The term VISA/MC ALTERNATIVE can be answered with the four letter word AMEX. American Express, commonly known as AMEX, is a multinational financial services corporation that offers credit cards, charge cards, and traveler's cheques. It was founded in 1850 and is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. AMEX is one of the most widely accepted forms of payment and is accepted at millions of locations worldwide.