Amex Green Card: How To Use the $100 LoungeBuddy Credit

The American Express^® Green Card is a strong travel rewards card that anyone should consider thanks to its combination of bonus categories, perks, and great welcome offer. One perk that makes the card a compelling option is its annual LoungeBuddy credit of up to $100.

In this guide, we will take a look at everything you need to know about the Amex Green card’s LoungeBuddy credit, how it works, and how to decide if it is a good fit for your travel needs.

Overview of the Amex Green Card

American Express^® Green Card

U.P. Rating

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.

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American Express^® Green Card

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

Welcome OfferEarn 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

Good to Excellent (670-850)

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

3x points per $1 spent at restaurants worldwide, on all eligible travel purchases, and transit purchases
Up to $189 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.
Access to American Express transfer partners
No foreign transaction fees

Cons

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

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.
$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.

Financial Snapshot

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

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American Express Membership Rewards

Key Benefits of the Amex Green Card

Beyond the annual LoungeBuddy credit of up to $100, the Amex Green card has many other great benefits, such as:

3x points at restaurants worldwide, on all eligible travel purchases, and transit purchases
Up to $189 statement credit per year toward a CLEAR Plus membership
Access to American Express transfer partners
No foreign transaction fees
Annual fee of $150

Hot Tip:

To learn more about everything the card has to offer, read about the benefits of the Amex Green card.

What Is LoungeBuddy?

For those unfamiliar, LoungeBuddy is a website that allows you to see what lounges are available at the airport you are flying out of, and in some circumstances, allows you to purchase a day pass to eligible lounges.

You access LoungeBuddy via its LoungeBuddy.com website or LoungeBuddy iOS mobile app.

LoungeBuddy Statement Credit Details

When it comes to the annual LoungeBuddy credit of up to $100 on your Amex Green card, here are the important terms to be aware of:

The statement credit of up to $100 is based on a calendar year, and it does not roll over into the next year if you fail to use the full credit.
You must pay for the LoungeBuddy lounge access with your Amex Green card in order to receive the credit.
Your statement credit should appear 2 to 4 weeks after the lounge visit fee is posted to your credit card.
You are not required to use the credit of up to $100 all at once, allowing you to break it into multiple transactions.
You can purchase lounge access for anyone you’d like, and you do not have to be traveling with them.

How To Use the LoungeBuddy Credit

Using LoungeBuddy to purchase airport lounge access is very simple. All you need to do is follow these steps.

Step 1: Navigate to the LoungeBuddy website or mobile app.

Step 2: Type the airport you are flying out of into the search bar.

Step 3: LoungeBuddy will then pull up a list of every lounge available at that airport, sorted by terminal.

LoungeBuddy JFK Lounges — Image Credit: LoungeBuddy

Step 4: To quickly filter which lounges offer paid access, click the Book Online quick filter.

Step 5: This will leave you with the full list of lounges you can purchase access to, along with the price that the lounge charges for access.

LoungeBuddy JFK Lounges Available — Image Credit: LoungeBuddy

Step 6: Click the lounge that you’d like to purchase access to, then on the following lounge landing page enter your travel details, including the day and time you are traveling and how many people are in your party.

LoungeBuddy Lounge Purchase — Image Credit: LoungeBuddy

Step 7: Select the package that you want to purchase (usually there should be just 1 option here).

LoungeBuddy Packages — Image Credit: LoungeBuddy

Step 8: Next, at the confirmation screen, confirm that all of the details are correct. Be sure to pay attention to the cancellation policy and how long you are allowed to stay in the lounge. In this instance, I would be able to visit the lounge for a maximum of 3 hours and cancel up to 24 hours and receive a full refund, but your booking may differ. If everything appears correct, click Continue to Pay.

LoungeBuddy Confirmation Screen — Image Credit: LoungeBuddy

Step 9: Enter your payment details. Be certain to use your Amex Green card as your payment method to ensure that you receive your statement credit. Click Complete Booking.

LoungeBuddy Payment Screen — Image Credit: LoungeBuddy

Step 10: You are all set! You should receive an email confirmation of your booking and can access your booking through the LoungeBuddy website and/or mobile app.

LoungeBuddy vs. Priority Pass

Even if you’re new to the world of points and miles, there is a decent chance that you have heard of Priority Pass as it is one of the largest lounge networks worldwide and there are many credit cards that offer complimentary access to the Priority Pass lounge network.

Just to make the distinction clear, while many of the lounges that can be purchased through LoungeBuddy also participate in the Priority Pass program, LoungeBuddy and Priority Pass are not the same thing.

When you have a Priority Pass membership, like one offered via a credit card, your lounge visits are typically complimentary for you and up to 2 traveling companions, with LoungeBuddy you must pay between $45 to $75 per traveler to access lounges within its network.

Other Credit Card Options for Lounge Access

If we had to pick our top credit card for airport lounge access, it would be The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Learn More(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.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome OfferEarn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros

The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment (airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit)
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
Access to Amex International Airline Program
No foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

Cons

$695 annual fee (rates and fees)
Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card^®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
$200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card^®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
$300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
$189 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card^®. Learn more.
$100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card^®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
$695 annual fee.
Terms Apply.

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

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American Express Membership Rewards

Put simply, it offers access to far more airport lounges than any other travel rewards card on the market with its Amex Global Lounge Collection. This includes Priority Pass lounges upon enrollment, Amex Centurion Lounges (domestic and international), Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner, Plaza Premium Lounges, select Virgin Clubhouses, select Lufthansa Lounges when flying with Lufthansa Group the same day, and Delta Sky Clubs when flying with Delta the same day.

Beyond lounge access, the Amex Platinum card offers many other great benefits like multiple annual credits for Uber, CLEAR Plus membership, airline incidentals, and more. Plus a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit, elite status with Hilton and Marriott, along with great travel insurance benefits and purchase protections.

In addition to the Amex Platinum card, some of our other favorite cards for airport lounge access include:

Final Thoughts

The Amex Green card is a well-rounded card option for points and miles travelers. Though it doesn’t offer a full airport lounge membership like other premium cards, those premium cards usually charge annual fees between $395 to $695, while the Amex Green card charges just $150.

Given that, if you know you’ll visit an airport lounge at least a couple of times each year, the Amex Green card can nearly pay for itself thanks to its annual LoungeBuddy credit of up to $100, along with its other perks and benefits.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the American Express^® Green Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Amex Green card offer airport lounge access?

Yes, the Amex Green card offers cardholders an annual LoungeBuddy statement credit of up to $100 that they can use to purchase access to eligible lounges within the LoungeBuddy network.

What is LoungeBuddy?

LoungeBuddy is a website that allows you to view what lounges are available at the airport you are flying out of, along with purchasing day passes to eligible airport lounges within its network.

How many LoungeBuddy lounges are there?

There are approximately 300 airport lounges that you can purchase access to within the LoungeBuddy network worldwide.

Can you use your LoungeBuddy credit on the Amex Green card for someone else?

Yes, you can use your annual LoungeBuddy statement credit of up to $100 to purchase lounge access for anyone that you’d like, and you do not need to be traveling with them.

Does the LoungeBuddy credit on the Amex Green card roll over year to year?

No, the LoungeBuddy credit on the Amex Green card does not roll over. Any funds that you have not used by the end of the calendar year will expire, and you’ll receive a new credit of up to $100 on January 1st.

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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 6 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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