A recent glitch in the billing systems at American Express will cause some members to see an error on their billing date. The error switched the numbers for the month, so a purchase made on January 10, 2001 may show up on statements as being made on October 1, 2001.

"We are aware of the problem and it's been corrected," said Amex spokeswoman Desiree Fish. "It's something that only affects the dates [on the statement] and not the accuracy of the charges." Fish did not say what caused the error. She said the mistake affects only a "small portion" of Amex's 29.2 million cardholders in the U.S. She said the credit card and travel services company would send customers a letter, or some other form of notification, to explain why the discrepancy occurred. And those customers who request a correct statement for tax records or other bookkeeping keeping purposes may get a new copy.

Fish also said that the company would not automatically send out corrected statements to everyone because the glitch doesn't affect account balances or fees. Customers are expected to send in their payments by the due date business-as-usual, she said.

Make sure you check your next statement carefully.