AmEx Green Card Review | NextAdvisor with TIME

Shante Abdo

We want to help you make more informed decisions. Some links on this page — clearly marked — may take you to a partner website and may result in us earning a referral commission. For more information, see How We Make Money.   Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for some American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Rewards rate:

3X points at restaurants including takeout or delivery. 3X points on transit including trains, buses, ferries, subway, and more. 3X points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, and more. 1X points on other purchases.

  • Intro bonus: 45,000 points
  • Annual fee: $150
  • Regular APR: See Rates & Fees
  • Recommended credit score: 670-850 (Good to Excellent)

The American Express Green Credit Card is worth considering if you like the American Express Membership Rewards program, and you’re looking for a travel card that won’t set you back too much when it’s time to pay the annual fee. You’ll earn flexible rewards points on dining, transit, and travel, the annual fee is lower than American Express’ more premium travel cards, and annual statement credits can help offset the cost for regular travelers.

At a Glance

  • Earn 30,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $2,000 on your card within three months of account opening
  • Earn 3x points at restaurants (including takeout and delivery)
  • Earn 3x points on transit and travel purchases
  • Earn 1x points on other purchases
  • Up to $100 annual statement credit toward CLEAR membership
  • Up to $100 annual statement credit for lounge access through LoungeBuddy
  • $150 annual fee
  • 15.99% to 22.99% variable APR, based on creditworthiness (See Rates & Fees)

Pros

  • Earn bonus rewards (3x points) at restaurants, on transit, and on travel

  • No foreign transaction fees

  • Annual credits for LoungeBuddy lounge access and CLEAR membership

  • Earns points towards Amex’s flexible Membership Rewards program

Cons

  • $150 annual fee

  • High APR for purchases

  • Not as many added benefits as more premium travel cards

Additional Card Details

The American Express Green Card comes with a few added perks that can make your travel experiences easier. 

To start, you’ll get a complimentary Uber Eats Pass for 12 months after account opening, for unlimited $0 delivery fees and $5 off orders from Uber Eats of $15 or more (through Dec. 2021). Longer-term, you’ll get an annual $100 credit toward CLEAR membership, an alternative to TSA PreCheck that can help you get through security lines at eligible airports more quickly. You’ll also receive up to $100 in annual credits toward LoungeBuddy lounge access, which can come in handy if you don’t have a Priority Pass membership through another travel credit card.

Pro Tip

The American Express Green Credit Card doesn’t allow balance transfers. If you need to consolidate debt from other cards, make sure to compare alternative cards that let you transfer balances to your new account.

Other cardholder benefits include no foreign transaction fees, trip delay insurance, secondary auto insurance coverage, a baggage insurance plan, purchase protection against damage or theft, and extended warranties.

Should You Get this Card?

The American Express Green Credit Card is a good option if you want to earn American Express Membership Rewards points but you’re not prepared to pay the $695 annual fee on the Platinum Card® from American Express or $250 annual fee for the American Express® Gold Card. Amex Green comes with fewer perks, but you only have to pay $150 per year to be a cardholder. 

If you already have one of these cards, though, look closely at your spending and rewards before you add the Green to your wallet as well. While it can be useful to pool Membership Rewards points from multiple cards, these cards earn rewards in many of the same categories. Make sure you’d get enough value each year from added benefits and unique rewards categories to surpass the cost of both annual fees.

On its own, the American Express Green Card offers a competitive rate if you’re looking for rewards on travel and dining — it earns 3X points in these categories, which is more than the similarly-priced Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2X points in the same categories). Plus, you’ll get 3X points on transit. This includes not only subways and bus passes, but also rideshare services, taxis, tolls, and more — which can be a valuable perk both at home and while traveling.

The Amex Membership Rewards program can also be quite valuable. If you’re not already earning points toward a rewards program, this card can be a great entry point into Amex’s flexible rewards. But if you do have another points-earning card, like a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards, you might want to stick with one program to more effectively maximize your spending.

How to Use American Express Green Credit Card

Once you’re approved for the American Express Green Credit Card, spend $2,000 within three months of account opening so you can start off with 30,000 American Express Membership Rewards points. From there, use your card for restaurants, travel, and transit spending so you can rack up 3X points rewards.

When you’re ready to cash in your rewards, you can choose to redeem points toward purchases, for gift cards or merchandise, book travel through AmexTravel.com, or transfer to Amex airline and hotel partners like Air France/Flying Blue, Hilton Honors, and Delta SkyMiles. You’ll get the most value for travel redemptions, either by booking with Amex or transferring to partners.

Also make sure to use your statement credits each year. Enroll with CLEAR using your card to earn up to $100 toward the yearly fee. This isn’t enough to cover the full cost of CLEAR membership, which will set you back $179 per year, but it can help you save if you are already a CLEAR member or planning to become one. To earn the LoungeBuddy credit, you’ll just need to pay with your Green Card anytime you purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app or website.

Just keep in mind, credits like this only save you money if they go toward purchases you would have made anyway. If you’re not interested in airport lounge access or a faster option through security, you shouldn’t spend money on them just to earn rewards. And that’s true for any purchases you make with this card. Only use your American Express Green Credit Card for purchases you can afford to pay off each month. If you carry a balance, the interest you pay will wipe out your rewards and then some. 

American Express Green Credit Card Compared to Other Cards

  • Intro bonus:
  • Annual fee:

    $150

  • Regular APR:

    See Rates & Fees

  • Recommended credit:

    670-850 (Good to Excellent)

  • Learn more externa link icon at our partner’s secure site.
  • Intro bonus:
  • Annual fee:

    $95

  • Regular APR:

    15.99% – 22.99% Variable

  • Recommended credit:

    670-850 (Good to Excellent)

  • Learn more externa link icon at our partner’s secure site.

Bottom Line

The American Express Green Credit Card is a good standalone rewards card for dining and travel spending, especially if you want to take part in Amex’s Membership Rewards program. As long as you can make use of the annual statement credits and the rewards categories align with your spending, you can outpace the annual fee cost with the card’s benefits. You may also consider pairing this card with other travel credit cards from American Express to boost your rewards haul or qualify for a broader set of perks.

If you’re not already earning Amex points on another card, it never hurts to compare rewards cards from other programs, including Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards. Do your research to determine which rewards program makes more sense for your lifestyle before applying, so you can best maximize your purchases.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does the American Express Green Credit Card charge foreign transaction fees?

The American Express Green Credit Card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

What is the annual fee for the American Express Green Credit Card?

Cardholders pay $150 per year to carry the American Express Green Credit Card.

Who can earn the bonus on the American Express Green Credit Card?

American Express has a “once per lifetime rule” that says you can only earn the bonus on each of their card products once in your lifetime. This is what American Express says about this card’s offer in the cardholder agreement:

“Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this Card or previous versions of the American Express® Green Card. We may also consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.”

Next Post

Uk to insert Germany, Austria, quite a few other European international locations to "inexperienced" journey record

London (CNN) — The Uk governing administration will update its “environmentally friendly” journey list on Thursday to add Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Romania, and Norway to the record. Vacationers returning from inexperienced-detailed international locations do not need to quarantine unless their needed PCR examination consequence is optimistic. The journey […]

Subscribe US Now