American Express Hardship Program: How It Works and Your Debt Relief Options

If you're struggling to make your American Express credit card payments, you may be looking for information about the American Express Hardship Program.

The good news is that American Express does offer assistance to eligible cardmembers. Its program is officially called the American Express Financial Relief Program, and it may reduce your monthly payment, lower your interest rate and provide relief from certain fees. American Express currently offers short-term and long-term payment plans, with qualifying long-term plans extending up to 48 months.

But an Amex hardship plan isn't your only option.

If you have significant American Express debt—or balances with several different credit card companies—a nonprofit debt management program (DMP) may give you another way to reduce interest rates, simplify your payments and create a structured path out of credit card debt.

DebtWave has worked with American Express accounts for more than 20 years. You can speak with a certified credit counselor for free to compare your options before deciding which approach makes the most sense for you.

→ See if a Debt Management Program could lower your payments

Does American Express Have a Hardship Program?

Yes. The program many consumers call the American Express hardship program is officially known as the American Express Financial Relief Program.

American Express says eligible cardmembers may be offered a payment plan that can:

• Lower monthly payments
• Reduce the interest rate on eligible balances
• Provide temporary relief from future late-payment fees
• Provide relief from annual membership fees, when applicable

American Express currently offers both short-term and long-term options. The short-term plan may provide benefits for up to 12 months, while the long-term plan may provide benefits for 48 months.

Eligibility and the specific terms you're offered will depend on your individual account and circumstances.

How Does the American Express Hardship Program Work?

If you're having trouble keeping up with your payments, you can request information about the Financial Relief Program directly from American Express.

American Express determines eligibility based on factors that can include your account's delinquency status, balance and previous participation in the program.

If you qualify, American Express may offer a reduced payment and interest rate for a specified period.

That can make the program particularly useful if you're dealing with a temporary financial setback and your primary problem is an American Express balance.

However, there are some important tradeoffs to understand before enrolling.

Can You Still Use Your American Express Card?

Your ability to continue using your card may be restricted.

Under American Express's current terms, cardmembers enrolled in a long-term payment plan cannot use the enrolled card for purchases while participating in the program. Short-term plans may also involve a reduced spending limit or other restrictions.

For someone focused on getting out of debt, losing access to additional credit can actually help prevent balances from continuing to grow. But it's still something you should understand before enrolling.

Does the American Express Hardship Program Hurt Your Credit?

Enrolling in a hardship program does not automatically mean your credit score will fall, but there can be credit-related consequences.

American Express states that participation in its long-term payment plan may be reported to the consumer credit bureaus. The fact that you're participating in a payment plan does not directly affect your credit score, according to Amex, although the information can be visible to other lenders.

A reduction in your credit limit could also affect your credit utilization and therefore potentially affect your score.

On the other hand, continuing to miss payments can create much more serious credit problems. If you're struggling, addressing the situation before accounts become severely delinquent is generally preferable to simply ignoring the debt.

What If the Amex Hardship Program Isn't Enough?

The American Express Financial Relief Program can be an excellent option for some cardmembers.

But consider the bigger picture.

Maybe American Express isn't your only debt.

You might have:

• $10,000 on an American Express card
• $8,000 with Chase
• $5,000 with Capital One
• $4,000 on a Synchrony account

Getting a reduced payment from American Express would help—but you'd still be juggling several creditors, several interest rates and several monthly payments.

That's where a nonprofit debt management program may be worth considering.

American Express Hardship Program vs. Debt Management Program

A debt management program is different from American Express's internal Financial Relief Program.

Instead of working with just one creditor, a nonprofit credit counseling agency such as DebtWave can help create one repayment strategy for multiple eligible credit cards.

American Express's program makes sense to investigate when American Express itself is the main problem.

A debt management program becomes particularly attractive when you're struggling with multiple high-interest credit cards and want one coordinated repayment plan.

How DebtWave Has Helped American Express Cardholders

DebtWave Credit Counseling has worked with American Express accounts since 2002.

We reviewed 7,929 American Express accounts enrolled in DebtWave's debt management program between 2010 and 2024.

Here's what we found:

Of the 7,929 American Express accounts included in the study, 5,303 had successfully paid their balances in full, while another 791 were still actively being paid through the program at the time of the analysis.

These figures are historical averages from DebtWave clients and are not a guarantee of the rate, payment or payoff period you would receive. Creditor terms, balances and individual financial situations vary.

How Does DebtWave's Debt Management Program Work?

DebtWave Credit Counseling is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our certified credit counselors help consumers review their finances and understand the different options available for dealing with credit card debt.

A credit counseling session with DebtWave is free.

If a debt management program makes sense for your situation, DebtWave works with participating creditors to establish a structured repayment plan. Instead of making separate payments to each enrolled creditor, you make your scheduled DMP payment to DebtWave, and DebtWave distributes the appropriate amounts to your creditors.

A debt management program is not a debt consolidation loan, so you aren't borrowing additional money to pay off your cards. It is also different from debt settlement: the objective of a DMP is to repay the enrolled balances rather than negotiate settlements for less than the full amount owed.

DebtWave's DMPs generally aim to pay enrolled credit card debt off within approximately three to five years, although individual plans vary.

Which Option Is Better for American Express Debt?

There isn't one answer that works for everyone.

The American Express hardship program may be a good fit if:

• Most of your debt is with American Express
• Your financial difficulty may be temporary
• The payment offered by Amex fits your budget
• You're comfortable with any restrictions placed on your account

A debt management program may be worth exploring if:

• You have American Express debt plus other credit cards
• High interest rates are preventing you from making progress
• You want to combine eligible debts into one structured monthly payment
• You want a defined strategy for paying your credit card balances in full
• You're unsure which debt-relief option makes the most financial sense

You don't have to decide without knowing the numbers.

During a free DebtWave credit counseling session, a certified counselor can review your debts, income and expenses and explain the options available to you. DebtWave's counseling process is designed to show consumers potential payoff timelines and costs so they can make an informed decision.

See What Your American Express Payment Could Look Like

If you're searching for the American Express Hardship Program because your payment or interest rate has become difficult to manage, now is a good time to look at all of your options.

American Express may be able to provide relief directly.

But if you have several credit cards—or want to see whether a nonprofit debt management program could provide a better overall path out of debt—DebtWave can review your situation at no cost.

Talk to a certified DebtWave credit counselor today.

→ Get Started Online

Or call (888) 686-4040 to discuss your credit card debt with DebtWave.

There is no obligation to enroll in a debt management program simply because you complete a credit counseling session.