Where does American Express obtain ownership data on suppliers?
American Express has partnered with a third party vendor to provide detailed merchant classification information. To capture comprehensive socioeconomic data, the vendor works directly with more than 300 seed sources to document firms owned and operated by minorities, women and other protected classes. The seed sources include private and public agencies at the Federal, State and Local levels. Several examples of certifying agencies are NMSDC (National Supplier Diversity Council) and its regional affiliates, WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council), NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners), and SBA (Small Business Administration).
