Amex Restaurant Reservation App Woos Millennials

To help its Platinum cardholders book tables at restaurants through their phones, including those that have Michelin stars, American Express plans to roll out a reservation service that will be reportedly similar to OpenTable. The offering will arrive in the U.K. this fall before coming to the U.S. and other areas next year, Business Insider reported.

Restaurant reservations are not new to American Express: The company has long offered them, along with hotel and special event bookings, via its Platinum Concierge. In addition, last year, the company teamed up with restaurants and chefs to roll out the Global Dining Collection. That offering enables both Platinum and Centurion clients to access reservations at well-known restaurants and events.

Amid the offering, American Express is vying with JPMorgan, along with the company’s Sapphire Reserve card, for younger high-end clients. In a recent earnings conference call, American Express CEO Stephen Squeri reportedly noted that a number of new Platinum cardholders are millennials.

The news comes months after American Express announced in January that it had acquired Mezi, the personal travel assistant app that helps people plan and book their trips. Terms of the deal were not disclosed at the time. In a press release, American Express said the app enables travelers to message their requests for flights, hotel and restaurant reservations. It also provides recommendations and will make travel arrangements based on customers’ requests. The Mezi app uses artificial intelligence (AI), melded with human impacts, to personalize the process of searching for and booking travel destinations online. According to American Express, the app learns more about user preferences, becoming smarter and more efficient over time.

In the press release, American Express Digital Labs Vice President Phil Norman said, “Mezi’s AI-powered experience opens up exciting new ways for us to connect with and serve our Card Members, and creates opportunities for us to build more meaningful relationships with them.”