5 Best Reasons To Get the American Express Green Card in 2023

The American Express^® Green Card is an excellent rewards card in the American Express Membership Rewards Program family. It offers well-rounded bonus categories, flexible rewards, travel benefits, and much more for a relatively reasonable $150 annual fee.

Although the Green from Amex might often be overlooked compared to the American Express^® Gold Card and The Platinum Card^® from American Express, here are the best reasons to get the Green from Amex.

1. Sizeable Welcome Offer

One of the best perks of any new card is its welcome offer, which offers a great opportunity to earn a large chunk of points or miles much faster than you would have otherwise. This can get you closer to your next award trip much faster!

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.

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 $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

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.
• $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

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Sign Up Bonuses

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

More Reads

• Benefits of the Amex Green Card
• Travel Insurance Benefits of the Amex Green
• Amex Green CLEAR Plus Credit
• The Amex Green $100 LoungeBuddy Credit
• Is the Amex Green a Good Card for Frequent Travelers?
• Amex Gold vs Amex Green
• Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Amex Green
• Amex Transfer Partners
• Best American Express Credit Cards
• Best Credit Cards for CLEAR

Since we value Amex Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents per point, the current welcome offer for the American Express^® Green Card is worth ~$880.

2. Well-Rounded Bonus Categories

With the Green from Amex, you’ll earn 3x points on restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S., 3x points on transit, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways, and 3x points on travel, including airfare, hotels, cruises, car rentals, and travel purchases on third-party travel websites.

This means the card is great at earning points on travel expenses and daily purchases that fall within the eligible restaurant and transit categories.

3. Flexible Redemption Options

We value Amex Membership Rewards points so highly because of the number of redemption options you have when you are ready to redeem points.

You could redeem points towards eligible travel purchases on AmexTravel.com or for gift cards, shopping with merchant partners, or, our favorite, transferring them to the Amex transfer partners.

When you strategically use the AmexTravel.com transfer partners, you can book fantastic travel experiences to destinations worldwide for a fraction of what the retail price would cost.

4. $100 LoungeBuddy Credit

Usually, a credit card with airport lounge access can have an annual fee of anywhere from $450 to $695, depending on the card.

With the Green from Amex, you’ll pay an annual fee of $150 and when you use the Card to purchase lounge access through LoungeBuddy you can receive up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year.

With your LoungeBuddy credit, you can pay for airport lounge access at over 300 airport lounges worldwide. Day passes for these lounges run anywhere from $30 to $50, depending on the quality of the lounge. The credit allows you to visit lounges 2 to 3 times per year thanks to your Green from Amex.

5. Priority Airport Security Screening

You’ve likely heard of TSA PreCheck, and credit cards frequently offer a credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck. The Green from Amex stands apart from the crowd by offering an annual CLEAR Plus statement credit of up to $189, which covers the full membership cost. Terms Apply.

If you’re unfamiliar, CLEAR provides an expedited security experience at select U.S. airports and stadiums using your biometrics. These biometrics replace the airport security identity screening portion, allowing you to head right to the front of the security line, saving you time and headaches.

Who Should Consider the American Express Green Card?

The Green from Amex is a great option for people who love to travel and want a card that earns travel rewards but are not interested in a premium rewards card with a high annual fee.

Similarly, the Green from Amex may be a good choice if you love having priority security screening thanks to CLEAR Plus, you purchase airport lounge access through LoungeBuddy, and your spending habits fall within the card bonus categories of dining, travel, and transit.

Final Thoughts

The Green from Amex is a fantastic card option, and we view it as one of the best Amex credit cards.

Not only is the Green from Amex a great all-around option that you could use as the primary card in your wallet, but it also pairs nicely with other credit card combinations.

Once you’ve built up a nice stash of points, you can set your sights on deciding where your next adventure will be!

American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. is acting solely as a sales agent for travel suppliers and is not responsible for the actions or inactions of such suppliers. Certain suppliers pay us commission and other incentives for reaching sales targets or other goals and may provide incentives to our Travel Consultants. For more information visit www.americanexpress.com/travelterms.

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