Australia's David Jones Launches American Express Card

David Jones Ltd., an Australia-based retailer, says it has begun offering its customers an American Express-branded credit card months before it originally expected the launch to occur. Customers can get the card in stores or through the retailer's Web site, David Jones says in a statement. The retailer had planned to introduce the card, which offers consumers points they can redeem for retail goods, around Christmas (CardLine Global, 22 Feb.). David Jones issues some 800,000 store cards, which the retailer has offered to exchange for the AmEx cards. The move follows the launch of a Visa-branded card from Australian retailer Myer, which worked with GE Money, Frank Lopez, an analyst with Australia-based Cannex Pty Ltd., told CardLine Global in an interview in advance of the David Jones move. The new card from David Jones enables the retailer to do a better job of tracking customer spending patterns, Lopez notes. Neither AmEx nor David Jones responded to requests for comment.