Amex Sues Chase Over Marketing Campaign

American Express Co. filed a lawsuit against Chase Manhattan Corp., charging Chase with false advertising in a credit card marketing campaign. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, alleges that Chase’s print and mail advertisements, touting a recent award for its credit cards, unfairly damage American Express. American Express is asking the court for a temporary restraining order before Monday, barring Chase from beginning a 19.5-million piece direct-mail campaign that uses the award to market its MasterCard and Visa credit cards. It also is seeking a cease-and-desist order and unspecified actual and punitive damages. The award, by market research firm J.D. Power & Associates, rates Chase’s MasterCard and Visa platinum credit cards and its Wal-Mart MasterCard first in customer satisfaction for 1998. J.D. Power did not compare the American Express cards with Chase’s cards in its study, the suit charges.