American Express Co said it has agreed to acquire TheFork from Tripadvisor Inc for $700 million in cash, a move designed to deepen the card issuer’s footprint in European dining services. Shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP) rose 1.3% in premarket trading Monday after the announcement.
TheFork operates a restaurant reservation and management platform across 11 European countries, connecting diners with more than 50,000 restaurants. Combined with American Express’ existing platforms Resy and Tock, the acquisition would raise the company’s total number of bookable venues to 75,000, expanding the options available to card members and increasing the scale of the company’s dining network.
The company will pay $700 million in cash for TheFork, with the purchase amount subject to customary adjustments. The parties have set an expected timeline for the transaction to close before the end of 2026, contingent on labor consultation and regulatory approvals.
Under the terms announced, TheFork will remain under its current leadership team after closing. The platform provides a suite of services for restaurants - from reservation management and guest engagement to operational tools - alongside a consumer-facing app and website. TheFork was founded in 2007.
American Express framed the acquisition as an extension of its dining strategy and a way to reinforce the company’s growth drivers in Europe. TheFork's technology and merchant base are intended to give card members additional discovery and booking options while helping restaurant partners reach more diners.
Rafa Marquez, President of International Card Services at American Express, said: "Dining is one of the most important ways people engage with our brand. Over time, the proposed acquisition would help us enrich our differentiated Membership Model by offering Card Members more ways to discover, book and access great restaurants, while helping our partners reach more diners and grow their businesses."
The announcement also referenced market moves: a snapshot tied to the news showed AXP up 2.18% and TRIP up 4.2%. The immediate premarket reaction noted the 1.3% uptick for American Express when the deal was disclosed.
Strategic context in brief:
- Scale - Adding TheFork’s more than 50,000 restaurant listings to Resy and Tock increases American Express’ bookable-venue count to 75,000.
- Geographic focus - TheFork operates across 11 European countries, so the acquisition targets growth in a region identified by the company as a key driver.
- Merchant services - TheFork provides reservation, guest engagement and operational tools intended to support restaurant partners in reaching diners.
Timing and conditions:
- The agreed purchase price is $700 million in cash, subject to customary adjustments.
- The transaction is expected to close before the end of 2026 and remains subject to labor consultation and regulatory approvals.
- Following closing, TheFork will continue to operate under its current leadership.
Market and stakeholder implications:
For card members, the deal is positioned to expand discovery and booking capabilities through a larger set of restaurants across Europe. For restaurant partners, American Express says the acquisition will offer more ways to reach diners and grow their businesses by leveraging TheFork’s reservation and operational tools alongside Resy and Tock.
Because the transaction is subject to routine regulatory review and labor consultation, the closing timeline and final terms could change. The announcement does not specify additional operational integration steps beyond maintaining TheFork’s leadership after closing.
Investors and market participants will monitor the regulatory and labor consultation processes, plus any customary purchase price adjustments, as the deal moves toward its expected close before the end of 2026.