The American Express Green card recently underwent a much-needed makeover to add several new card benefits and the ability to earn 3x points on all travel and restaurant purchases.
Green Card Information
Application Link: American Express Green Card.
Current Sign Up Bonus: 30,000 Membership Rewards Points.
Recommended Bonus: At least 45,000 Membership Rewards Points.
Annual Fee: $150
Earning Rewards:
- 3x points on restaurants, transit including rideshares, and travel.
- 1x points everywhere else.
Green Card Benefits
$100 CLEAR Credit– You can get a $100 credit each calendar year to CLEAR, which is expedited security at select airports and stadiums.
$100 LoungeBuddy Credit– Each calendar year, you can get a $100 LoungeBuddy credit for airport lounges. Some airports also have hotels that participate in the program.
Trip Delay Insurance– If your flight is delayed by more than 12 hours, this coverage will cover up to $300 per trip, up to twice every 12 month rolling period.
No Foreign Transaction Fees– You can use your Green card anywhere in the world without foreign transaction fees, which are typically 3%.
Luggage Protection– This coverage covers up to $1,250 for carry-on bags and $500 for checked bags if the bag is lost, damaged, or stolen. You need to purchase the entire ticket on the Green card for coverage.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance– This coverage pays for any damage to a rental car not covered by your own insurance. (Whereas, cards with primary rental car insurance covers any damage before your insurance.)
Purchase Protection- This 90-day coverage covers any damage to an item purchased on the card. For example, if your new laptop was damaged in the first 90-days, American Express would pay to either fix or replace the item.
Extended Warranty– You can get an extra year of warranty added to the original manufacturer’s warranty with this coverage.
Advantages of the Green Card
3x on Travel- American Express defines travel broadly for the Green card to include airfare, hotels, cruises, car rentals, campgrounds, trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, tours, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, subways, and third-party travel websites.
Most other American Express cards (including Platinum and Gold) only offer extra points on airfare booked directly with the airline or hotels booked on AmexTravel.com.
Disadvantages of the Green Card
$100 LoungeBuddy Credit-. There is a large amount of overlap between Priority Pass and Lounge Buddy, which makes this benefit less valuable for those people who have Priority Pass with a different card.
Redeeming Membership Rewards Points
You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to any of the airline or hotel points programs below.
Our favorites are ANA Mileage Club, Iberia Avios, and Avianca LifeMiles.
| Points Program | Transfer Time |
|---|---|
Aer Lingus
|
Instant |
AeroMexico
|
24 to 48 Hours |
Air Canada Aeroplan
|
Instant |
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
|
Instant |
Alitalia
|
Instant |
ANA
|
48 to 72 Hours |
Avianca LifeMiles
|
Instant |
British Airways
|
Instant |
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
|
Instant |
Delta SkyMiles
|
Instant |
El Al
|
Instant |
Emirates
|
Instant |
Etihad
|
Instant |
Hawaiian Airlines
|
Instant |
Iberia
|
24 to 48 Hours |
JetBlue
|
Instant |
Qantas
|
Instant |
Singapore KrisFlyer
|
12 to 48 Hours |
Virgin Atlantic
|
Instant |
| Hotel Programs | |
Choice
|
Instant |
Hilton Honors
|
Instant |
Marriott Bonvoy
|
Instant |
The Verdict
The American Express Green card is a pretty good card for those people who can utilize the 3x on travel and restaurants.
The card benefits are decent if you can take advantage of the CLEAR and LoungeBuddy credit.
Frequently Asked Questions
The American Express Green is a charge card with no preset spending limit, but the balances must be paid in full each month.
The annual fee is $150 per year.
No. The American Express Green card is not metal, but the Amex Gold and Platinum are metal.
700+ score is required to be approved for the American Express Green card, but the success of your application depends on many other factors as well.