American Express Announces Proposed Acquisition of TheFork, a Leading European Restaurant Booking Platform
American Express (NYSE:AXP) today announced a proposed acquisition of TheFork, a leading online restaurant reservation and management platform in Europe, from Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP), growing its dining offering in the region.
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American Express Announces Proposed Acquisition of TheFork, a Leading European Restaurant Booking Platform
TheFork connects millions of diners with more than 50,000 restaurants across 11 European countries through its restaurant management, booking and customer engagement platform, alongside a consumer-facing restaurant discovery and reservation app and website.
The proposed acquisition builds on American Express' broader dining strategy and its successful acquisitions of digital dining platforms Resy and Tock. Together, these platforms are expected to expand American Express' dining network to 75,000 bookable venues1.
With the proposed acquisition of TheFork, American Express would grow its dining offerings in Europe and strengthen its ability to provide access for Card Members and diners to sought-after restaurants, while supporting the continued growth of its international business, a major driver of the company's overall growth.
"Dining is one of the most important ways people engage with our brand," said Rafa Marquez, President of International Card Services at American Express. "Over time, the proposed acquisition would help us enrich our differentiated Membership Model by offering Card Members more ways to discover, book and access great restaurants, while helping our partners reach more diners and grow their businesses. TheFork has built a successful platform across Europe with strong relationships throughout the restaurant industry that would complement our existing capabilities. We look forward to supporting TheFork's continued growth and building on its success as we strengthen our dining presence across Europe."
"TheFork was created to help restaurants thrive and to make it easier for diners to discover and enjoy great restaurants," said Almir Ambeskovic, Chief Executive Officer of TheFork. "With Tripadvisor's support, we've built one of Europe's leading dining platforms. American Express shares our commitment to innovation, service and hospitality. Together, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate our mission, bringing even more value to restaurants while creating richer and more seamless experiences for millions of diners across Europe."
Founded in 2007, TheFork provides restaurants with reservation management, guest engagement and operational tools designed to help restaurants optimize their businesses while delivering a seamless discovery and booking experience for diners.
Following the closing of the potential transaction, TheFork would continue to operate under its existing leadership team while benefiting from the global reach and powerful backing of American Express.
The proposed transaction is expected to close before the end of 2026, subject to labor consultation and customary conditions, including regulatory approvals. Under the terms of the proposal, American Express will acquire TheFork from Tripadvisor for $700 million in cash, subject to customary adjustments.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements, which include current expectations regarding the transactions and future operations, among other matters, contain words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "aim," "will," "may," "should," "could," "would," "continue" and similar expressions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to: the parties' ability to satisfy the closing conditions, including completion of a labor consultation process and receipt of regulatory approvals, and consummate the transaction; the underlying assumptions related to the transaction proving to be inaccurate or unrealized; and American Express' ability to integrate TheFork and benefit from and expand its platform, tools and capabilities, which will depend in part on management's decisions regarding future operations, strategies and business initiatives. A further description of these and other risks and uncertainties can be found in American Express' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and its other reports filed with the SEC.
ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS
American Express (NYSE:AXP) is a global payments and premium lifestyle brand powered by technology. Our colleagues around the world back our customers with differentiated products, services, and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.
Founded in 1850 and headquartered in New York, American Express' brand is built on trust, security, service, and a rich history of delivering innovation and Membership value for our customers. We seek to provide the world's best customer experience every day to a broad range of consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, and large corporations, and we build and manage relationships with millions of merchants across our global network.
For more information about American Express, visit americanexpress.com, americanexpress.com/en-us/newsroom/, and ir.americanexpress.com.
ABOUT THEFORK
TheFork is a leading online restaurant marketplace and technology platform in Europe, connecting diners with restaurants through its consumer marketplace and software solutions. Founded in 2007, TheFork helps diners discover and book restaurants while enabling restaurant partners to attract guests, optimize operations and drive sustainable growth. TheFork partners with more than 50,000 restaurants across 11 European countries and serves millions of diners through its mobile app and website.
1 Venue figures are based on American Express and TheFork internal company records as of June 2026. Methodologies may differ across platforms, and combined figures reflect company estimates at the time of announcement
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Media Contacts:
Marilyn Alexander, American Express
Marilyn.l.alexander@aexp.com
+44 7769 314371
Lauren Young, American Express
lauren.young1@aexp.com
+1 914-907-6339
Lena Fixl, TheFork
lfixl@thefork.com
+43 664 4688071