement of certain financial performance requirements during the vesting periods.

F2: Shares held in reporting person's account under the Company's Incentive Savings Plan as of December 31, 2004. This plan uses unit accounting, and the number of shares that a participant is deemed to hold varies with the unit price of the Company pooled stock fund.

F3: These options will vest in four equal annual installments beginning on the date shown as "Date Exercisable" subject to continuous
employment.

F4: The phantom stock converts into common stock on a one-for-one basis.

F5: The reported phantom stock units were acquired under the Company's Supplemental Retirement Plan on various dates during 2004 at p
rices ranging from $47.87 to $56.35 per share.

F6: The units are to be settled following the reporting person's retirement or other termination of service.