Link: Apply now for the American Express® Green Card
There are several excellent cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards points. One of the frequently overlooked cards is the $150 annual fee American Express® Green Card (review). Along with the American Express® Gold Card (review), I’d consider this to be one of the two best personal cards for earning Amex points (read a comparison of the two cards).
In this post, I want to share eight reasons you should consider applying for the Amex Green Card. In no particular order…
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.
In this post:
Solid welcome offer of 40K bonus points
The Amex Green Card currently has a solid welcome offer of 40,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 within the first six months. Okay, to be honest, this isn’t the biggest or flashiest welcome offer you’ll find on a card, but we’ve never really seen a terribly exciting offer on the card. That’s probably because the rewards structure on the card is so good.
Based on my valuation of 1.7 cents per Amex point, those 40,000 points are worth $680. You’re not eligible for the welcome offer on this card if you currently have this card or have had this card (or a previous version of the card) in the past. You’re also not eligible for this card if you have the Amex Platinum or Amex Gold (while the invest isn’t true, which is a reason you may want to pick up this card before the others).
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.
3x points on dining
The Amex Green Card offers 3x points on dining at restaurants globally. I value Amex points at 1.7 cents each, so to me that’s like a 5.1% return in that category.
This doesn’t just include sit-down restaurants, but typically also includes fast food establishments, cafes, etc. This makes the Amex Green one of the best cards for dining.
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.
3x points on travel & transit
The Amex Green Card offers 3x points on all travel and transit purchases, ranging from airfare to hotels to car rentals to Ubers to trains to package holidays. This is a huge category, and makes the Amex Green Card the single most well-rounded Amex card for travel purchases.
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.
No authorized user fee
I think this point is really underrated. The Amex Green Card doesn’t have authorized user fees, so you can add an authorized user to the card without paying extra (beyond the regular annual fee).
This is significant because it means that it’s not just you earning 3x points on your own dining, travel, and transit, but you can earn points for spending from your family members in those categories as well.
For example, the Amex Green Card has a comparable rewards structure to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (review), as both cards offer 3x points on dining and travel, but on that card you’ll pay $75 per authorized user.
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.
No foreign transaction fees
The Amex Green Card has no foreign transaction fees. This is valuable, because several other Amex cards that have good rewards structures do have foreign transaction fees. What makes this even more useful is that you can earn 3x points on dining and travel all while not paying foreign transaction fees. Those are big spending categories when abroad.
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.
$199 annual CLEAR® Plus credit
While many people have TSA PreCheck, CLEAR® Plus is a separate program that can add value. By being a CLEAR member, you can bypass the ID check at the TSA lines, and be brought right into the actual queue for the security checkpoint.
The Amex Green Card offers an up to $199 annual CLEAR credit. This is enough to cover your membership, and potentially save you quite a bit of time at the airport.
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.
Access to Amex Offers
One of the reasons to hold onto Amex cards long term is because of the amazing value of Amex Offers. With this program, you can receive statement credits or earn bonus points with all kinds of retailers.
The more Amex cards you have, the more offers you’ll potentially be eligible for. In many cases, Amex Offers alone more than justifies the annual fees on some of my cards.
Anecdotally easy approval
Many people are understandably worried if they’ll get approved for a new card when they apply. For those with excellent credit, I find that Amex cards (including the Amex Green) are among the easiest to be approved for, much more so than with Chase and Citi. Just keep in mind Amex’s general application rules, which shouldn’t be too restrictive.
Bottom line
The Amex Green Card is one of my favorite personal Amex cards for earning Membership Rewards points, given that it offers 3x points on dining, travel, and transit. While the card has a $150 annual fee, it offers some credits that can help offset that. This is a card that I have, and it’s one that I get quite a bit of value out of.
If you value Amex points and spend a lot on dining and travel, it’s tough to beat the value proposition of the Amex Green Card.
What’s your take on the value of 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.
I think I'd change the title to '9 Reasons...' and add THE major reason for holding one of the Amex color cards, which I've never, ever seen included in any of these 'X Reasons to Hold...' articles is that
The Amex color cards are CHARGE cards with no pre-set spending limits.
Although I have healthy limits on my Chase SR and Capital One Venture X, it's always nice to know that if the chips are...
I think I'd change the title to '9 Reasons...' and add THE major reason for holding one of the Amex color cards, which I've never, ever seen included in any of these 'X Reasons to Hold...' articles is that
The Amex color cards are CHARGE cards with no pre-set spending limits.
Although I have healthy limits on my Chase SR and Capital One Venture X, it's always nice to know that if the chips are down and I need to process a big transaction, my Green Card is ready to go.
I just hope that Amex doesn't nerf the Green Card when it 'updates' the card, which I'm sure is coming sooner rather than later. It has been awhile and Amex just can't seem to leave a good thing alone.
This is actually one of the Amex cards that needs the "nerf." There are not enough benefits to offset the annual fee.
And "only" $150 a year. No thanks, there are better deals.
I gpt the Morgan Stanley Platinum, which comes with a free AU, in September 2021. In August 2023 I got the Green and added my AU. At the time I applied for it, there was no disqualifiation for Platinum card holders and the SUB was 60K. We often cruise and use this card to pay. But the real bonus is that in the past 3 years, we both have gotten multiple Amex offers on these...
I gpt the Morgan Stanley Platinum, which comes with a free AU, in September 2021. In August 2023 I got the Green and added my AU. At the time I applied for it, there was no disqualifiation for Platinum card holders and the SUB was 60K. We often cruise and use this card to pay. But the real bonus is that in the past 3 years, we both have gotten multiple Amex offers on these 2 cards for spending bonuses and for our preferred cruise line, earning over 170K MR points and over $600 cash back. Plus we both have current offers we will use this month for cruise payments, earning 100K MR bonus points.
If I eventually close my Morgan Stanley account (as I finish drawing down my IRA), I will keep the Green. So I'd say it's been a home run for us. However, maybe you shouldn't write posts like this, and I shouldn'nt write a comment like this .... ;-)
@Ben, Re: You’re also not eligible for this card if you have the Amex Platinum or Amex Gold. I actually got the Amex green last year and received the SUB and I have glad both the Amex plat and gold for several years. So maybe it depends on how Amex assesses your loyalty to them.
I think it depends on if you applied for the Plat and Gold *before* they instituted the family rule -- which it sounds like you did.
Ironically, the actual number one reason for people getting the Amex Green card is downgrading from Platinum or Gold.
Not saying that to insult Amex, but it's the truth. Those cards can both be hard to financially justify maintaining year to year (especially if travel/spending habits change), and you cannot downgrade to the EveryDay so that's the best available option.
Amex offers is not one of eight reasons, especially when they disappear from all other cards when you add it to one of them. Officially anyway.