American Express August card write-off rates: Consumer 1.7%, Small Business 2.2%
American Express furnished monthly credit statistics for its U.S. Consumer and U.S. Small Business Card balances held for investment through August 31, 2026. Consumer net write-off rate was 1.7% in August and July versus 1.4% in June, while Small Business fell to 2.2% from 2.6% in July, and total held-for-investment balances rose to $160.3 billion. The June figures include the effect of a sale of previously written-off balances, so the monthly comparisons should be read with that in mind.
Key points
- U.S. Consumer net write-off rate (principal only) was 1.7% in August 2026 and July 2026, compared with 1.4% in June 2026.
- U.S. Small Business net write-off rate was 2.2% in August 2026, down from 2.6% in July 2026 and 2.3% in June 2026.
- Both portfolios' 30-days-past-due rates were unchanged or slightly lower: Consumer 1.1% in all three months; Small Business 1.3% in August and July, down from 1.4% in June.
- Total held-for-investment Card balances were $160.3 billion as of August 31, 2026, up from $159.2 billion at July 31, 2026.
The filing
Written by AI (Anthropic Claude, claude-haiku-5-5) on Nov 8, 2026, 2:16 AM ET, from the text of the filing and its press-release exhibits only. Written later: this filing was briefed after the fact, when past filings were added to the site, so the brief may be read with hindsight; the filing itself is the record of what was known on September 15, 2026.
Briefs are written by AI from the filing text (each brief's own page names the model) and can contain mistakes — open the filing before acting on anything. Impact (1-5) and tone are the model's reading of the filing for shareholders, not a price forecast. Not investment advice.