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Amex Classic Green Card: How To Maximize the $219 CLEAR+ Statement Credit

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Jarrod West
Edited by: Juan Ruiz
& Keri Stooksbury
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Even if you’re new to the world of points and miles, you’ve likely noticed that many credit cards offer a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit. Alternatively, there are only a few credit cards that offer a CLEAR+ statement credit, and the American Express® Classic Green Card* is one of them.

In this guide, we will break down what CLEAR+ is and why it’s useful, how it compares to TSA PreCheck, and how to maximize the CLEAR+ statement credit you receive from the Amex Classic Green card.

Update:

The American Express® Classic Green Card is not available for new applicants. However, there are no changes for existing card members — they still receive the CLEAR+ credit. Also, for those with the American Express® Gold Card or Platinum Card® from American Express, the Amex Classic Green card may be available as a downgrade option.

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

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Overview of the Amex Classic Green Card

American Express® Classic Green Card

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

All information about American Express® Classic Green Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points.
This card can provide a great way to accumulate Membership Rewards points on eligible travel, transit, and at restaurants.
No welcome offer is available.
None
Up to $0
$150
See Pay Over Time APR
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 card application.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
Why We Like This Card

Update: The American Express® Classic Green Card is no longer available for new applicants, but is available via product change. 
The Amex Classic Green card is an excellent all-around travel rewards card, earning 3x Membership Rewards points on eligible travel and transit purchases, as well as at restaurants, with access to American Express transfer partners and a reasonable annual fee.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 3x points at restaurants worldwide, on all eligible travel purchases, and on transit purchases
  • Up to $219 per calendar year in statement credits after you pay for a CLEAR+ membership with the card
  • Access to American Express transfer partners
Cons
  • $150 annual fee
  • No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
Card Highlights
  • 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.
  • $219 CLEAR+ Credit: Receive up to $219 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express® Classic Green Card.
  • 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 ® Classic 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

Key Benefits of the Amex Classic Green Card

Let’s review the Amex Classic Green card’s top benefits.

For starters, it’s a great card to earn Membership Rewards points with, as it offers 3 points per $1 spent on dining, transit, and travel purchases — all popular spending categories. Further, the transit and travel categories are quite broad and include normal travel purchases like airfare and hotels as well as public transit, rideshares, trains, tolls, and more. Plus, you have access to Amex’s airline and hotel transfer partners, such as Delta, Marriott, British Airways, and more.

Beyond that, the card offers solid travel and purchase protections and access to Amex Offers in addition to the annual CLEAR+ statement credit.

What Is CLEAR?

CLEAR lane sign
Image Credit: CLEAR

CLEAR+ is a program that provides an expedited security experience at a large number of U.S. airports and stadiums via biometrics to verify your identity.

At U.S. airports, this allows you to avoid waiting in line (both the regular security line and the TSA PreCheck line) to have your identity verified by a TSA agent. Instead, you’ll head to a CLEAR+ pod where you’ll scan your eyes or your fingers and then head right to the front of the security line to scan your boarding pass.

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How To Maximize Your CLEAR+ Statement Credit

Usually, an annual CLEAR+ membership will set you back $219, which is the exact amount of the annual statement credit on the Amex Classic Green card. However, there are some options for you to get your CLEAR+ membership at a discounted rate:

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Membership

Annual CLEAR+ Price

Delta SkyMiles Delta 360°™ members and United MileagePlus Global Services members

Free

United MileagePlus Premier 1K members

$129

Atmos Rewards Titanium members

$129

Delta Diamond Medallion members

$139

Delta SkyMiles Silver, Gold, and Platinum Medallion members

$179

United MileagePlus Premier Silver, Gold, and Platinum members

$179

Atmos Rewards Platinum, Gold, and Silver members

$179

Delta and United Credit Cardholders

$179

General Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus members

$209

General Atmos Rewards members

$209

You’re able to get anywhere from a $10 to $90 discount, or even a free CLEAR+ membership, depending on your elite status level in the Delta SkyMiles, Atmos Rewards, or United MileagePlus programs and/or what credit card you hold.

Why is this useful if the Amex Classic Green card statement credit covers the full amount of the membership anyway? That is because you can add a CLEAR+ membership for up to 3 family members for just $125 each.

Consider this: if you and your spouse or significant other often travel together, and you hold a Delta or United card in addition to your Amex Classic Green card, the cost for a CLEAR+ membership for the 2 of you would be $304 ($179 for the primary member thanks to your Delta or United card and $125 for the second person). But, thanks to the CLEAR+ statement credit of up to $219 from your Amex Classic Green card, you’ll only need to pay $85 out of pocket. A solid deal!

To take advantage of these discounts, you’ll need to visit the Delta SkyMiles, Atmos Rewards, or United MileagePlus CLEAR landing pages to purchase your membership.

How the Amex Classic Green Card CLEAR+ Statement Credit Works

If you’re planning to sign up for CLEAR+ via Delta or United to get a discount, you can do so without issue. All you need to do is use your Amex Classic Green card to pay for the membership during the checkout screen to receive the statement credit.

Note that American Express states that it can take 6 to 8 weeks after your membership is charged to your card to receive the credit, but in our experience, the statement credit often posts much faster than that (often within a few days of the charge posting).

Hot Tip:

Where Is CLEAR+ Available?

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CLEAR+ is now in over 100 airports and dozens of stadiums throughout the U.S. You can view every location in our complete guide to CLEAR.

CLEAR+ vs. TSA PreCheck

If you already have TSA PreCheck, you might be wondering how useful a CLEAR+ membership would be for you. Fortunately, the 2 services are very complementary and can greatly enhance your airport security experience.

As you may know, TSA PreCheck offers an expedited security screening so that you can keep your shoes on, keep your laptop and liquids in your bag, and often has a much shorter line than the standard security line.

The key thing here is, even if you have TSA PreCheck, you still have to wait in line to have your ID verified by an agent. Or worse, if for some reason the TSA PreCheck lane is not open, you still have to wait in the general security line … and this is where having CLEAR+ can be a huge benefit.

When you have CLEAR+, you simply head to a pod and your identity is verified in less than 60 seconds, allowing you to then be escorted right to the front of the TSA PreCheck or general security line.

To summarize, those with TSA PreCheck have shorter lines and a faster experience when going through security, but those with CLEAR+ get to go right to the front of whichever line they are in (TSA PreCheck or general security), and those with both CLEAR+ and TSA PreCheck are able to get through security much faster than people with just 1 or the other.

Final Thoughts

The Amex Classic Green card is an excellent travel card, and the annual CLEAR+ statement credit is just one of the reasons why it’s a great option for frequent flyers.

If you currently just have TSA PreCheck or do not have any priority airport security membership, then getting a CLEAR+ membership via your Amex Classic Green card is a great way to make your airport experience smoother.

Don’t forget to maximize this annual statement credit to the fullest by getting a discounted CLEAR+ membership via Delta or United so that you can add additional CLEAR+ members to your account for less money out of pocket.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CLEAR+?

CLEAR uses biometrics (such as the retina in your eye or your fingerprints) to offer an expedited security experience at select U.S. airports and sports stadiums. Using CLEAR+ allows you to head directly to the front of the line and pass all of the others waiting to have their identity verified by an agent.

Does the Amex Classic Green card offer CLEAR+?

Yes, the Amex Classic Green card offers up to a $219 annual credit, which covers the cost of an individual CLEAR+ membership.

Which credit cards offer a CLEAR+ credit?

Some of the cards that offer an annual CLEAR+ statement credit are the Amex Platinum card, the Amex Business Platinum card, the Amex Classic Green card, and the Hilton Aspire card.

Where can I use CLEAR?

CLEAR+ is currently in 50 airports and dozens of stadiums throughout the U.S. You can keep track of all of the CLEAR+ locations at our complete guide to CLEAR+.

Is CLEAR+ better than TSA PreCheck?

Neither is necessarily better than the other, and we recommend that you have both if you want to get through airport security as quickly as possible — and who doesn’t want that? TSA PreCheck gives you an expedited security experience by allowing you to keep your laptop and liquids in your bag, keep your shoes on, etc. While CLEAR+ expedites your ID check, allowing you to jump to the front of the security line, regardless of if you’re in the TSA PreCheck line or the general security line.

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About Jarrod West

Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 8 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year, and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.

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