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American Express® Green Card review
Last updated:
Earn accelerated reward points on purchases at restaurants worldwide and travel.
- Get this card if you want a solid Amex travel card without burning a hole in your pocket.
- Pick something else if you want to carry your balance.
- Apply with a good to excellent credit score of 680 or higher.
30,000
Points as welcome offer
Up to 3x
Points
$150
Annual fee
680
Recommended credit score
Details
| Product Name | American Express® Green Card |
|---|---|
| Card type | American Express |
| Annual fee | $150 |
| Purchase APR | See Rates & Fees |
| Balance transfer APR | See Rates & Fees |
| Cash advance rate | 25.24% variable |
| Cash advance fee | $10 or 5% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Interest free period | Up to 25 days |
| Late payment fee | Up to $40 |
| Returned payment fee | Up to $40 |
| Rates & fees | rates & fees |
Expert review
Review by
Kliment Dukovski
kliment.dukovski@findercrew.comKliment Dukovski is a credit cards writer. He's written over 600 articles to help readers find and compare the best credit cards. Kliment has also written on money transfers, home loans and more. Previously, he ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies.
Expert review
The revamped American Express® Green Card offers plenty to entice, including up to 3x points on restaurants and travel purchases, a 30,000 point welcome offer, no foreign transaction fees and annual statement credits toward travel-related purchases, such as CLEAR and LoungeBuddy.
New to the card is a boosted rewards rate, bringing it up to par with some of the top-of-the-line competitor cards. This is particularly valuable since the card earns the flexible Membership Rewards points.
A few sticking points remain, such as the card’s hybrid nature and the increased annual fee. Nonetheless, the American Express® Green Card is a more than solid opportunity if you’re a traveler but don’t want the perks or fees on Amex’s more luxurious cards.
Benefit changes to the American Express® Green Card
American Express recently made changes to some of the American Express® Green Card‘s benefits. Here’s what took effect on January 1, 2020:
- Added trip delay reimbursement
- Reduced extended warranty period from two years to one year
- Reduced purchase protection coverage from 120 days to 90 days
- Removed travel accident insurance
- Removed roadside assistance
- Removed return protection
Card benefits
- Welcome offer.
Earn 30,000 membership rewards points after you spend $2,000 in your first 3 months when you open your account.
- Membership Rewards points.
Earn 3x points at restaurants worldwide and 3x points on travel purchases including, airfare, hotel stays, subway rides and city tours. All other purchases earn 1x points.
- CLEAR statement credit.
Receive up to $100 in statement credit annually when you use your card to pay for your CLEAR membership. If you’re already a Delta SkyMiles or United MileagePlus member, you get an additional $60 discount on your CLEAR membership, reducing the price of CLEAR membership from $179 to $119.
- LoungeBuddy statement credit.
Receive up to $100 in statement credit each year when you pay with your American Express® Green Card for lounge passes via the LoungeBuddy app.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Use your card abroad and you won’t incur any foreign transaction fees.
What to watch out for
- Annual fee.
Expect to pay $150 annually to use the card and its perks. But if you use the statement credits each year, you can easily cover the annual fee.
- Hybrid card.
In line with its sibling cards, American Express® Green Card is a combination of a charge card and a credit card. This means you have to pay your full balance before it’s due every month. Eligible purchases of $100 or more, however, can be purchased then paid off later by accruing interest. This feature is called Pay Over Time.
How to apply for the American Express® Green Card
To apply for the card, you must be at least 18 years old and a US resident. If you meet these eligibility criteria, here’s how to proceed:
- Go to the provider's site and click Apply now.
- Fill out the application form.
- Review the form and submit.
What credit score do I need?
Increase your chances of approval with a good to excellent credit score of 680 or higher.
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Compare American Express® Green Card with other cards
Bottom line
If you travel often and you want to earn accelerated reward points on travel and restaurant purchases, the American Express® Green Card could be worth considering. You get to earn a solid welcome offer and you get to earn statement credits each year on CLEAR membership and LoungeBuddy purchases.
However, if you think there could be a better credit card for you, compare all credit cards until you find the right fit for your wallet.
Frequently asked questions
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.