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AMERICAN EXPRESS AND THE KNOT, INC. LAUNCH UNIQUE CREDIT CARDS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR ENGAGED COUPLES AND NEWLYWEDS

Fee-Free Cards Offer Benefits, Rewards and Discounts Tied to Wedding and Newlywed Purchases

NEW YORK, December 01, 2005 -- American Express and The Knot, Inc., today announced a strategic partnership with the launch of two new co-brand, fee-free consumer credit cards, The Knot Credit Card from American Express, developed for couples planning their wedding, and The Nest Credit Card from American Express, designed specifically for newlyweds.

As a lifestage media company offering the premier wedding resource, The Knot touches a community of over 1.2 million couples at the gateway event in their future life together. Through the partnership and launch of The Knot co-branded Cards, American Express provides a vehicle to help couples benefit from the major spending they will do as they plan their weddings and build their homes. The fee-free rewards Cards offer special access, benefits and discounts that come only through association with American Express and The Knot and The Nest brands.

“Given that engaged and newlywed couples are spending over $70 billion a year in this life stage, it's about time there's a credit card with core benefits that cater to their needs and specific interests for this time in their lives,” said Beth Lacey, senior vice president and general manager, American Express Strategic Alliances and Cobrands. “Through our partnership with The Knot, an innovative company that has created an active, influential community of engaged couples, we can effectively reach this important market segment and deliver the benefits that truly meet their needs.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with American Express to launch this innovative service for our engaged couples and newlyweds,” said David Liu, CEO of The Knot. “As the only credit card company that calls their customers ‘members,' American Express shares our dedication to providing valuable services to our audience. We are continuously looking to offer quality services to our members that are relevant to where they are in their life. American Express is the perfect partner to deliver the real solutions, level of service and special benefits our loyal Members expect.”

The Knot Credit Card from American Express is an important tool for brides and grooms in the wedding planning process. To help couples organize and manage their wedding plans, each Cardmember receives The Knot Wedding Planning Kit, which includes The Knot Wedding Binder, exclusive offers from The Knot, American Express Vacations, and other partners and free gifts. Ongoing, the Card provides benefits and special discounts to numerous local and national wedding-related merchants, and unprecedented access to special events like wedding dress sales and bridal events. With fee-free enrollment in the acclaimed Membership Rewards Options® program, couples have the opportunity to earn valuable Membership Rewards points when they use the Card to make purchases related to their wedding that can be redeemed for a wide variety of honeymoon travel, lifestyle and retail rewards in the future.

The Nest Credit Card from American Express caters to the needs of newlywed couples as they begin to build their life together. In addition to benefits including discounts and home-related offers from participating partners and special travel offers from American Express Vacations, couples receive The Nest Planning Kit, a custom-created binder filled with tools to organize every aspect of a couple's life, from budget and finances to insurance and home decor. Cardmembers will also be automatically enrolled in the Membership Rewards Options program free-of-charge where they can earn points for purchases.

"With the dramatically changing marketing landscape, we are increasingly focused on engaging consumers in an ongoing dialogue about our brand, products and services," said John Hayes, chief marketing officer of American Express. "Word of mouth and affiliation with 'communities' have great influence. As a result, we're pleased to be partnering with The Knot, a must-visit resource."

Both The Knot Credit Card from American Express and The Nest Credit Card from American Express offer the following benefits:

  • No annual fee;
  • Competitive interest rates;
  • Pay in full or over time;
  • Fee-free enrollment in the Membership Rewards Options program;
  • Earn 1 point for every eligible dollar spent on the Card*;
  • 5,000 bonus points with first purchase*;
  • Threshold bonus - Get 10,000 bonus points with annual spend of $15,000*;
  • The Knot Wedding Planning Kit or The Nest Planning Kit;
  • Fee-free convenience checks that can be used like a check;
  • Special access to exclusive partners, such as early entrance to bridal sample sales or discounts on home furnishings and décor;
  • The ability to leverage all of the special benefits and services that come with American Express® Cardmembership.

The Knot Cardmembers can enjoy benefits tailored specifically to weddings including:

  • Discounts on wedding related purchases;
  • Access to exclusive offers from wedding retailers and vendors featured on The Knot;
  • The ability for everyone involved in paying for the wedding to carry fee-free companion (supplemental) cards that generate rewards points for the engaged couple, making it easy to stay organized and track expenses with all wedding-related charges on one card collectively;
  • VIP access to bridal events, including bridal shows and sample sales of celebrity-designer dresses;
  • Special romantic honeymoon offers from American Express Vacations, including an exclusive discount.

The Nest Cardmembers will enjoy benefits tailored specifically to their lifestage, including:

  • Discounts on items for the home from The Nest Store;
  • Access to exclusive offers from home retailers and vendors featured on The Nest;
  • Exclusive access to in-store entertaining and décor events sponsored by The Nest;
  • Special romantic anniversary offers from American Express Vacations, including an exclusive discount.

For more information or to apply for the The Knot Credit Card from American Express or The Nest Credit Card from American Express visit www.americanexpress.com/apply or click the apply button on www.theknot.com or www.thenest.com.

About The Membership Rewards Program
The Membership Rewards program from American Express is the largest card-based rewards program in the world, with more than 140 redemption partners. The program allows Cardmembers to earn one point for virtually every dollar charged.

Membership Rewards points are redeemable in a wide selection of reward categories, including travel, retail merchandise, entertainment, shopping and recreation gift certificates, experiences, financial services and charity rewards. Enrollees may also customize their own redemption experiences through the program's Your Reward® option and use points for just about anything they can imagine. Points have no expiration date, and there is no limit on the number of points you can earn.

About American Express
American Express Company (www.americanexpress.com) is a diversified worldwide travel, financial and network services company founded in 1850. It is a world leader in charge and credit cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, business services and international banking.

About The Knot, Inc.
The Knot, Inc. (Nasdaq: KNOT) is a leading lifestage media and services company. The Company's flagship brand, The Knot, is the nation's leading wedding resource that reaches over 1 million engaged couples each year through the Web, newsstands, bookstores, national television and more. Its award-winning website, TheKnot.com, is the most-trafficked online wedding destination. The Company also offers a diverse collection of print publications including national and regional editions of "THE KNOT Weddings" magazine, a book trilogy with Broadway Books, and two gift book series. The Company also produces a TV series on The Oxygen Network, a Video On Demand (VOD) service for Comcast Cable and has content distribution partnerships with MSN and Comcast. The Knot, Inc. has recently launched several brands targeted before and beyond the wedding day, including teen-oriented PromSpot.com, newlywed site TheNest.com and online personal site, GreatBoyfriends.com. The Knot, Inc. is based in New York.


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