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If you're looking for a card with a moderate annual fee, broad 3X earning categories, and perks that more than make up for the annual fee, don't overlook the American Express® Green Card.
On top of those benefits, the card just launched a valuable welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
The Amex Green Card is a powerful earner for regular travelers and those who frequent restaurants — especially with the ability to earn up to 20% back during your first six months. The card also updated its benefits in 2022, providing further value year after year.
American Express® Green Card
Apply Now
Rates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
American Express® Green Card
Annual Fee$150
Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® Points on transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US.
- $189 CLEAR Plus Credit: Receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express® Green Card.
- $100 LoungeBuddy: No airport lounge membership? No problem! Purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app using the American Express® Green Card and receive up to $100 in statement credits annually.
- Payment Flexibility: When it comes to paying your bill, you have options. You can always pay in full. You also have the flexibility to carry a balance with interest or use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee, up to your Pay Over Time Limit. You may be able to keep spending beyond your limit - you'll just need to pay for any new purchases in full when your bill is due.
- Trip Delay Insurance: If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses purchased on the same Eligible Card, up to $300 per trip, maximum 2 claims per eligible account per 12 consecutive month period. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees: No matter where you're traveling, when you use your American Express® Green Card there are no foreign transaction fees.
- $150 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 3x Membership Rewards® on travel
- 3x Membership Rewards® at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 3x Membership Rewards® on transit including trains, buses, ferries, subway, and more
- 1x Membership Rewards® on other purchases
If you're looking to further boost your Membership Rewards-earning capacity, here's why the Amex Green Card could be a good fit for your wallet.
Feature Benefits of The Amex Green Card
For a $150 annual fee (Rates & Fees), you'll enjoy the following perks year after year:
Annual Clear Membership Credit
Before its 2022 refresh, the Amex Green Card offered up to $100 in statement credits per year toward your CLEAR membership fee. Now, you can earn up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year when using the Amex Green Card to pay for an annual CLEAR Plus membership.
Given that a standard membership costs $189 annually, this update now covers your full membership cost each year. If you have a CLEAR membership discount, you can still maximize this credit by adding a family member for $60 more.
Up to $100 in LoungeBuddy Credits
Several credit cards offer Priority Pass lounge memberships. However, the Amex Green Card takes a unique approach: partnering with LoungeBuddy. If you pay to visit a LoungeBuddy partner lounge, you can receive up to $100 in statement credits as reimbursement annually. Here's a list of LoungeBuddy locations to match with your upcoming travels.
Rewarding Earning Structure
Frequent travelers and restaurant visitors will love the rewards on the Amex Green Card. You'll earn 3 points per dollar at restaurants and on anything that codes as travel. With the Amex Green Card, you'll earn bonus points on not just flights and hotels but also guided tours, train tickets, and subway passes:
- 3x Membership Rewards® on travel
- 3x Membership Rewards® at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 3x Membership Rewards® on transit including trains, buses, ferries, subway, and more
- 1x Membership Rewards® on other purchases
Plus, getting 20% cashback on travel and transit purchases during your first six months of cardmembership is huge. This cashback comes as a statement credit, with a maximum of $200 back. To max this out, you'll need to spend $1,000 on travel and transit within six months of opening your account.
No Preset Spending Limit
The Amex Green Card is not a traditional credit card. Instead, it has no preset spending limit. That means your spending capacity adapts based on your creditworthiness, payment history, and previous spending habits. This can be a powerful feature for those needing to make large purchases. You also may be targeted to enroll your card in Pay Over Time, which might come with bonus points.
Redeeming Membership Rewards Points
The best way to redeem Membership Rewards points is by transferring points to one of 20 Amex airline and hotel partners. Amex transfer partners are wide-ranging, running from U.S. airline staples like Delta SkyMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue to international programs that can provide incredible value.
Among the best values, consider the monthly Flying Blue Promo Rewards. These are heavily discounted award flights on Air France and KLM. Depending on the promotion, you can fly to Europe or beyond for only around 10,000 points each way.
Other Membership Rewards sweet spots include booking Delta One or ANA business class via Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, taking advantage of Aeroplan free stopovers, and using British Airways or Aeroplan for cheap award flights to Hawaii.
If you're looking to fly further — much further — you can fetch incredible value with an ANA Mileage Club or Cathay Pacific Asia Miles round-the-world booking. These programs have different rules, but you'll spend far fewer miles booking one ticket to fly around the world than you would spend booking each piece individually.
Application Restrictions
American Express has a once-per-lifetime restriction on its cards. Thus, you can't earn this welcome bonus if you've previously held a Amex Green Card:
“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.”
Additionally, American Express will consider other cards you've held, including how often you've opened and closed accounts or the number of welcome bonuses you've received. If you're not eligible for this welcome bonus, a pop-up message will alert you prior to submitting your application.
Lastly, Amex has restrictions on how many of its cards you can have at once. This generally limits you to five credit cards and 10 cards without preset spending limits (which applies to this card).
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Final Thoughts
The American Express® Green Card is a strong card for earning on travel purchases — whether you're traveling across the world on vacation or across town for your daily commute. You'll earn valuable Membership Rewards points, can enjoy a complimentary CLEAR membership after statement credits, and can use up to $100 in annual statement credits for lounge visits.
Plus, new applicants can earn 60,000 bonus points with this valuable welcome offer. The ability to earn up to $200 back on travel and transit in the first six months further sweetens this great deal.
American Express® Green Card
Apply Now
Rates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
American Express® Green Card
Annual Fee$150
Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® Points on transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US.
- $189 CLEAR Plus Credit: Receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express® Green Card.
- $100 LoungeBuddy: No airport lounge membership? No problem! Purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app using the American Express® Green Card and receive up to $100 in statement credits annually.
- Payment Flexibility: When it comes to paying your bill, you have options. You can always pay in full. You also have the flexibility to carry a balance with interest or use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee, up to your Pay Over Time Limit. You may be able to keep spending beyond your limit - you'll just need to pay for any new purchases in full when your bill is due.
- Trip Delay Insurance: If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses purchased on the same Eligible Card, up to $300 per trip, maximum 2 claims per eligible account per 12 consecutive month period. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees: No matter where you're traveling, when you use your American Express® Green Card there are no foreign transaction fees.
- $150 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 3x Membership Rewards® on travel
- 3x Membership Rewards® at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 3x Membership Rewards® on transit including trains, buses, ferries, subway, and more
- 1x Membership Rewards® on other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express® Green Card (Rates & Fees)
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