American Express Bank Ltd - The story of American Express is a fascinating one, filled with interesting and sometimes quirky characters who -- through a combination of brains, perseverance and luck -- shaped the company's development during the past century and a half.The express company that forwarded freight and valuables evolved into a company that created and sold financial products like money orders and travelers cheques. Following an era of international expansion, the company became an entity perhaps best known for its charge card. Today, American Express is a global payments company.Since its founding in 1850, American Express has conducted business according to several guiding principles that over the years have become inextricably linked with the company’s brand, products, services and – perhaps most notably – its people. Generations before the phrase “company values” entered the corporate lexicon, American Express employees across the organization were demonstrating the same core principles upheld by the company today.