American Express Green Card Review

Our verdict

Our verdict

The American Express Green Card is a fee-free credit card that lets you earn points whenever you make purchases. Earn 1 American Express Membership Point for every $1 you spend on purchases. Charge an eligible purchase to your card and redeem your Membership Rewards points for a statement credit (All eligible purchases: 1,000 points = $10 statement credit).

Best for: Those who want to earn points for every dollar you spend but you'd rather not pay an annual fee.

Pros

• No annual fee
• Earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 points
• Earn 1 Membership Rewards point for every $1 you spend on purchases

Cons

• No additional benefits or insurance

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Purchase Interest Rate

20.99%

Cash Advance Rate

21.99%

Balance Transfer Rate

N/A

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American Express Green Card

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The basics

If you’re looking for a basic fee-free card that lets you earn points whenever you shop, you might be interested in the American Express Green Card.

• No annual fee. You won’t have to pay an annual fee to maintain this card.
• Earn points. Earn 1 American Express Membership Point for every $1 you spend on purchases. Charge an eligible purchase to your card and redeem your Membership Rewards points for a statement credit (All eligible purchases: 1,000 points = $10 statement credit).
• Welcome bonus. Earn a Welcome Bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points when you charge $1,000 in purchases to your card in the first 3 months as a new Cardmember. That’s $100 towards groceries or concert tickets.
• Flexible points. Redeem your points for flexible rewards such as travel, merchandise, statement credits or Amazon purchases. Transfer points 1:1 to several frequent flyer and other loyalty programs
• Free additional cards. Order up to nine additional cards on your account for no extra fee.

The perks

• Entertainment access. Get access to special offers for music, dining, entertainment and exclusive events offered by American Express.
• Fraud protection. Relax knowing that you won’t have to pay for fraudulent purchases on your account with the Amex Fraud Protection Guarantee.
• Emergency card replacement. Get a new card shipped out to your location whenever you report your credit card lost or stolen (even if you’re travelling overseas).
• 24/7 customer service. Call the Amex customer service line at any time of day or night to report and resolve issues with your account.
• Easy to qualify. You won’t need to meet annual income requirements or other eligibility criteria to qualify for this card.

What to watch out for

• High interest. Interest rates range between 20.99% and 21.99% for any outstanding purchase balance you leave on your card.
• No basic insurance. You won’t get purchase protection or extended warranty coverage with this card (which is unusual even for a fee-free card).
• No travel insurance. This card doesn’t come with any form of travel medical, trip interruption or baggage insurance to cover you when you travel overseas.
• No additional benefits. There are no supplementary benefits such as mobile device insurance, roadside assistance or car rental insurance included with this card.
• Few airport perks. You won’t get additional airport perks such as priority boarding or airport lounge access with this card.

American Express Green Card interest rates

What should I know before I apply?

Eligibility requirements

To apply for a American Express Green Card, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:

• Be a Canadian citizen or resident who is at least 18 years old (19 in some provinces)
• Have a Canadian credit file or credit history

You will also need to provide the following documents and information:

• Your name, residential status and contact information
• Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) and date of birth
• Your email address and phone number

How to apply for the Amex Green Card

1. Click the ‘Apply Now’ button above to be securely redirected to the online application for the American Express Green Card.
2. Click “Apply now” and complete the application, which includes providing your name, email address, Social Insurance Number and birth date.
3. Review and submit your application or call the American Express toll-free hotline if you have questions.

Bottom line: Amex Green Card in Canada

The American Express Green Card is a basic credit card that lets you earn points when you make purchases. Rewards are flexible and you’ll also get access to a handful of exclusive perks that only American Express cardholders can take advantage of. The main downside of this card is that it offers no additional benefits or insurance.

American Express Green Card FAQs

• Does the American Express Green Card have a welcome offer?

  Earn a Welcome Bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points when you charge $1,000 in purchases to your card in the first 3 months as a new Cardmember. That’s $100 towards groceries or concert tickets. This is a very generous welcome offer for a fee-free card. It's one of the main reasons you might want to sign up for this card over other fee-free cards in its class.

• How does the Amex Green Card in Canada compare to similar cards?

  The American Express Green Card is certainly not the best option among fee-free cards. This is because it offers no additional benefits or insurance to cardholders, but you will get a decent return on points and a generous welcome bonus with this card that could still make it worth your while.

• Do American Express Membership Points expire?

  No. Your membership points will never expire, but you may be required to forfeit a portion of your points if you fail to make your credit card payments on time.

• How much are my points worth?

  Your points will be worth different amounts based on what you redeem them for. That said, you'll get a $10 credit statement on your bill if you redeem 1,000 points. This would imply that each point is worth 1 cent in this situation.