Credit card firm American Express has withdrawn cardholders’ ability to pay their credit card bill through regional banks including Butterfield.

A Butterfield spokesman told The Royal Gazette they had notified affected customers.

“For clarity, this change only affects bill payment,” the bank said. “Our merchant services continues to fully support American Express for payment acceptance.”

She added: “Our American Express merchant solution is one of the most competitive and comprehensive options available on island for businesses that want to accept American Express cards alongside Visa and Mastercard.”

She did not explain how local American Express cardholders could pay their credit card bills saying any questions should be directed to American Express directly.

Calls and messages to American Express headquarters in New York went unanswered.

The credit card company has 118 million cardholders worldwide.

According to the financial website CoinLaw, American Express’s total purchase volume in the United States this year was $232 billion, showing a 7.9 per cent year-over-year growth.

Visa and Mastercard surpass American Express in market share.