Amex Teams With Artists for New Platinum Card Designs

American Express is adding more art to its high-end Platinum cards, Bloomberg reported Thursday (Jan. 20).

Platinum cardholders can now select designs by the artists Kehinde Wiley or Julie Mehretu, or they can choose one of the classic designs for their card, which goes for $695 per year.

The report notes that lenders have become more focused on the design aesthetic of their cards to set them apart, rather than the metals and materials which were a point of discussion in years past.

Wiley has worked with Amex before, and is known for painting things with botanical elements — along with painting former President Barack Obama’s official portrait. Last year, he worked on a “leafy design” for the bank’s Centurion card.

Amex said his new design for them “brings these botanicals directly onto the Platinum card, wonderfully capturing the essence of Wiley’s profound energy and worldview.”

Meanwhile, Mehretu’s designs put forward an “abstract modernity.”

As Amex has been working on revamping its card rewards to bring in new business after the pandemic’s lulls, it has said it wants to add a $200 credit for hotel stays for its Platinum card. There will also be more opportunities for additional airport lounge access and private jet discounts.

Last month, Amex Digital Labs Vice President Luke Gebb told PYMNTS that he has seen how quickly COVID-19 has expedited the digital transformation that was already happening pre-pandemic.

See also: Amex: Merchants See Consumer Demand for Digital Payments as Catalyst for Innovation

Gebb said the tech needed to support digital payments has finally reached a point where it can safely and reliably support consistent digital payments, noting that the transition to digital pay comes with new financial features that simply weren’t available before.

He added that digital payments now offer more form factors and features, including cryptocurrency, buy now, pay later (BNPL) services and account-to-account (A2A) payments like Venmo and Zelle.