<PAGE>

                                                              EXHIBIT 24.1



               AMERICAN EXPRESS RECEIVABLES FINANCING CORPORATION

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY




         American  Express  Receivables   Financing   Corporation,   a  Delaware
corporation (the "Company"),  and each of the undersigned officers and directors
of the Company, hereby constitute and appoint Jay B. Stevelman,  John D. Koslow,
Leslie R.  Scharfstein and Stephen P. Norman,  jointly and severally,  with full
power of substitution  and revocation,  their true and lawful  attorneys-in-fact
and agents,  for them and on their behalf and in their respective names,  places
and  steads,  in any and all  capacities,  to  sign,  execute  and  affix  their
respective  seals  thereto  and  file  any of the  documents  referred  to below
relating to the American  Express Master Trust; all filings and reports required
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including Current Reports on Form 8-K
and Annual Reports on Form 10-K,  including any amendments thereto, on behalf of
the Company,  with all exhibits and any and all  documents  required to be filed
with  respect  thereto  with  any  regulatory  authority,   granting  unto  said
attorneys, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and
every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises
in order to  effectuate  the same as fully to all intents  and  purposes as they
might or could do if personally  present,  hereby  ratifying and  confirming all
that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, may lawfully do or cause
to be done by virtue hereof.

         This Power of Attorney may be executed in counterparts.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  American Express Receivables Financing Corporation
has caused this Power of  Attorney  to be executed in its name by its  President
and attested by its Secretary,  and the undersigned  officers and directors have
hereunto set their hand as of the 23rd day of March 1999.


                                       AMERICAN EXPRESS RECEIVABLES
                                       FINANCING CORPORATION



                                       By:  /s/ Leslie R. Scharfstein
                                            -------------------------
                                            Leslie R. Scharfstein
                                            President




ATTEST:

/s/ Michael Kuchs
------------------------
Michael Kuchs
Secretary



<PAGE>


/s/ Richard K. Goeltz
----------------------------
Richard K. Goeltz
Director





/s/ Vincent P. Lisanke
----------------------------
Vincent P. Lisanke
Director




/s/ Jay B. Stevelman
----------------------------
Jay B. Stevelman
Director





/s/ Leslie R. Scharfstein
-----------------------------
Leslie R. Scharfstein
President
(Principal Executive Officer)

     

 
   
/s/ John D. Koslow
----------------------------
John D. Koslow
Vice President and Treasurer
(Principal Finance Officer and
Principal Accounting Officer)



<PAGE>


                                                             EXHIBIT 24.2


                         AMERICAN EXPRESS CENTURION BANK

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY




     American Express  Centurion Bank, a Utah  corporation (the "Company"),  and
each of the undersigned officers and directors of the Company, hereby constitute
and  appoint  Robert D.  Kraus,  Stephen P.  Norman,  Gilbert E. Ahye and Rhonda
Halpern, jointly and severally,  with full power of substitution and revocation,
their true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, for them and on their behalf
and in their respective names, places and steads, in any and all capacities,  to
sign,  execute  and affix  their  respective  seals  thereto and file any of the
documents  referred to below relating to the American  Express Master Trust; all
filings  and  reports  required  under  the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,
including Current Reports on Form 8-K and Annual Reports on Form 10-K, including
any amendments thereto, on behalf of the Company,  with all exhibits and any and
all  documents  required to be filed with respect  thereto  with any  regulatory
authority,  granting  unto  said  attorneys,  and each of them,  full  power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary
to be done in and about the premises in order to effectuate the same as fully to
all intents and purposes as they might or could do if personally present, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said  attorneys-in-fact  and agents, or any of
them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         This Power of Attorney may be executed in counterparts.

         IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  American  Express  Centurion Bank has caused this
Power of Attorney to be executed in its name by its Chairman and attested by its
Assistant Secretary,  and the  undersigned  officers and  directors  have
hereunto set their hand as of the 25th day of March 1999.



                                  AMERICAN EXPRESS CENTURION BANK



                                  By:  /s/ Frank L. Skillern   
                                       ---------------------
                                       Frank L. Skillern
                                       Chairman




ATTEST:

/s/ Robert D. Kraus
------------------------
Robert D. Kraus
Assistant Secretary



<PAGE>



/s/ Frank L. Skillern
----------------------------
Frank L. Skillern
Director and Chairman


/s/ David E. Poulsen
----------------------------
David E. Poulsen
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer


/s/ Gilbert E. Ahye
----------------------------
Gilbert E. Ahye
Director


/s/ Maria J. Garciaz
----------------------------
Maria J. Garciaz
Director


/s/ Ash Gupta
----------------------------
Ash Gupta
Director


/s/ Peter A. Lefferts
----------------------------
Peter A. Lefferts
Director


/s/ Raymond F. Pettit
----------------------------
Raymond F. Pettit
Director


/s/ Rosalyn M. Watson
----------------------------
Rosalyn M. Watson
Director


/s/ James F. Welch
----------------------------
James F. Welch
Director