Mercantile Partners with American Express and the American Society of Interior Designers to Launch a Small Business Credit Card for Design Professionals

New ASID program offers a purpose-built business credit card and credit tools for a profession defined by project-based cash flow

BOSTON, May 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercantile, a financial services platform and division of Onboard Partners, focused on expanding responsible access to credit for small and professional service businesses, today announced a partnership with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) to bring purpose-built credit solutions to design professionals nationwide. The new ASID American Express^® Business Card will be issued by Celtic Bank and run on the American Express Network — providing ASID members and partners access to Amex Network benefits, offerings, and protections.

The partnership is tailored to independent designers and small design firms — businesses that manage significant project expenses, seasonal revenue cycles, and client payment timing that rarely align with traditional credit structures. Through Mercantile's platform, ASID will offer a new member and partner-focused business credit card designed around the financial realities of running a modern design practice.

The ASID American Express^® Business Card includes:

• Approval pathways, including weekly autopay options that may help qualified businesses with lower credit profiles access credit
  
  
  
  
• A unique Credit LimitShield^SM feature that allows cardholders to self-select a percentage threshold that triggers an automatic payment to ensure there is always available credit to make purchases without interruption or delay
  
  
  
  
• The ability to build a stronger business credit profile over time, reducing reliance on personal credit
  
  
  
  
• Access to Amex Offers and Amex Network benefits across travel, lifestyle, and retail, as well as insurance protections
  
  
  
  
• Competitive rewards on everyday business spending offered by Mercantile

"Interior designers are running sophisticated businesses," said Khoi Vo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Society of Interior Designers. "They are managing complex project timelines, vendor relationships, and fluctuating cash flow, and that requires financial tools built for how this work actually operates. This partnership with Mercantile reflects ASID's commitment to strengthening the business of design as much as the practice itself. When designers have access to the right resources, they can grow more sustainably, run more efficiently, and stay focused on what they do best: creating spaces that improve people's lives."

"The ASID American Express^® Business Card is designed to help interior designers run their businesses — managing vendors, materials, project timelines, and client billing — by providing financial tools that support their growth," said Scott Shaw, CEO and President at Onboard Partners, Mercantile's parent company. "This partnership with ASID and American Express reflects our commitment to working with trusted professional associations to deliver credit programs specific to their needs."

"American Express is pleased to partner with Mercantile and the ASID," said Will Stredwick, SVP and GM of Global Network Services for North America at American Express. "Interior designers are consistently balancing creativity and commerce, with financial needs that are as dynamic as their work. The ASID American Express^® Business Card provides meaningful credit flexibility, rewards everyday spend and brings the full strength of the American Express Network to help the next generation of interior design leaders grow their businesses."

The ASID program joins a growing roster of association partnerships Mercantile has built over the past five years. This milestone marks the start of the broader Mercantile American Express card program expected to roll out across professional verticals, supporting entrepreneurs and small business leaders in ways unique to the needs of their profession.

The Mercantile & ASID cobrand program is built on the American Express Agile Partner Platform (APP), which enables fintechs and program managers to create and introduce customized payment products quickly, securely, and seamlessly in partnership with American Express.

For more information, visit about.asid.cards

About Mercantile

Mercantile is a financial services platform and a division of Onboard Partners, focused on expanding access to credit for small and professional service businesses. Mercantile works with trusted organizations to design and operate responsible, scalable credit card programs that support growth, transparency, and long-term financial health. Programs are enabled on leading payment networks, including American Express.

About the American Society of Interior Designers

Founded in 1975, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is the leading professional organization for interior designers. ASID advances the interior design profession and unites a community that believes design impacts lives. Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building and outreach, ASID strives to advance the interior design profession and demonstrate the power of design to positively change people's lives. ASID's community of 19,500+ members engage in a variety of professional programs and activities through a network of 48 chapters throughout the United States and Canada.

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.

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SOURCE Mercantile