How does Private Payments work?
Once you sign up for the Private Payments system, you can use it just like you use your American Express card. Furthermore, you can use Private Payments as frequently as you would use your card. Of course, any spending limits you have on your American Express card will also apply to Private Payments.
Whenever you're ready to make a purchase online, request a Private Payments virtual credit card number; you can use this virtual number in place of your actual card number. Any purchases that you make with Private Payments will show up on your American Express bill just as if you had used your card to make the purchase.
Private Payments numbers expire in either 30 days or 67 days depending on the time of the month during which you're issued the number. You'll know exactly what the expiration date is when you receive your number. However, when you use the number to make a purchase, the number will expire as soon as the merchant authorises the purchase.
Private Payments are only to be used for one-time transactionsââ,¬"you shouldn't use them for any type of recurring charge. In addition, you should not use Private Payments for transactions involving reservations.
For more detailed information on Private Payments, you should check out the FAQ page on the American Express Web site.
