American Express vs Bank of America: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
American Express reported $72.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $10.8B of net income. Bank of America reported $113.1B of revenue in FY2025 and $30.5B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
American Express
- Latest revenue
- $72.2B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $10.8B
- Net margin
- 15.0%
- Revenue growth
- +8.2% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Bank of America
- Latest revenue
- $113.1B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $30.5B
- Net margin
- 27.0%
- Revenue growth
- +3.4% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Financial summary
American Express
American Express reported $72.2 billion in total revenues net of interest expense for FY2025, up 10 percent, and $10.8 billion of net income, or $15.38 per diluted share. The mix is less fee-only than its premium image suggests: discount revenue on merchant transactions was $37.4 billion, net interest income on card member loans was $17.4 billion, net card fees were $10.0 billion and service fees and other revenue were $7.5 billion. Growth in 2025 came disproportionately from the two smaller lines, with net card fees up 18 percent and net interest income up 12 percent against 6 percent growth in discount revenue. Return on average equity was 33.9 percent, the net write-off rate on consumer and small business loans and receivables was 2.0 percent, and the company declared $3.28 per share in dividends while average diluted shares fell from 713 million to 696 million.
Bank of America
Bank of America earns in two streams. Net interest income was $60.1B in 2025 and noninterest income $53.0B, for total revenue net of interest expense of $113.1B and net income of $30.5B, or $3.81 per diluted share. Deposits of $2.02T funded $1.19T of loans and leases plus a $927.4B debt securities portfolio. Fees carried the year: investment and brokerage services rose $2.2B to $20.0B, investment banking fees rose to $6.6B, and market making fell $953M to $12.0B. Credit stayed contained, with the total consumer net charge-off ratio at 0.88 percent and the card ratio at 3.68 percent. The efficiency ratio improved to 61.65 percent from 63.12 percent, and common equity tier 1 capital was $201.4B, an 11.4 percent standardized ratio against a 10.0 percent minimum.
Revenue and profit by year
American Express
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $72.2B | $10.8B | 15.0% | +9.5% | Source |
| FY2024 | $65.9B | $10.1B | 15.4% | +9.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $60.5B | $8.4B | 13.8% | +14.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $52.9B | $7.5B | 14.2% | +24.7% | Source |
| FY2021 | $42.4B | $8.1B | 19.0% | +17.4% | Source |
| FY2020 | $36.1B | $3.1B | 8.7% | -17.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | $43.6B | $6.8B | 15.5% | +8.0% | Source |
| FY2018 | $40.3B | $6.9B | 17.2% | +9.4% | Source |
| FY2017 | $36.9B | $2.7B | 7.5% | +4.1% | Source |
| FY2016 | $35.4B | $5.4B | 15.2% | — | Source |
Bank of America
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $113.1B | $30.5B | 27.0% | +6.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | $105.9B | $27B | 25.5% | +3.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $102.8B | $26.3B | 25.6% | +8.2% | Source |
| FY2022 | $95B | $27.5B | 29.0% | +6.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $89.1B | $32B | 35.9% | +4.2% | Source |
| FY2020 | $85.5B | $17.9B | 20.9% | -6.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | $91.2B | $27.4B | 30.1% | +0.2% | Source |
| FY2018 | $91B | $28.1B | 30.9% | +4.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $87.1B | $18.2B | 20.9% | +4.1% | Source |
| FY2016 | $83.7B | $17.8B | 21.3% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
American Express
- Discount Revenue (Merchant Fees)~52%
Discount revenue is the fee American Express charges merchants on card transactions. It was $37,401 million in FY2025, up 6 percent, and equalled 2.24 percent of billed business. It remains the largest revenue line and moves with billed business, merchant mix and geography.
- Net Interest Income~24%
Net interest income is earned on card member loans and receivables after funding costs. It was $17,364 million in FY2025, up 12 percent, on a net interest yield of 8.1 percent, helped by growth in revolving balances and by lending features added to charge card products.
- Net Card Fees~14%
Net card fees are the annual fees on consumer, small business and corporate cards. They reached $9,993 million in FY2025, up 18 percent, at an average of $117 per proprietary card in force, driven by new acquisitions on fee-paying products and by the 2025 Platinum refresh.
- Service Fees and Other Revenue~10%
Service fees and other revenue was $7,471 million in FY2025, up 10 percent. It covers network partnership revenue from cards issued by partner banks, foreign currency fees on cross-currency spending, loyalty coalition and merchant service fees, delinquency fees, travel commissions and income from equity method investments.
Bank of America
- Net interest income~53%
Interest on loans and securities less interest paid on deposits and debt; $60.1B in 2025.
- Investment and brokerage services~18%
Asset management, brokerage and advisory fees, mostly from Merrill and the Private Bank; $20.0B in 2025.
- Market making and similar activities~11%
Global Markets trading revenue across rates, credit, currencies, commodities and equities; $12.0B in 2025.
- Investment banking fees~6%
Underwriting and advisory fees excluding self-led deals; $6.6B in 2025.
- Service charges~6%
Treasury service charges and consumer deposit account fees; $6.5B in 2025.
- Card income~6%
Interchange, annual fees and other credit and debit card income; $6.4B in 2025.
Business model and strategy
American Express
How it makes money
American Express runs a closed-loop payments business: it issues the card, owns the network, underwrites the credit and contracts with the merchant. Visa and Mastercard only move the transaction between an issuing bank and an acquiring bank, so they never see both sides of a purchase.
Growth strategy
Amex's growth strategy is aggressively focused on capturing the next generation of wealthy spenders: Millennials and Gen Z. They have successfully revamped their well-known Platinum and Gold cards with perks tailored specifically for younger demographics (like Uber credits and dining rewards), resulting in rapid growth among younger cohorts.
Competitive advantage
American Express competes on the spending power of its card members rather than on price or ubiquity. Average spending per proprietary basic card member was $25,453 in 2025, which is the argument it makes to merchants who pay a higher discount rate, an average of 2.24 percent of billed business.
Bank of America
How it makes money
The model is a deposit-funded spread business layered with fee income. Consumer Banking gathers low-cost deposits and lends through mortgages, cards and auto loans, producing $43.7B of revenue in 2025 and $12.2B of net income. Global Wealth and Investment Management charges fees on $4.75T of client balances, including $2.18T of assets under management, for $24.9B of revenue.
Growth strategy
Growth comes from deepening existing relationships rather than buying banks. Consumer Banking adds clients through digital channels, with 49 million active digital users and 41 million mobile users at the end of 2025, while the branch network is consolidated slowly, down 72 to 3,628 centers during the year, and rebuilt in selected metropolitan markets.
Competitive advantage
Bank of America's advantage is cheap, sticky funding. It held $2.02T of deposits at December 31, 2025, much of it in transaction accounts, and the total deposit spread was 2.92 percent in 2025 against 2.77 percent in 2024.
Questions about American Express vs Bank of America
Which company has higher revenue — American Express Company or Bank of America Corporation?
American Express Company reported $72.2B (FY2025), while Bank of America Corporation reported $113.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Bank of America Corporation is the larger business, with American Express Company reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of American Express Company vs Bank of America Corporation?
American Express Company's market capitalisation stands at $205.8B, while Bank of America Corporation's is $380.6B. Bank of America Corporation carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to American Express Company.
Which is more financially efficient — American Express Company or Bank of America Corporation?
American Express Company generates $940k / employee in revenue per employee, while Bank of America Corporation generates $531k / employee. American Express Company shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do American Express Company and Bank of America Corporation make money?
American Express Company and Bank of America Corporation generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. American Express Company: American Express runs a closed-loop payments business: it issues the card, owns the network, underwrites the credit and contracts with the merchant. Bank of America Corporation: The model is a deposit-funded spread business layered with fee income.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — American Express Company or Bank of America Corporation?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, American Express Company trades at 2.8x P/S and Bank of America Corporation at 3.4x P/S. Bank of America Corporation commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to American Express Company. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is American Express Company bigger than Bank of America Corporation?
By last reported revenue, Bank of America Corporation ($113.1B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to American Express Company ($72.2B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the American Express vs Bank of America overview