Link: Apply now for the American Express® Green Card
The American Express® Green Card is one of the most underrated and rewarding American Express cards. If you want to supercharge the Membership Rewards points you earn, this is the card for you. In this post I wanted to go over the details of this card’s excellent bonus.
In this post:
Amex Green Card offering 40K bonus points
The Amex Green Card currently has a welcome offer where you can earn 40,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 within the first six months.
This is a solid bonus for a card that doesn’t often get attention. Personally, I value Amex Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, meaning the 40,000 points are worth $680. There are lots of great uses for Amex points, as they can be transferred to all kinds of useful airline and hotel partners.
The information and associated card details on this page for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Who is eligible for the Amex Green Card bonus?
In line with Amex’s “once in a lifetime” rule, the welcome offer on the Amex Green Card isn’t available to those who currently have the card, or those who have had the card (or previous versions of the card) in the past. On top of that, Amex’s general card restrictions apply.
A couple of further things to note:
- You are eligible for the bonus on this card if you’ve had any other Amex card, so you can apply for this card even if you have cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) or American Express® Gold Card (review)
- Amex typically has a limit of letting someone have at most five Amex credit cards (including personal and business cards); anecdotally this card is considered a hybrid card for these purposes, and doesn’t count toward that limit, which should make a lot more people eligible
See my guide to getting approved for the Amex Green Card.
The information and associated card details on this page for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Why the Amex Green Card is worth it
The Amex Green Card has a $150 annual fee, and is underrated (Rates & Fees). The card has the following perks, among other things:
- The Amex Green Card has a lucrative rewards structure, and offers 3x points on dining, travel, and transit; this is one of the most rewarding Amex cards out there if you’re looking to earn points as quickly as possible
- The Amex Green Card offers a $189 CLEAR Plus credit annually, whereby you can receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the card (Enrollment required)
- The Amex Green Card offers a $100 LoungeBuddy credit annually, whereby you can use the LoungeBuddy app to purchase access to lounges, and receive up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year
The rewards structure makes this card worth getting, and then the credits will for many make it easy to justify the annual fee on the card, in my opinion.
Read a full review of the Amex Green Card here.
The information and associated card details on this page for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Bottom line
The Amex Green Card is an incredibly rewarding card with a solid bonus. In the long run this card can be worth keeping for the 3x points on dining, travel, and transit, as well as the credits with CLEAR and LoungeBuddy, which potentially more than justify the annual fee.
Do you plan on picking up the Amex Green Card with the current welcome offer?
The information and associated card details on this page for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: American Express® Green Card (Rates & Fees).
I have the AMEX Plat (MS version) and my husband is an AU on it. Had recently applied for CSP a few months ago. Applied Sunday for the Green, instantly approved and added husband as AU. Happy.
Next day had husband apply for his own card. Virtually identical credit score (in 820s) and same income. His most recent app was the free Hilton Honors AMEX a year ago. He even has a few less...
I have the AMEX Plat (MS version) and my husband is an AU on it. Had recently applied for CSP a few months ago. Applied Sunday for the Green, instantly approved and added husband as AU. Happy.
Next day had husband apply for his own card. Virtually identical credit score (in 820s) and same income. His most recent app was the free Hilton Honors AMEX a year ago. He even has a few less cards than me. He got the "not eligible for welcome bonus" popup based on AMEX history, number of cards, etc. Very odd.
First time getting the popup. Honestly can't remember if I've ever gotten a SUB on this card, but pretty sure I haven't. Alas.
When I clicked the OMAT link to apply and logging in my Amex account, it said you’re pre-approved. Went ahead and submitted my apps, got instant approval. I also have the plat, gold, 2 business plat and Hilton business. And looks like Amex didn’t do a hard pull on this application.
I applied for this card and got a message I’ve never received before. It said I was not eligible for the welcome bonus based on how many AMEX cards I have and other factors. It asked if I still wanted to proceed with the application which I declined. I thought this was a hybrid card, so it didn’t matter how many AMEX cards I have from other categories. Is that not true?
Me and my wife also received the not eligible for bonus message. We have 3 cards between the 2 of us. None of the cards are Amex transferable points cards, we’ve had them since 2018, and haven’t opened other Amex cards since. It makes no sense.
My wife and I got the same result. Really strange.
In pop-up jail myself. Earlier this year I got the Gold with the higher bonus they were offering. I figured I'd be stuck. Have the Plat as well. Makes me wonder if they are logging the fact that you didn't proceed with the application and flagging you as someone who does it for the points or something.
Ben FYI your site is returning a header
cache-control: max-age=15552000
which means it won't refresh for a really really long time for those of us who visit via a bookmark. We have to manually refresh. I was wondering why you hadn't posted in several days and then i refreshed and noticed all the new posts :)
I remember when I first got the gold card years ago with its 3/2/1 points earning scheme. I wish they would beef up the gold card a bit more for the price we're paying for it. Right now , it's just my go to for groceries and restaurants.
I have an Amex Plat that I'm looking to close; if I get this can I transfer my MR points from Plat to Green before closing? I'm also an authorized user on a Gold card - can I transfer my MR points there too?
Both myself and wife got the you are not eligible popup, we both never had Amex green but have 5 other amex cards each (plat, gold, aspire, bonvoy brilliant, bonvoy business). Probably number of amex cards held is being a factor!
You two are not alone. Pop-up like yours are very common place these days. Amex is getting very hard to refer and/or apply for cards. Now if you were a first timer, then the Green card would be easy. but with all the cards you are holding "above" the Green card, Amex probably thinks the only reason for your apps was points. My wife got the pop-up too last week while holding all the cards...
You two are not alone. Pop-up like yours are very common place these days. Amex is getting very hard to refer and/or apply for cards. Now if you were a first timer, then the Green card would be easy. but with all the cards you are holding "above" the Green card, Amex probably thinks the only reason for your apps was points. My wife got the pop-up too last week while holding all the cards you mentioned. Might try again before 8/23 to see if possibly get it through. Doubt it however.
Have you ever considered the Amtrak Mastercards? I imagine they're not particularly on your radar given how sparse Amtrak's network is in most of the country.
Not eligible but P2 was. Is the clear credit quickly becoming worthless?
Not eligible for some reason. Odd
Never had any MR points card before but the dreaded "bonus not eligible message" popped up.
Does requesting/accepting a retention offer for another card recently (Delta Platinum) make me ineligible maybe? Just a thought...
60k miles minus the $150 fee is probably equiv 45k miles. Plus you have an annual fee. From experience, I rarely use the benefits. It is designed that way. AMEX member for 20 years but they are not loyal anymore. They just want to trick you at this point in the game. Be careful. Debt is not good.
lol you forget the $200 credit. Net fee is negative. super easy card to churn.
I'm 19 years old right now and I am looking to apply for my first credit card under my own account. I've been reading your blog for years, and I would love to have some advice.
I spend a lot on dining and somewhat a lot on travel (especially now). I was looking to apply for the Capital One Savour One card (student version), which gives 3% cash back on dining. Would that be...
I'm 19 years old right now and I am looking to apply for my first credit card under my own account. I've been reading your blog for years, and I would love to have some advice.
I spend a lot on dining and somewhat a lot on travel (especially now). I was looking to apply for the Capital One Savour One card (student version), which gives 3% cash back on dining. Would that be more beneficial than the Amex Green card? Or is there a benefit of having both. Also, I currently have the Amex Platinum (for the past 5 years), and the Gold card (for the past 3 years), both as an Authorized user. Is it likely I would be approved for the Green Card? Is it okay to apply for both the Savour One and the Green card back to back?And if I choose to cancel the Green Card, would I lose my Amex points (since I currently do not have any other Amex cards to which I am the primary account holder)? Do you have any other credit card reccomendations?
Do whatever you want, just make sure you always pay the balance in full each month. And if you don't trust yourself get a card that forces you to pay the balance each month. I think the basic Green and basic Gold are designed that way. These schemes to get you to sign up are to put you in debt. Just keep that in mind.
It's a bit weird that a card directed to travel doesn't give a global entry credit, yet does give an annual clear credit
Looks like with this offer a lot of people are in "pop-up jail". My dad and I have the Platinum (1.5 years), and both recently picked up the gold about 4 months ago. For some reason we're both getting the ""You are eligible" message...even though we've never had or applied for the Green card before.
"you are NOT eligible" **
it said i wasn’t eligible for the bonus even though i’ve never had it.
Those terms aren't concrete they do what they want with who they decide to restrict and who they'll give them to. I've receive multiple bonuses this year on Business Gold and Platinum and they keep offering me more if I apply for more business cards.
My latest pop up offer was close to 200k for a Business Platinum and Business Checking. I don't have a need for anymore business cards though.
I'm pretty sure it...
Those terms aren't concrete they do what they want with who they decide to restrict and who they'll give them to. I've receive multiple bonuses this year on Business Gold and Platinum and they keep offering me more if I apply for more business cards.
My latest pop up offer was close to 200k for a Business Platinum and Business Checking. I don't have a need for anymore business cards though.
I'm pretty sure it comes down to customer value score or something. If your someone that gets a bonus on every product and Amex isn't recouping that customer acquisition cost- don't expect to get any more.
Does the Green Card also have access to AMEX Offers, or is it purely points and incentive-based?
@ destruya -- Yep, it absolutely offers access to Amex Offers!
Sometimes better offers. Example, just completed payment on a cruise. From booking to final payment a span of two years, I had four offers applied to fare. Three were on my Green card. Two pay $1,000 get back $300. The last one just before final payment, pay $1,000 and get 25,000 points + another almost 25K points for the 3x payment. That offer posted the next day after payment. I'd say pretty good from IMO...
Sometimes better offers. Example, just completed payment on a cruise. From booking to final payment a span of two years, I had four offers applied to fare. Three were on my Green card. Two pay $1,000 get back $300. The last one just before final payment, pay $1,000 and get 25,000 points + another almost 25K points for the 3x payment. That offer posted the next day after payment. I'd say pretty good from IMO the best all around travel card out there including its two big brothers - Platinum & Gold. I know as I have all three.
Why I like this card - 3x on all those great AMEX Hotel Offers
Thanks for the timing of this "heads-up." Just today got notice that Wells Fargo is cancelling all their joint AMEX cards! So, I will give this yearly-fee AMEX card a chance through the next 12 months to see if it is worth it. Never paid for a charge/credit card before this.
Happy that I applied through Ben's link and was approved.
@ Dr. Stan -- Thanks for the support, and congrats on the approval!
Had PRG gold $95 in 2017 and closed after 2 years, then applied the new version of gold card $250 in 2022 and got the SUB again.
Also got old version green card $95 in 2019 and closed it in mid 2020. Wondering if I could still apply this new version of green card $150 and get this new SUB again?
@ EL -- The terms say that you're not eligible for this card if you've had this card in the past, or a previous version of the card. So I suspect you may not be eligible for the bonus. However, keep in mind that Amex has a warning pop-up that typically appears if you're not eligible, so you could always give it a shot, if you wanted.
Used your link , and approved - great offer - especially with the 20% ($200) back on transit! About to by the JR pass for 14 days so that like free money, Thanks Ben!
@ Andy -- Thanks for the support, and congrats!
This statement:
"You are eligible for the bonus on this card if you’ve had any other Amex card, so you can apply for this card even if you have cards like.."
is not the same as saying:
"You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or previous versions of this Card."
If I previously held the Amex Green card, I'm not eligible for the bonus regardless of whether I had any other Amex card.
@ Nate nate -- Sorry for any confusion. I think I covered that a couple of sentences ahead of what you quote, when I talk about the once in a lifetime rule, no?
So glad I got the card 4 months ago, 40k seemed a decent bonus for it
@ Matt -- Hah, I also picked up this card with "only" a 40K bonus, quite some time ago.
I applied for the Green Card last night and was approved. This will a) give me the Amex Charge/Hybrid card “trifecta”, and b) keep me in Chase Jail until December. The 60K welcome bonus was compelling. I’ll bounce in between this and the Gold Card for MR points on dining, which will garner points, albeit at 3x. I’m looking forward to receiving my card!
The Green card is travel - anything that's anything to do with travel. From taxis to cruises. Of course better cards for air.
Ben,
While it is good to point out the good bonus categories for spend, i think it is also important to clearly qualify that the Clear and loungebuddy credits are not for everyone and may only provide incremental value. The Clear credit is only valuable to someone who does not have a Platinum card and the loungebuddy credit is for the most part useless (some people may be able to use it but its...
Ben,
While it is good to point out the good bonus categories for spend, i think it is also important to clearly qualify that the Clear and loungebuddy credits are not for everyone and may only provide incremental value. The Clear credit is only valuable to someone who does not have a Platinum card and the loungebuddy credit is for the most part useless (some people may be able to use it but its good to provide those details).
Without that, it just seems more like an advertisement for the card instead of an informed article
"Without that, it just seems more like an advertisement for the card instead of an informed article"
You must be new here! Welcome!
It doesn’t seem like you are eligible for the welcome bonus if you have had an Amex MR earning card within 24 months. Don’t know when that rule change happened.
@ M a -- I might be missing something, but where are you seeing this?
My apologies. I went searching for eligibility criteria after getting the dreaded pop up telling me I am ineligible (and reading on several sites that other people are having the same experience). I came across the state on the Amex website. But I realized later that it was the UK website. It doesn’t apply to US cards. I called Amex to confirm. Maybe Amex is just getting more stringent with bonuses. I guess I just need to work my way out of ‘Amex jail’ now.
What?! Yeah you can't just say this without providing any proof as this changes the decision to get the card.
There might be some truth to this. I've received MR sign up bonus on both Business Platinum card and Business Gold card in the past 4 months. And when I applied for this card, I got a message saying I am not eligible for the welcome bonus. And I get that message no matter which Amex card I do a pre-approval for. I get the same "Not Eligible for Welcome Bonus" message on all.
Comments on DOC and other sites also indicate that many are getting the "not eligible" pop-up for the first time in their Amex history of applications. These are people who have never had the Green card previously.