The American Express® Green Card is designed with the frequent traveler in mind, providing a wide range of benefits to maximize rewards across various travel categories.
The card stands out for its generous earning potential, offering 3 points per dollar on travel and transit, which includes airfare, hotels, rideshare services, trains, parking and more, as well as 3 points per dollar on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
Plus, the card offers unique travel protections like secondary car rental loss/damage, trip delay and baggage loss insurance, along with credits towards CLEAR® Plus membership and LoungeBuddy.
This article will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
- Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 within the first 6 months.
- 3X Points at U.S. Restaurants, Transit, and Travel
- Annual Statement Credits for CLEAR® Plus and LoungeBuddy
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $150 Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
The Amex Green currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 within the first 6 months.
Earning Points
The Amex Green earns points at the following rates:
- 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.;
- 3 points per dollar on travel, including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, vacation rentals, and travel purchases on third-party travel websites and amextravel.com;
- 3 points per dollar on transit, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways; and
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Annual Fee
The Amex Green has an annual fee of $150 , which can be offset by the extra points at restaurants, travel, and transit, fee credits, and travel and purchase protections.
Amex Green Card Benefits
The Amex Green offers two unique card benefits:
CLEAR® Plus Credit
You can get up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits after you enroll and pay for a CLEAR® Plus membership with the Amex Green.
This credit essentially covers the full cost of an annual CLEAR® membership, an expedited security program that can save you time at various airports, select stadiums, and other venues across the U.S.
This feature serves as a significant benefit for frequent travelers, providing them with convenience and speed while going through security procedures.
Annual $100 LoungeBuddy Credits
You can get up to $100 in statement credits annually when you enroll and purchase airport lounge access through LoungeBuddy.
LoungeBuddy is a platform that provides access to airport lounges worldwide on a pay-per-visit basis.
But this access frequently overlaps with the free Priority Pass access many cards offer.
Travel and Purchase Protections
The Amex Green offers the following travel and purchase protections:
Trip Delay Insurance*
This card offers trip delay insurance when you purchase your flight with this card.
This reimburses you for reasonable expenses things like hotels, food, transportation, and other necessary items.
Flights are increasingly delayed or canceled, and it is too risky to not use a card that offers free trip delay insurance.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance*
Secondary rental car insurance covers any damage to or theft of a rental car not covered by your primary insurance when you pay for the rental using this card.
Other credit cards offer primary rental car insurance, which pays before your insurance and saves you the hassle of filing multiple insurance claims.
You still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
Baggage Insurance Plan*
Baggage insurance covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
Purchase Protection*
Purchase protection could save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 90-days.
For example, if you accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if the item was purchased within the last 90 days.
Extended Warranty*
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 5 years.
For example, if you bought a TV with a manufacturer’s warranty of three years, this card would extend the warranty for free to the fourth year.
*(Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/
Other Card Benefits
The Amex Green also offers these other card benefits:
No Preset Spending Limit
American Express’s No Preset Spending Limit feature is a unique aspect of their credit cards that offers users flexible spending capacity.
Unlike traditional credit cards, there is no predetermined limit on the amount you can spend. Instead, the amount you can spend adjusts according to factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Access to Amex Offers
This card has access to Amex Offers, which are deals that are linked to your card, allowing you to save money or earn extra points on shopping, dining, and travel.
For example, there could be an offer such as spending $200+ at Marriott Hotels and Resorts and receiving $50 cash back as a statement credit.
You can find all of your Amex Offers by signing into your American Express account. You will need to “Add to Card” each offer to be eligible for the special offer.
Complimentary ShopRunner Membership
This card offers a complimentary membership to ShopRunner, giving you free two-day shipping and free returns at 100+ online retailers.
Eligible stores include Bloomingdales, Under Armour, American Eagle, Saks Off 5th, Cole Hann, Fanatics, Vera Bradley, Jockey, Kate Spade, NFL Shop, NBA Store, MLB Shop, and Coach.
Redeeming Membership Rewards Points
American Express Membership Rewards is a popular rewards program that offers a variety of redemption options, including travel, merchandise, gift cards, and more.
However, to get the most value out of your rewards, it’s important to use them strategically.
One of the best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards is through transfer partners.
The program partners with over 20 airline and hotel partners, including ANA, Air Canada Aeroplan, Iberia Avios, and Avianca LifeMiles.
By transferring your points to these partners, you can often get more value per point and enjoy a wider range of redemption options.
Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
|
|
|---|---|
Aer Lingus Avios
|
AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
|
Air Canada Aeroplan
|
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
|
ANA
|
Avianca LifeMiles
|
British Airways Avios
|
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
|
Delta SkyMiles
|
El Al [1,000 to 20]
|
Emirates
|
Etihad Guest
|
Hawaiian Airlines
|
Iberia Avios
|
JetBlue [250 to 200]
|
Qantas
|
Qatar Airways
|
Singapore KrisFlyer
|
Virgin Atlantic
|
Choice
|
Marriott Bonvoy
|
Hilton Honors [1 to 2]
|
Pros and Cons of the Amex Green
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- 3x points on travel, dining, and transit.
- Travel benefits like trip delay insurance, rental car insurance, and no foreign transaction fees.
Cons:
- LoungeBuddy credit may not be useful if you have Priority Pass.
- CLEAR credit may not be useful if you have The Platinum Card® from American Express (review).
Alternatives to the Amex Green
Now that you know about the pros and cons of this card and its benefits, it’s time to review the alternatives.
Or, if you are like me, who loves to maximize my rewards, here are other cards you should add to your wallet in addition to this card:
American Express® Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card (review) is one of my favorite cards because it earns:
- 4x Membership Rewards® points at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.,
- 4x Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x).
- 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
Plus, card members get nice credits when you enroll your Gold Card to offset the annual fee:
- $120 Uber Cash: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account, and each month automatically get up to $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- bonus_miles_full
- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription when activated by December 31, 2024, and a $50 anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
Is the Amex Green Worth It?
The American Express® Green Card is worth it if you can take advantage of the extra points on travel, dining, and transit, and the annual statement credits.
If not, you may want to consider the lower fee Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review).
- Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 within the first 6 months.
- 3X Points at U.S. Restaurants, Transit, and Travel
- Annual Statement Credits for CLEAR® Plus and LoungeBuddy
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $150 Annual Fee
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
