American Express® Green Card review: A fair option for infrequent flyers
A solid first rewards card for occasional travelers.
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Snapshot
4.4
Bottom line
The Amex Green is a good choice if you travel occasionally, but not enough to warrant paying a high annual fee for a luxury travel card. However, another travel card will likely be a better fit if you’re after premium perks like unlimited airport lounge access.
Best for Everyday Travel + Transit
Intro offer
Earn 40,000 points
Rewards rate
1X - 3X
Annual fee
$150
APR
20.24% - 28.24% (Variable)
4.4
Cardholder rating
Extra perks
Meets needs
Customer service
Information safe
4.4
Bankrate score
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All information about the American Express® Green Card and Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Bankrate.com and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
American Express® Green Card Overview
The American Express® Green Card offers a terrific rewards structure if you want to earn elevated points on dining, transit and travel. Its annual credits can offset the card’s $150 annual fee if you travel enough to take advantage of them. But the best part is that the Amex Green Card lets you rack up valuable points in the American Express Membership Rewards program, known for its flexibility and valuable transfer partners. However, you might benefit from more luxurious perks and higher reward rates with another travel card if you’re a frequent flyer.
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Rewards
- 3X Membership Rewards points in expanded travel categories (including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, vacation rentals, travel purchases on third-party travel websites and travel purchases on amextravel.com)
- 3X points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 3X on transit (includes trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses and subways)
- 1X points on all other purchases (terms and limitations apply)
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Welcome offer
- 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 in your first six months
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Rates and fees
- Annual fee: $150
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Regular APR for Pay Over Time: 20.74% - 28.74% variable APR
- Pay Over Time Penalty APR: 29.99 percent
- Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5 percent of the amount of each cash advance (whichever is greater)
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
- Returned payment fee: Up to $40
Expert Appraisal: Typical
See our expert analysis -
Other cardholder perks
- Annual statement credit for CLEAR membership
- Free ShopRunner membership with enrollment.
- Travel and purchase protections
Expert Appraisal: Typical
See our expert analysis
Amex Green pros and cons
Pros
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This card offers a great rewards rate for travel that includes more than just flights and hotels, such as campgrounds and vacation rentals.
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The credit for CLEAR Plus membership is an attractive perk that can help offset the annual fee.
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The welcome bonus has great value and is attainable for many cardholders.
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If you travel abroad frequently, you won't need to worry about foreign transaction fees when using this card.
Cons
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The annual fee isn’t waived in the first year, so you'll need to make sure you can offset the fee through rewards or perks.
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Unless you use the Pay Over Time or Pay It Plan It features, this card requires you to pay off your balance in full each month.
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The Pay Over Time ongoing APR is high and the card lacks intro APR offers to help you save on interest.
Why you might want the Amex Green
The Amex Green stands out thanks to its redemption flexibility and potentially high rewards value, which could make the welcome offer quite lucrative. The card also has plenty of value to offer if you don’t fly often but prefer more unique travel options like camping or cruises.
Rewards: Earn on expanded travel categories
You can earn unlimited 3X Membership Rewards points in expanded travel categories. But even if you don't travel often, you can earn bonus rates in non-travel categories, including 3X points at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery limited to U.S. restaurants), 3X points on transit and 1X points on all other purchases.
The travel category for the Amex Green is especially notable compared to other mid-tier travel cards since many eligible purchases go beyond basic airfare and hotels. You can earn on travel purchases made on third-party websites and through the American Express Travel portal. Eligible purchases include options like car rentals, cruises, tours, campgrounds and vacation rentals. Whether you prefer to take a road trip, catch a flight or set sail, the Amex Green’s broad travel category has you covered.
The transit category is also surprisingly robust and isn’t often found on competing travel rewards cards, making it a great choice for earning rewards on daily commutes and rideshares. This adds flexibility to the card that can elude even some premium cards, making it easier to earn rewards and offset the annual fee.
Redemption: Flexible options and potentially high redemption value
You can redeem American Express Membership Rewards points for cash back, merchandise, gift cards and eligible travel through the Amex Travel portal, as well as at checkout with select merchants. You can also transfer points to airline and hotel Amex transfer partners like Hilton Honors, Delta SkyMiles, Air France / Flying Blue and more.
Thanks to this variety of options and travel partners, American Express Membership Rewards points are some of the most valuable you can earn, holding a 2.0 cents redemption value on average, according to Bankrate's valuations. You’ll typically want to redeem points on options that give you a point value of at least 1 cent apiece. Booking flights with American Express Travel, selecting gift cards or transferring to certain partnering hotels and airlines might be your best choices.
Welcome offer: Solid short-term value
New cardholders can earn 40,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months. The value of 40,000 Membership Rewards points will vary based on how you redeem them, but if you take advantage of Amex’s travel partners, you could squeeze about 2.0 cents out of each point, according to Bankrate's latest valuations, making this offer worth around $800.
This is a great value, especially when you compare it to other premium travel card offers. For example, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. Although the values of the welcome offers are close, with the Venture X’s being worth around $750 when redeemed for travel, the Venture X’s annual fee is much higher at $395 (See Rates & Fees).
Why you might want a different travel card
While you might enjoy reward flexibility with this card, if you prefer more premium perks to justify the annual fee, consider looking elsewhere.
Rates and fees: High fees if you carry a balance
The Amex Green Card comes with a $150 annual fee, which is reasonable for a mid-tier travel card. However, you'll need to either take advantage of this card's two annual statement credits — which are most beneficial for frequent travelers — or earn enough rewards every year to help offset the cost. If you’re looking for premium perks like an annual companion pass, a dedicated airline card might better suit you.
The card’s other fees are also on the higher end. You'll pay a fee of 5 percent (minimum $10) on cash advances, plus a 29.99 percent variable cash advance APR if you use your card to withdraw cash, a late payment fee up to $40 and a returned payment fee up to $40. Using the Pay Over Time payment option carries a high variable APR as well. So if you carry a balance, these fees may cut into your rewards. However, Amex does offer a Pay It Plan It feature that could also help manage your card debt.
Perks: Few luxury benefits
The Amex Green Card offers some key travel benefits and protection plans, such as trip delay insurance, lost baggage insurance and secondary auto rental coverage. This card also offers one statement credit opportunity that can help offset the cost of the card’s annual fee. You can receive up to $199 in credit toward a CLEAR Plus membership each year, which can help you get through security lines faster at participating airports and other venues.
But occasional flyers may not find these credits worthwhile. If you don't fly a lot, consider a travel rewards card with a lower annual fee that has more practical perks.
We tried it: Here’s what our experts say
The American Express Green Card can be a strategic option that complements your lifestyle and travel capabilities. Here's how Stephanie Zito, Bankrate’s Travel Rewards Expert Contributor, puts it:
“The traditional American Express Green Card may not be the most exciting card in the Amex portfolio, but it definitely has its place. During the pandemic, I downgraded my American Express Platinum because I wasn’t using the travel benefits, and keeping the Green Card open gave me a good place to park my Membership Rewards points — while paying a much lower annual fee and still taking advantage of a good 3X earning rate at restaurants, travel and transit.”
— Stephanie Zito, Bankrate contributor
Check out why expert contributor Holly D. Johnson also loves the Amex Green Card.
First-year value vs. ongoing value
Your first year with the Amex Green Card is where you’ll find the most value due to its fantastic welcome offer. There’s also the annual CLEAR Plus credit that will more than offset the card’s $150 annual fee.
If you don’t travel enough to use the credits, the card’s ongoing rewards can also make up for the annual fee, depending on your spending. Based on our card scoring formula, we've calculated that the average spender will earn about $247 in yearly rewards value, with most of that spending in the card’s 3X-point categories. Either way, the Amex Green doesn’t make it tedious to justify its annual fee, even without the focus on airline travel and hotels.
To make your research easier, we’ve calculated the Amex Green Card’s first-year and ongoing value based on our card scoring formula, a $22,500 annual spend and the baseline 1-cent value through Amex.
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Benefits and Costs |
First-year value |
Ongoing value (no welcome offers) |
|---|---|---|
|
Yearly rewards |
+$247 |
+$247 |
|
Welcome offers |
+$400 value (40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership) |
— |
|
Perks (of monetary value) |
|
|
|
Annual fee |
-$150 |
-$150 |
|
Total value |
$696 |
$296 |
How the American Express Green Card compares to other travel rewards cards
While the Amex Green Card is a solid mid-tier card, it may not be the best fit depending on your spending or travel habits. Take a look at these alternatives as you make your decision.
American Express® Green Card
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
Rewards rate
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.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.
Rewards rate
5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate
5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠. 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries. 2x on all other travel purchases. 1x on all other purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Best cards to pair with the Amex Green Card
The Amex Green Card pairs well with a no-annual-fee cash back card that earns in bonus categories the Green Card doesn’t cover. If you have a business, an Amex business card could supplement your travel spending. Depending on your needs, here are a few options that can make a solid pairing.
Who is the Amex Green right for?
This card could benefit occasional travelers, especially those who prefer non-flight vacation options like taking a cruise. Commuters can also take advantage of this card's elevated rewards rate.
Bankrate’s Take — Is the Amex Green worth it?
Although the Amex Green Card has a $150 annual fee, the welcome offer can more than make up for it the first year, and the annual statement credit can help offset it long-term. Paired with the ability to transfer your earned points to travel partners, you have a solid mid-level travel rewards card that can reward your everyday travel. However, make sure you’ll use the cardholder benefits available to you. If the benefits aren’t a great fit, consider another travel card with different benefits or no annual fee.
Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
How we rated this card
We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.
Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest).
We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors that influenced this card’s overall score and how the score influenced our review:
Frequently asked questions
What cardholders think
American Express® Green Card
In May 2024, Bankrate collaborated with third-party SliceMR to survey 6160 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are based on individual cardholder’s product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Users received an incentive for their feedback. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own reviews of these cards.
Community Reviews
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.