The Justice Department said the company misrepresented its credit card rewards and fees and made false claims about the tax benefits of its wire transfer products.

American Express said on Thursday that it would pay $230 million to settle civil and criminal allegations that the company used deceptive sales tactics related to credit card and wire transfer products sold to small business customers.

The Justice Department’s civil division claimed that, from 2014 through 2017, the credit card and travel services giant misrepresented its card rewards and fees, and whether credit checks would be done without a customer’s consent. The Justice Department also said the company had submitted falsified financial information for prospective customers, such as overstating a business’s income.

American Express was also accused of tricking its bank into issuing credit cards to small business customers without employer identification numbers, or E.I.N.s, which are required for certain businesses, the department said.

Then, from 2018

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