American Express launched an iPad app in October that lets holders of its consumer, business and corporate cards manage their card accounts on their Apple tablets.
The app lets users check balances, schedule payments, view recent charges and payments and view reward point balances using the same login they would use on a regular PC to access americanexpress.com.
Although this is not an exceptional feature set, the app has a clean, easy to read interface with lots of white space. The Pay Bill screen, for instance, displays three large, simple boxes displaying payment data, bank account and amount, bank account number and amount, with two buttons below: Pay Bill or Cancel. This is the kind of uncluttered design that could make online bill payment more appealing to newcomers.
The app has mostly been a hit with cardholders, who have given it just under fi ve stars. "One more reason why my American Express is my life my card," one enthusiastic user wrote in the Customer Review section of the AppStore. "This is a great app that has exactly what you need," wrote another. "No fluff or extra junk. Well put together, quick, simple and easy. And you have all you need on one main page, perfect use and design for the iPad. Well done Amex."
One customer reviewer was unhappy with the app. "The ...app is very hard to read, with its tiny text and numbers — even smaller for cents. Why would you design an app this way, especially given the larger screen of an iPad? I've ditched back to using the iPhone version on my iPad," this person wrote.
Some users requested additional features. One would like to see cash back earned on a Costco card. Another would like to be able to access and change account options on the app, instead of having to go to a computer. A third wanted to be able to tap on an item and see the charge details. Several said they would like to be able to use the app for non-U.S. cards.
