Based on the Revolution Money P2P payments platform Amex acquired last year, Serve was unveiled in March, enabling users to buy goods and make person-to-person transfers online and through mobile phones.

From this summer, Sprint will begin pushing Serve's mobile wallet application to some Android owners through its Sprint Zone mobile store, which appears as an icon on the telco's handsets.

Sprint customers who register and qualify for a Serve account will be able to use their card for making purchases at American Express participating merchants, paying their Sprint mobile bill, and in the future, for redeeming offers on goods and services.

David Messenger, EVP, enterprise growth, American Express, says: "We believe that customers will benefit greatly from taking advantage of Serve's functionality as a quick, user-friendly way for tackling the often tedious task of paying bills and making mobile payments."

Kevin McGinnis, VP, product platforms, Sprint, adds: "Sprint is pleased to join with American Express to offer this convenient tool for sending and receiving money to friends, paying bills and making purchases online."

Sprint is the first network operator to sign up to Serve as Amex bids to strengthen its hand in the emerging digital payments market under former Sprint executive Daniel Schulman, hired last year to head up a new enterprise growth unit.