NFT passport stamps can now be received by American Express cardholders, allowing them to commemorate past travels by showing the countries they’ve visited.
Blockchain-based stamps for customers have been launched by the payments company American Express as a digital keepsake of their travels.
Based on the company’s website, each travel stamp will be stored as an ERC-721 non-fungible token on the Ethereum layer-2 Base network. This is intended to preserve their travel history and their favorite overseas memories.
Luke Gebb, Executive Vice President of Amex Digital Labs, stated on Monday that “part of the magic of travel is reminiscing about past getaways, and commemorative keepsakes are a powerful way for travelers to relive their favorite trips.”
“As physical passport stamps continue to disappear, an opportunity is created by Amex Passport for Card Members to commemorate their travels,” Gebb added.
According to Amex, each stamp can be personalized to highlight the best experiences from each trip, such as a special attraction, a memorable meal, a hotel stay, or a favorite activity.
The Amex Passport is only available to those holding a US Amex consumer card linked to their online account, and the NFTs are unable to be transferred.
According to Amex, each stamp will only show the country or region of the stamp, its description, and the date it was acquired. It was also added by the company that personal information and trip specifics will not be visible on Base.
Data from Base’s block explorer, BaseScan, shows that the Amex travel stamp smart contract was created 25 days ago.
This development is the latest example of a public blockchain helping corporations and their users securely store data without a centralized server.
Last month, the U.S. Commerce Department revealed its plan to publish key economic metrics, including gross domestic product data, on the blockchain.
NFT Travel Stamps: Meeting Demand for Digital Keepsakes
A recent Amex survey found that demand for new travel stamp solutions is strong, as 73% of respondents wanted more digital ways to commemorate past trips.
In another finding, 56% of those surveyed said they missed receiving passport stamps upon arriving in a new country.
Amex travel stamps can be shared on social media or saved to a camera roll, and trips booked through Amex up to two years ago will be automatically added for customers.
Crypto’s Growing Role in Tourism
The crypto travel industry remains relatively niche, but momentum has been picked up in recent months.
In February, crypto payment options were integrated by the crypto-native travel platform Travala for 2.2 million hotels on Trivago. Trivago is a hotel metasearch engine that allows users to compare accommodation prices from a variety of booking sites.
In May, data from Travala showed that crypto users typically spend three times more for an average hotel stay. They also typically stay longer in a certain place to accommodate their flexible and remote working lifestyles.
Based on Triple-A data, 14% of crypto transactions were spent on travel and hospitality in 2024, while more airlines started accepting cryptocurrency for bookings.
