Amex Green Card vs. Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card [Detailed Comparison]

American Express is known for offering great credit cards, and the American Express^® Green Card* and Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express are no exception.

Both cards include a great combination of bonus categories, benefits, statement credits, and more that offer plenty of benefits to cardmembers. Given that, you might struggle to decide which card is better for you. If so, read on because this detailed comparison of the two cards will help you answer just that.

*The information regarding the American Express^® Green Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Overview

For starters, here is a head-to-head look at the highlights of each card.

Comparing Welcome Offers

Amex Green Card

American Express^® Green Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card can provide a great way to accumulate Membership Rewards points on eligible travel, transit, and at restaurants.

All information about American Express^® Green Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points.

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

American Express^® Green Card

This card can provide a great way to accumulate Membership Rewards points on eligible travel, transit, and at restaurants.

Welcome Offer

Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express^® Green Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

40,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$880

Annual Fee

$150

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Green Card is an excellent all-around travel rewards card thanks to earning 3x Membership Rewards^® points on eligible travel and transit purchases and at restaurants, access to American Express transfer partners, and a reasonable annual fee.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 spent at restaurants worldwide, on all eligible travel purchases, and transit purchases
• Up to $199 per calendar year in statement credits after you pay for a CLEAR^® Plus membership with the Card.
• Up to $100 in statement credits annually when you purchase airport lounge access through LoungeBuddy with the Card.

Cons

• $150 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express^® Green Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• 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.
• $199 CLEAR Plus Credit: Receive up to $199 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.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

We value Amex Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents each due to their flexibility and the increased value you can receive when transferring your points to Amex’s transfer partners. Given that, the welcome bonus for the Amex Green card can be quite lucrative.

Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This cash-back card offers a capped 3% at U.S. supermarkets, 3% at U.S. gas stations, and 3% on U.S. online retail purchases!

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express

This cash-back card offers a capped 3% at U.S. supermarkets, 3% at U.S. gas stations, and 3% on U.S. online retail purchases!

Welcome Offer

Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.

$200

Annual Fee

$0

APR

18.24%-29.24% Variable,0% on purchases for 15 months

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cash-back credit cards, there are dozens of options to choose from. So what sets the Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express apart from the rest?

This card is excellent at earning cash-back on your everyday purchases at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and on U.S. online retail purchases. So if you regularly spend money on everyday purchases, this could be the perfect card to add to your wallet.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3% back on purchases at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1% back after.
• 3% back on purchases at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1% back after.
• 3% back on purchases on online retail purchases on up to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1% back after.

Cons

• Rewards are not flexible and can only be redeemed for cash-back. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

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Card Highlights

• Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
• No Annual Fee.
• Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 18.24% to 29.24% variable APR.
• 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
• 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
• 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
• Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
• Thinking about getting the Disney Bundle which can include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your Blue Cash Everyday^® Card. Enrollment required.
• Enjoy up to $15 back per month when you purchase a Home Chef meal kit subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your enrolled Blue Cash Everyday^® Card.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 18.24%-29.24% Variable,0% on purchases for 15 months
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card offers a cash-back welcome bonus that usually ranges between $200 to $250 — which is quite good given that the minimum spend requirement is usually much lower than other cards.

Earning Potential Analysis

When it comes to how you will earn rewards for your purchases, here is how each card stacks up.

As you can see, the bonus categories offered on each card are quite different. The Amex Green card is the better option for travel, dining, and transit purchases while the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card is superior for supermarket, gas, and online retail purchases.

The bonus category for online retail purchases on the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card is an interesting offer since it includes retailers like Amazon, Walmart, computer and electronic stores, department stores, drugstores, furniture stores, and more — so if you have considerable spend on these purchases then this could be a great option for you.

Further, the $6,000 threshold for 3% cash-back earnings at supermarkets, gas stations, and on online retail purchases on the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card is separate for each category and not combined. On the other hand, the Amex Green card has no such caps for its bonus categories.

Redemption Options

Amex Green Card

One of the best benefits of the Amex Green card is that it earns flexible rewards, giving you multiple redemption options. These options include using Amex’s transfer partners, the AmexTravel.com portal, cash-back via statement credits, gift cards, and shopping with select merchants such as Apple and Amazon.

While you have a number of redemption possibilities, our favorite way to use Amex Membership Rewards points is to transfer them to Amex’s airline and hotel partners. Amex’s transfer partners, such as Delta Air Lines and Air Canada Aeroplan, allow you to book luxury travel experiences for far less than the standard cash price.

For example, you can transfer 60,000 points to Air Canada’s Aeroplan to book a business-class flight from the U.S. to Europe on a Star Alliance carrier such as United, Lufthansa, Swiss, and others. That ticket normally would cost $2,000+ if you paid with cash.

Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card

There isn’t much to think about when it comes to redeeming rewards with your Amex Blue Cash Everyday card, as the only option is cash-back. All of your cash-back rewards can be used to offset purchases you make with the card without any redemption minimums.

Statement Credit Comparison

Another great perk of both cards is that they offer statement credits to give cardholders even more value.

Amex Green Card — CLEAR Plus and LoungeBuddy

Since the Amex Green card charges an annual fee of $150, it’s great that it offers 2 statement credits to help offset that fee.

The first is an annual CLEAR Plus credit of up to $199, and if you aren’t familiar with CLEAR, it offers a faster security experience at select airports and stadiums around the U.S. using biometrics.

Cardholders also receive an annual LoungeBuddy credit of up to $100 toward any of the 300+ LoungeBuddy airport lounges worldwide. Depending on which locations you choose, this credit should cover 2 to 3 lounge visits each year.

Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card — Disney Bundle and Home Chef

The first credit the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card offers is a monthly credit of $7 towards The Disney Bundle, which is likely to be plenty useful given how popular streaming services are. The bundle includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, starting at $9.99 a month. By paying with your Amex Blue Cash Everyday card, you could effectively be paying $2.99 a month for a savings of $84 a year. Enrollment is required, and the offer is valid only at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.

Additionally, Amex Blue Cash Everyday cardmembers receive a monthly credit of up to $15 towards Home Chef subscriptions. Home Chef is a meal delivery service that ships ingredients and recipes that you get to select each week.

What’s most surprising here is that the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card is a no-annual-fee card, yet offers up to $264 worth of yearly statement credits!

Comparing Travel Protection and Benefits

When it comes to travel protections, the Amex Green card wins the day here, as the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card offers hardly any travel protections and even charges a foreign transaction fee.

Shopping Benefits and Protection Comparison

Here is how each product keeps you covered when purchasing items with your card.

Both cards offer these benefits:

• Amex Offers — Discounts and opportunities to earn more points or statement credits with 100 merchants each month
• Purchase Protection — Coverage 90 days from the date of purchase towards stolen or damaged items for up to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per year
• American Express Experiences — Exclusive access to ticket presales

Additionally, the Amex Green card offers this benefit:

• Extended Warranty Coverage — Adds 1 year of additional warranty to extended warranties of 5 years or less

The biggest difference here is the extended warranty coverage the Amex Green card offers.

Annual Fees and Adding Authorized Users

Annual Fees

The Amex Green card has a $150 annual fee while the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card does not have an annual fee.

Authorized Users

With the Amex Green card, authorized user cards are free for the first 5 cards and $35 per card thereafter. There is no charge to add authorized users to the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card.

Final Thoughts

All things considered, you really cannot go wrong with either the Amex Green card or the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card. Ultimately, the question you will want to ask yourself is whether you prefer a card that is travel-focused and earns flexible rewards, or if you prefer a no-annual-fee cash-back card that rewards you for everyday purchases.

For the secondary rental car coverage benefit of the American Express^® Green Card, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For the secondary rental car coverage benefit of the Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For the purchase protection benefit of the Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.