Security Features of American Express Card

There are several different types of 'American Express cards ' and not all of them will display all of the security features listed below, but most of them will:

1. All American Express card account numbers are embossed and begin with “37″ or “34″. This rule applies to all AmEx cards. By comparison, Visa card numbers begin with “4,” MasterCard’s start with “5″ and Discover’s — with “6″.
2. AmEx account numbers are embossed, 15-digit long, with no alterations and spaced in 4, 6 and 5 digits. This is another unique AmEx security feature. Visa, MasterCard and Discover numbers are all 16-digit long and spaced in four groups of four digits.
3. The Card Identification Number (CID) is AmEx’s equivalent to Visa’s CVV2, MasterCard’s CVC 2 and Discover’s CID. Unlike its competitors who all use three-digit numbers and place them on the back of their cards, in or immediately to the right of the signature panel, AmEx’s CID is four-digit long and is printed above the embossed account number on the right or left of the card.
4. The cardholder name is printed in the lower left corner of AmEx cards, just as the competitors do it.
5. The “Member Since” date is embossed to the right of the expiration date. By comparison, Visa, MasterCard and Discover all place the “Member Since” date to the left of the expiration one.
6. The expiration, or “Valid Thru,” date is embossed above the cardholder name field, in the format “mm/yy.”
7. The Centurion image is of course unique to the brand (not to mention trademarked). It is phosphorescent and the words “AMEX” are visible under UV light.
8. Some cards feature a hologram of the Centurion image embedded Into the magnetic stripe.
9. Also uniquely, the account number is printed in the signature field of most AmEx cards and must match the embossed one on front of card and the one printed on the transaction receipt. The competitors only print the last four digits of their card numbers in the signature field.
10. The signature field is located below the magnetic stripe, match as it is on Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards. The words “Cardmember Signature” are printed underneath it.