Key facts
All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Your Best Credit Cards.
The American Express® Green Card is generally overshadowed by the Gold and Platinum cards, but with 3X on travel and transit, could it be the perfect complement to either one?
Reward multipliers
- 3X Membership Rewards points on Travel (includes airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, travel purchases on third party travel websites, and travel purchases on amextravel.com)
- 3X Membership Rewards points on Transit (includes trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways)
- 3X Membership Rewards points on Restaurants worldwide (with no foreign transaction fees)
- 1X on other purchases
What Counts as Travel?
Amex counts airfare, hotel, cruises, and car rentals as travel. Gas is not included in this bonus category.
What counts as Transit?
- Trains
- Taxi cabs
- Ride share services
- Ferries
- Tolls
- Parking
- Buses
- Subways
Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit
CLEAR is a service that whisks you to the front of the airport security lines at select airports/terminals.
Receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits, when you pay for a CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express® Green Card. Terms apply.
$100 LoungeBuddy Credit
Use this card to buy access to any of the lounges in the LoungeBuddy network (on a one-off basis). You’ll receive up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year on your LoungeBuddy purchases. Allow for some time after your visit before you see the statement credit.
Note: The Green Card does not come with Priority Pass membership.
ShopRunner
Get free 2-day shipping on eligible items at 100+ online stores with your free ShopRunner membership. Enrollment required. Terms apply.
Part of the Corporate Advantage Program
If you have a Corporate American Express card and have that linked to your Green Card, American Express will credit back $75 of your annual fee within 2-3 statement cycles of your annual fee posting, as long as you have signed up for the program. Call the number on the back of your Green Card to enroll.
Earns Transferable Points
The best use of American Express Membership Rewards points is to transfer them into an airline partner. There are over a dozen Amex transfer partners.
The option to transfer into hotel points exist, but they’re typically at a disadvantageous rate.
Here’s a complete list of Membership Rewards Airlines and Hotel transfer partners:
| American Express Membership Rewards Transfer Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Transfer Ratio | Approximate Transfer Time * | |
| Aeromexico | 1:1.6 (1,000 Amex = 1,600 Aeromexico) | ~4-7 days |
| Aer Lingus | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France Flying Blue | 1:1 | Instant |
| ANA | 1 : 1 (transfers only from Amex and Marriott) | ~2-3 days |
| Avianca | 1:1 | Instant |
| British Airways Avios | 1:1 | Instant |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 | ~1-2 days |
| Delta | 1:1 (subject to excise tax) | Instant |
| Emirates | 1:1 | Instant |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | Instant |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 1:1 (transfers only from Amex and Marriott; subject to excise tax) | Instant |
| Iberia Avios | 1:1 | ~1-2 days |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 250 : 200 (subject to excise tax) | Instant |
| Qantas | 1:1 | Instant |
| Qatar Airways Avios | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | ~ 1-2 days |
| Virgin Atlantic | 1:1 | Instant |
| Choice Hotels | 1:1 | Instant |
| Hilton | 1:2 (frequent transfer bonuses - look for a better ratio if considering) | Instant |
| Marriott | 1:1 | Instant |
Just to whet your whistle, it’s possible to fly around the world by transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to ANA for 125,000 points or less. This includes stops for as long as you want in 8 destinations as long as you continue in one direction from start to finish.
Note: If you are transferring Membership Rewards points into a US airline, Amex will charge you $.0006 per point, up to a maximum of $99. American Express explains that this charge is to offset excise taxes that the airlines charge.
Airport Lounge Access
The Amex Green card is the only card we offer at Your Best Credit Cards that offers lounge access via LoungeBuddy. It does not come with the more popular Priority Pass Select membership.
You’ll be reimbursed for up to $100 per calendar year on charges at LoungeBuddy airport lounges when you charge the entry fee to your card.
Annual Statement Credits
- CLEAR Membership credits of up to $189 per calendar year. Enrollment required; Terms apply.
- LoungeBuddy credits of up to $100 per year. Enrollment required; Terms apply.
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
Keep in mind that this benefit is secondary to your own insurance. For Primary CDW, you can either purchase the Premium for a flat rate of $19.95 / $24.95 per rental period (for $75,000 – $100,000 in coverage) or you can look for a credit card with primary car rental CDW coverage.
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply.
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. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Extended Warranty
When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year.
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.
Purchase Protection
When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year.
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.
Trip Protections
Trip Delay Insurance
Sometimes, when you travel, things just happen. Nobody likes having their trip delayed, but when you buy your round-trip entirely with your Green 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 Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Baggage Insurance Plan
Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip.
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.
Has No Preset Spending Limit
Similar to the American Express Gold Card and Platinum Card, the Green Card has no preset spending limit. However, Amex will set a “Pay Over Time” limit on your card. This gives you the option to carry a balance on a portion of your balance (be aware of the Pay Over Time Interest rate before using this feature, as it’s not low!)
Also remember that this doesn’t mean an unlimited spending limit! Amex will limit you based on a variety of factors including historic spend, just not with an assigned exact credit limit.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Never worry about extra fees when traveling abroad as the Green Card does not charge you any foreign transaction fees.
No Fees for Authorized Users
For up to 5 additional cardholders; $35 annual fee per authorized user after that.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
As part of your card membership, this benefit provides 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical, legal, and passport referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance. Please note that you will be responsible for all costs associated with your needs.
Amex Offers
Save with merchant offers linked directly to your American Express cards. You’ll find different offers on different Amex cards that you carry, and the savings can really add up over time!
Earn more rewards by combining credit cards
Pros & cons
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards points on travel, transit, and restaurants worldwide
- Get CLEAR membership for your whole family with the includes $189 CLEAR credit
- A variety of purchase and trip protections are included
- $150 annual fee
- Trip delay coverage doesn't kick in until the delay is 12 hours or more
- Only earns 1X points on purchases outside of eligible travel, transit, and global dining purchases
Our review
American Express seems to have positioned the Green Card to more directly compete with high performing mid-tier cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Citi Premier card, offering a few more direct benefits than each of them in exchange for a $150 annual fee (vs. $95 on those other cards). (Rates and Fees)
The American Express Green Card is a Powerhouse for Travel, Transit and Dining
Whereas the The Platinum Card® from American Express is all about the benefits (elite statuses, statement credits galore, etc), the American Express® Green Card is all about the 3X Membership Rewards points on all things travel (including Transit!) plus 3X on dining – all for a relatively low annual fee of just $150 (Rates and Fees). It’s great for frequent travelers, especially if you don’t already have a card that earns at least 3X on travel purchases.
And it does have a couple of benefits that can cover the annual fee. If you don’t have access to CLEAR (which lets you go ahead of most other people at airport security in select airports / terminals), this card will cover $189 in CLEAR fees which is enough for a whole family to have a membership. And you also get up to $100 in credits for airport lounge access with LoungeBuddy.
It’s worth considering this card in combination with other American Express cards. One solid Trifecta that maximizes points would be an Amex Gold Card, an Amex Green Card, and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. You’d use the Gold for Dining and U.S. Supermarkets, the Green for 3X points on travel and transit, and the Blue Business Plus for 2X on other eligible purchases (up to $50,000 a year; 1X Membership Rewards points per dollar thereafter).
In another Trifecta replace the Gold Card with a Platinum Card and enjoy all the perks and benefits of the Platinum card while putting all non-airfare travel and transit charges on the Green Card and the rest on your Blue Business Plus.
In short, I don’t think anyone should have the Green Card as their sole credit card, but I do think it has a nice place among a handful of American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards points.
Keep in mind that American Express Membership Rewards points never expire and combine among all of your Membership Rewards-earning cards. All points earned from various American Express cards have the same transfer partners.
The Amex Green Card Functions as a Credit Card
The Amex Green card is part of the same family of Amex proprietary cards formerly referred to as charge cards. However, the Green Card has a built-in Pay Over Time feature, making it function in many ways as any other standard credit card. Unlike a typical credit card, the Green Card allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all.
What this means: Amex generally limits a cardmember to 5 credit cards (personal and small business combined), while they have a limit of 10 on proprietary Amex cards (formerly known as Charge). This means that even if you already have 5 Amex credit cards, you would still be eligible for a Green Card.
Bonus Eligibility: They still state that if you had the Green Card before, you are not eligible for a welcome bonus on this card. So you’ll be eligible if you have less than 10 Amex charge cards and have never had the Amex Green card before.
Rates and Fees for the American Express® Green Card
Frequently asked questions
Does the American Express® Green Card have an annual fee?
The Amex Green Card has an annual fee of $150.
Does the American Express® Green Card get you into airport lounges?
Yes, but it’s limited to a $100 annual credit to purchase lounge access to lounges in the LoungeBuddy network. It does not include the more popular Priority Pass.
Is it hard to get the American Express® Green Card?
It’s not that hard if you have a good existing relationship with American Express and/or or a FICO of around 670 or better and a good credit history.
Is it worth getting the American Express® Green Card?
The Amex Green Card isn’t a card to get on its own and use for everything, but it does earn 3X Membership Rewards points on global dining, travel and transit, making it worth getting in conjunction with other cards. You can find the best card to paid with the Green Card based on your personal spending profile using our Card Combo tool.
How do I earn Membership Rewards points with the the American Express® Green Card?
Earn 3X Membership Rewards points on Travel (includes airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, travel purchases on third party travel websites, and travel purchases on amextravel.com), on Transit (includes trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways), and at Restaurants worldwide (with no foreign transaction fees)
Earn 1X Membership Rewards points on other purchases
Is there a better credit card than the American Express® Green Card?
The Green Card is a base level card, so it’s likely you can find a card with more benefits or bonus categories that suit you, although you may also find the Green Card to be a good card to hold in combination with another card. We recommend entering your spend in our “Famous Card Explorer” to see your best match.
Does the American Express® Green Card charge foreign transaction fees?
No, the Amex Green Card does not charge a foreign transaction fee when making purchases abroad and earns the same Membership Rewards points as with domestic purchases.
Does the American Express® Green Card have car rental coverage?
(Secondary) Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply.
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. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Does the American Express® Green Card come with any Elite Status?
No, the Green Card is a base level card and does not give you any airline or hotel status levels or credits towards elite status.
Does the American Express® Green Card offer extended warranty?
When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year.
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.
Does the American Express® Green Card offer purchase protection?
When an American Express® Green Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year.
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.
Does the American Express® Green Card offer trip protections?
Some. The Green Card includes Trip Delay insurance (Terms apply) and a Baggage Insurance plan (Terms apply). All details are listed above in the Trip Protections section.
What credit score do I need to get the American Express® Green Card?
A “good” FICO of 670+ is likely to qualify you for the Amex Green Card.
What can I do with the points earned for spending on the American Express® Green Card?
You have the entire Membership Rewards points ecosystem at your disposal. On the low end, you can redeem for things like gift cards, but for extreme value, you can transfer your points to a wide range or airline and hotel programs. All American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards have the same transfer partners.
Does the American Express® Green Card have Cell Phone Protection?
It does not. You can step up to The Platinum Card® which includes it or see other credit cards that come with Cell Phone Protection.
What benefits do other Amex cards have that the Green Card doesn't?
This list is too big for us to be exhaustive here, but don’t expect the Uber Cash benefit of the Gold or Platinum cards, the $10 monthly dining credit of the Gold card, or the Priority Pass membership included with the Platinum Card. Of the Green, Gold, and Platinum cards, the Green card does have the lowest annual fee as well as the fewest benefits.
Are there any offers for Balance Transfers on the Green Card?
Not at this time.
How does the American Express® Green Card compare with the American Express® Gold Card?
How does the American Express® Green Card compare with the American Express® Platinum Card
You can compare the Amex Green Card with the Amex Platinum Card, though the Platinum Card certainly has a higher annual fee!
How does the American Express® Green Card compare with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which earns Chase Ultimate Rewards?
How does the American Express® Green Card compare with the Citi Premier® Card?
You can compare the Amex Green Card with the Citi Premier card. The Citi Premier does have slightly lower annual fees.