American Express Green Card Review: A Solid Choice for Travel Rewards Beginners

Amex Green Benefits

Good Rewards Categories

The Amex Green Card was one of the first travel rewards credit cards I owned, and years later, it still has a solid place in my wallet. One reason is thanks to the card’s very generous rewards. It’s great for cardholders who are just learning about travel rewards and want a simple but lucrative structure.

With the Amex Green, you’ll earn 3 Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent in the following categories: travel, transit and dining at restaurants.

These three categories are all-encompassing, giving you a ton of opportunities to earn Membership Rewards points on your everyday purchases.

For instance, the travel category includes:

• Airfare
• Hotels
• Tours
• Campgrounds
• Car rentals
• Cruises
• Vacation rentals

Transit covers:

• Rideshares
• Taxis
• Subways
• Tolls
• Buses
• Trains
• Ferries

The restaurants category includes worldwide:

• Dine-in
• Takeout
• Delivery in the U.S.

This is a less-discussed but no-less-important benefit: Some competing cards limit bonus categories to domestic spending, but the Amex Green rewards your spending no matter where in the world you are.

Decent Welcome Offer

While the welcome offer on the Amex Green Card isn’t as high as Amex’s other premium cards, it’s still a strong one: Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Access to Membership Rewards Transfer Partners

The Amex Green earns Membership Rewards points, one of the most valuable and flexible rewards currencies available. These points can be redeemed in a variety of ways, but their true potential lies in transferring to over a dozen Amex airline and hotel loyalty program partners.

Some of the most popular 1:1 transfer partners include:

• Delta SkyMiles
• British Airways Club
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• Marriott Bonvoy

With a little strategy, transferring Membership Rewards points to travel partners can unlock even more value. For example, you might use 30,000 points to fly premium economy class to Europe. Using cash might cost you hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars. The Amex Green Card gives you a low-cost entry into the world of high-value redemptions.

Wide Array of Travel Benefits

Aside from the Amex Green’s solid rewards categories and welcome offer, the card offers a full suite of travel benefits and protections, making sure you’re covered no matter where you go.

• No foreign transaction fees: With no foreign transaction fees, this card is good to bring on your international travels.
• Car rental loss and damage insurance: Just make sure to decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) at the rental counter while you’re picking up your vehicle, and you can be covered for damage to or theft of a rental vehicle when you use your card to pay.
• Baggage insurance: This can come in handy if your luggage is lost or delayed during transit. This benefit can cover up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage, depending on the circumstances. Some states, such as New York, have an aggregate maximum limit on what Amex will cover.
• CLEAR® Plus Credit: Finally, the most lucrative benefit of the Amex Green Card is the annual CLEAR Plus statement credit of up to $209. CLEAR helps you breeze through airport security by verifying your identity with biometric data, allowing you to skip the TSA line at over 50 U.S. airports. This credit alone can offset the card’s $150 annual fee. And if you already use CLEAR, were planning to renew your membership or were considering signing up, this makes the card a no-brainer.

Amex Green Drawbacks

Higher Annual Fee

The Amex Green Card has an annual fee of $150, which is higher than similarly structured travel rewards cards. While the card comes with a CLEAR membership statement credit, you still need to use those perks and rewards to justify the annual cost.

No Lounge Access or Premium Travel Protections

Unlike The Platinum Card® from American Express, an advertising partner, or premium cards from Chase and Capital One, the Amex Green doesn’t include upscale travel perks such as airport lounge access.

If you’re a frequent traveler who wants travel insurance for when flights get delayed or canceled, or you enjoy spending layovers in airport lounges with a cocktail, you might need to pair this card with a more premium travel card.

Who Is the Amex Green Card Best For?

The Amex Green Card is ideal if you regularly dine out, use ride-sharing services or public transportation, and travel by air or train. The card’s 3x points on travel, transit and restaurants, coupled with perks like an annual CLEAR Plus credit, make it especially valuable for people who want practical rewards and are comfortable navigating Amex’s Membership Rewards program.

With that said, if you don’t travel regularly, don’t spend much on dining or transit, or prefer cash back over points, this card may not offer enough ongoing value to justify its annual fee.

Is It the Right Card for You?

You’ll get the most value from your Amex Green Card if you’re willing to dive into the world of travel rewards redemptions, or at least use your points for flights or hotels through Amex’s portal or partners. Consider adding the card to your wallet if:

• You are a casual to frequent traveler who wants to earn valuable points without incurring a high annual fee.
• You can take advantage of the elevated earnings, particularly on dining (which covers sit-down restaurants and takeout worldwide and delivery in the U.S.) and transit.

Alternatives to the American Express Green Card

If you’ve thought it over and realized the Amex Green Card doesn’t fit your lifestyle, these are other travel rewards credit cards to consider:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: This comes out of the gate strong with a significantly lower annual fee of just $95. It also earns higher rewards on travel through Chase Travel℠, has strong transfer partners, including some Amex doesn’t have, such as World of Hyatt, and includes an up to $50 annual hotel credit.
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: This card earns 2x miles on every purchase (compared to the 1x points on everyday purchases from Amex Green), and 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Couple that with a $95 annual fee, and the Venture Card is a solid alternative to the Amex Green.