American Express vs PepsiCo: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
American Express reported $72.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $10.8B of net income. PepsiCo reported $93.9B of revenue in FY2025 and $8.2B 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
PepsiCo
- Latest revenue
- $93.9B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $8.2B
- Net margin
- 8.8%
- Revenue growth
- +4.6% 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.
PepsiCo
PepsiCo grew net revenue from $62.8 billion in 2016 to $93.9 billion in 2025, but growth slowed to 0.4% in 2024 and 2.3% in 2025 (1.7% organic) as North American snack volumes declined. Fiscal 2025 net income was $8.24 billion, down 14%, reflecting a roughly $2 billion impairment mainly on Rockstar. In 2026 the picture improved on the top line: Q1 net revenue rose 8.5% and Q2 rose 6.4% to $24.18 billion, helped by acquisitions, currency and international volume. Q2 2026 net income was $2.98 billion versus $1.26 billion a year earlier. For full-year 2026 PepsiCo guided to 2-4% organic revenue growth and 4-6% core constant-currency EPS growth.
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 |
PepsiCo
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $93.9B | $8.2B | 8.8% | +2.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $91.9B | $9.6B | 10.4% | +0.4% | Source |
| FY2023 | $91.5B | $9.1B | 9.9% | +5.9% | Source |
| FY2022 | $86.4B | $8.9B | 10.3% | +8.7% | Source |
| FY2021 | $79.5B | $7.6B | 9.6% | +12.9% | Source |
| FY2020 | $70.4B | $7.1B | 10.1% | +4.8% | Source |
| FY2019 | $67.2B | $7.3B | 10.9% | +3.9% | Source |
| FY2018 | $64.7B | $12.5B | 19.4% | +1.8% | Source |
| FY2017 | $63.5B | $4.9B | 7.6% | +1.2% | Source |
| FY2016 | $62.8B | $6.3B | 10.1% | — | 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.
PepsiCo
- PepsiCo Foods North America (Frito-Lay and Quaker)~30%
Savory snacks, oats, bars and dips sold to US and Canadian retailers and foodservice; about $27.7 billion combined in 2024.
- PepsiCo Beverages North America~30%
Finished drinks, fountain syrup and concentrate, including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade and partner brands; about $27.8 billion in 2024.
- International (Latin America, Europe, AMESA, Asia Pacific)~40%
Locally made snacks such as Sabritas, Walkers and Kurkure plus beverage concentrate sold to franchise bottlers and company-run beverage operations.
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.
PepsiCo
How it makes money
PepsiCo makes money by manufacturing and selling branded snacks, packaged foods and beverages to retailers, foodservice operators and independent bottlers. It reports through regional segments: PepsiCo Foods North America (Frito-Lay and Quaker, combined in 2025), PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), Latin America, Europe, Africa/Middle East/South Asia (AMESA) and Asia Pacific.
Growth strategy
PepsiCo's current growth strategy has four parts: affordability (price cuts of up to 15% on Lay's, Tostitos, Doritos and Cheetos in February 2026), portfolio shift toward better-for-you and functional brands through acquisitions such as Siete (2025), poppi ($1.95 billion, closed May 2025) and Sabra, cost reduction (three US plant closures, SKU rationalization and a review of North American supply chain and go-to-mark…
Competitive advantage
PepsiCo's advantage is scale in savory snacks combined with a large beverage business and a direct-store-delivery network. Frito-Lay brands such as Lay's, Doritos and Cheetos lead the US salty snack aisle, and DSD lets PepsiCo control merchandising and restocking in grocery, mass and convenience stores.
Questions about American Express vs PepsiCo
Which company has higher revenue — American Express Company or PepsiCo, Inc.?
American Express Company reported $72.2B (FY2025), while PepsiCo, Inc. reported $93.9B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, PepsiCo, Inc. is the larger business, with American Express Company reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of American Express Company vs PepsiCo, Inc.?
American Express Company's market capitalisation stands at $205.8B, while PepsiCo, Inc.'s is $175.0B. American Express Company carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to PepsiCo, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — American Express Company or PepsiCo, Inc.?
American Express Company generates $940k / employee in revenue per employee, while PepsiCo, Inc. generates $307k / 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 PepsiCo, Inc. make money?
American Express Company and PepsiCo, Inc. 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. PepsiCo, Inc.: PepsiCo makes money by manufacturing and selling branded snacks, packaged foods and beverages to retailers, foodservice operators and independent bottlers.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — American Express Company or PepsiCo, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, American Express Company trades at 2.8x P/S and PepsiCo, Inc. at 1.9x P/S. American Express Company commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to PepsiCo, Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is American Express Company bigger than PepsiCo, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, PepsiCo, Inc. ($93.9B (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 PepsiCo overview