Under the headline “The American Express Gift Card Goes Digital,” Amex announced the “launch of the American Express eGift Card, a new virtual gift card to be purchased and used online.”

That announcement was issued today, as in on Sept. 6, 2011, and not, say, in 2008. Could Amex be later to the online gift card party?

Stefan Happ, SVP and GM of the Americas with American Express’ Global Payment Options, actually was quoted as saying this in Amex’s press release: “As consumers spend more time shopping online, we saw a need for a virtual gifting product.” Did Happ just wake up from a 10-year-long nap?

Amazon has been playing this game for years. In fact, four years ago Amazon launched a product through a subsidiary called ACI Gift Cards, Inc. that offered online gift codes on demand. You want to see how online gift cards are done? Check out ACI’s page. And anyone who owns AXP stock might want to forward that link to folks at Amex’s spanking new online gift card unit.