It is true: American Express, that bastion of old-world, make-money-hand-over-fist payments, yesterday did a deal with online game company Zynga to allow Amex clients to buy virtual goods with Membership Rewards points.
I can just imagine the marketing people at Amex proofing the press release, and saying, “Huh?!?” Here’s what Amex customers can buy with their rewards points:
- FarmVille Purple Cow (540 MR points)
- FarmVille Manx Cat (435 MR points)
- Café World Amex Lightning Stove (1945 points)
- Café World Amex Outdoor Fountain (1080 points)
I’m not making this up.
But, in fact, Amex deserves credit. In one move, Amex makes a nice foray into virtual payments within the online gaming world, and the dollar potential within this world speaks for itself. This is Amex, people. Amex doesn’t do any deal unless there’s a make-money-hand-over-fist element.