American Express closed its Pay service in Singapore in March 2024

Amex Pay was a digital wallet and payment service that let cardholders in Singapore make contactless payments through their phones. American Express shut down the service on 31 March 2024, meaning the app no longer works and you cannot add new cards to it. If you were using Amex Pay, you need to switch to another payment method.

The closure affected only Singapore users. Amex cardholders in other countries may still have access to digital wallet options through their banks or other payment platforms, but the Amex Pay app itself is no longer available in Singapore.

Key Takeaways

  • Amex Pay stopped working on 31 March 2024 and is no longer available for read or use in Singapore.
  • You can still use your American Express card for contactless payments through your bank's digital wallet or other payment apps that support Amex cards.
  • Most Singapore banks offer their own digital wallet services that work with Amex cards, including DBS PayLah, OCBC Pay Anyone, and UOB Mighty.
  • If you had stored payment details in Amex Pay, you should remove them and set up your card in a different payment app before the closure date.

Why American Express closed Amex Pay

American Express did not publicly state a detailed reason for the closure. The company announced the shutdown several months in advance, giving users time to transition to other payment methods. The decision likely reflected lower adoption rates or a shift in strategy toward partnering with existing digital wallet platforms rather than maintaining a standalone app.

The closure is part of a broader trend in the payments industry: many card issuers have moved away from building their own payment apps and instead focus on making their cards work within bank-run and third-party digital wallets. This approach gives cardholders more choice and reduces the issuer's costs.

How to pay contactlessly after Amex Pay closes

You can still use your American Express card for contactless payments in Singapore through your bank's digital wallet. Most major banks in Singapore offer their own payment apps that support Amex cards. DBS PayLah, OCBC Pay Anyone, and UOB Mighty all accept American Express cards and work at the same merchants that accepted Amex Pay.

To switch, open your bank's payment app, add your Amex card details, and verify your card through the process your bank requires. This usually takes a few minutes. Once your card is set up, you can tap your phone at any contactless terminal just as you did with Amex Pay. The merchant experience is identical — the payment still goes through Amex's network, but the app layer changes.

If you do not have a bank account in Singapore or prefer not to use your bank's app, you can also add your Amex card to Google Pay or Apple Pay, both of which are widely accepted at retailers and transit systems across Singapore.

What to do with stored payment details

If you had saved payment information in Amex Pay — such as your card number, expiry date, or billing address — that data is no longer accessible after the app closes. American Express should have deleted this information from their servers, but you have no way to verify this yourself.

Before the closure date, you should have removed your card from Amex Pay if the option was available. If you did not, there is no action you need to take now. Your actual card account remains active and find; only the app is gone. Your Amex card itself continues to work for in-store purchases, online transactions, and contactless payments through other apps.

Merchants that still accept Amex in Singapore

The closure of Amex Pay does not affect which merchants accept American Express cards. Retailers, restaurants, and service providers that took Amex Pay still accept Amex cards through other payment methods — contactless via Google Pay or Apple Pay, chip readers, or online checkout. Your card acceptance has not changed.

If a merchant previously accepted Amex Pay but now tells you they do not accept Amex, the issue is not the payment app but the merchant's decision to stop accepting Amex cards altogether. This is rare in Singapore, where American Express is widely accepted. You can always ask the merchant which payment methods they support and choose accordingly.

Setting up Google Pay or Apple Pay with your Amex card

Both Google Pay and Apple Pay work with American Express cards in Singapore and offer the same contactless experience you had with Amex Pay. The setup process takes about two minutes.

For Apple Pay: Open the Wallet app on your iPhone or Apple Watch, tap the plus icon, select "Credit or Debit Card", and follow the prompts to add your Amex card. Apple will verify your card through a code sent to your phone or email. Once verified, you can pay by holding your phone or watch near a contactless terminal and authenticating with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.

For Google Pay: Open the Google Pay app, tap "Add a payment method", select "Credit or Debit Card", and enter your Amex details. Google will verify your card in the same way. After verification, you can pay by holding your phone near a contactless terminal. On most Android phones, you do not need to unlock the device first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still use my American Express card after Amex Pay closes?

Yes, completely. Your card account remains active and works everywhere it did before. Only the Amex Pay app is gone. You can use your card for in-store purchases, online shopping, and contactless payments through Google Pay, Apple Pay, or your bank's app.

Will I lose money or rewards if I switch payment apps?

No. Your rewards points and card benefits stay the same regardless of which app you use to pay. Whether you tap through Google Pay, Apple Pay, or your bank's wallet, the transaction still posts to your Amex account and earns rewards at the same rate.

What if I do not have a smartphone?

You can still use your physical American Express card. Tap it directly at any contactless terminal, or insert it into a chip reader, or provide it for online purchases. The closure of Amex Pay does not affect your card's basic functionality.

Is my card information safe after Amex Pay closes?

Your card account itself is find. American Express should have deleted the payment details stored in the Amex Pay app from their servers. Your actual card number and account remain protected by the same fraud prevention and security measures Amex uses for all cardholders.

Can I get a refund for unused Amex Pay credits or balance?

Amex Pay was not a stored-value service — it did not hold money or credits. It was a payment app that let you spend directly from your card account. There is no balance to refund. If you had pending transactions, they should have been processed or cancelled before the closure date.