The payment card industry (PCI) encompasses organizations and institutions that store, process and transmit cardholder data, with major brands such as American Express, Mastercard Inc, Visa Inc and others. In this blog post, we provide insights into the competitive environment of the PCI with a focus on American Express, with regard to patent holdings. Using our industry-proven, scientifically validated Patent Asset Index™, we find that the company has fallen behind its competitors despite a constant patent portfolio development.