American Express^® Green Card Review [2024]: Perfect for Travelers and Foodies

If you're interested in a rewards card designed for travelers but don't want to pay a huge annual fee, the American Express^® Green Card may just provide the combination of features and affordability you're looking for.

This American Express^® Green Card comes with a generous rewards program as well as the chance to earn statement credits for purchases that make your trips more pleasant. Its features don't provide travelers with all the luxury amenities more expensive American Express cards offer, but it's still well worth a look.

If you’re curious if this card is for you, then keep reading this American Express^® Green Card review.

Powerful Benefits with a Low Annual Fee

American Express^® Green Card

4.6

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

American Express^® Green Card

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Current Offer

Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months

Annual Fee

$150

Rewards Rate

3X points on eligible travel and transit purchases, and at eligible restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.; and 1X points on all other eligible purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months
• 3X points at eligible travel and transit purchases, and at eligible restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• Up to $199 annually as a statement credit for CLEAR Plus
• Up to $100 LoungeBuddy credit per year

Drawbacks

• $150 annual fee
• Limited lounge access
• No balance transfers

Card Details

• Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months
• 3X points on eligible travel and transit purchases, and at eligible restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.; and 1X points on all other eligible purchases
• Terms apply

Who should get the American Express^® Green Card?

The American Express^® Green Card is the ideal choice for those who do the bulk of their spending on travel of all types, as well as at restaurants across the globe. Unlike airline- or hotel-branded travel credit cards, the Amex Green provides points on all kinds of vacation-related purchases, from rideshares and taxis to flights and accommodations. The full earning rate is 3X points on eligible travel and transit purchases, and at eligible restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.; and 1X points on all other eligible purchases.

That said, the American Express^® Green Card isn't a super-premium travel card. While those come with lots of benefits, they can also come with annual fees topping $400. That just means the Amex Green is a better choice for more budget-conscious travelers who don't necessarily fly often enough to justify paying a high fee to get luxury lounge access and statement credits that costlier cards tend to provide.

The Amex Green could also be worth it for you if you're hoping to bypass long lines at security with a CLEAR Plus membership or if you want to gain occasional lounge access through LoungeBuddy, as statement credits for purchasing both of these services would more than cover the Amex Green's $150 annual fee.

Card basics

American Express^® Green Card benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. 
• A rewards program that provides bonuses for travel: Earn 3X points on eligible travel and transit purchases, and at eligible restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.; and 1X points on all other eligible purchases. Rewards can also be redeemed for trips using the Amex travel portal or you can transfer your rewards to Amex transfer partners to book trips directly with participating airlines or hotels.
• Up to a $199 statement credit for CLEAR Plus: CLEAR Plus membership enables you to move more quickly through airport security as well as through security lines at stadiums throughout the U.S. When you use your Amex Green to pay for CLEAR Plus membership, you'll get up to $199 per calendar year in statement credits.
• Up to a $100 LoungeBuddy credit: LoungeBuddy allows you to buy airport lounge access across the globe. When you use your Amex Green to buy access to a lounge through LoungeBuddy, you'll get up to $100 in annual statement credits.
• ShopRunner access: Free ShopRunner membership enables you to get two-day shipping and no-cost returns from more than 100 different participating partner stores. Enrollment is required.

• Travel insurance benefits: The Amex Green comes with car rental damage and loss insurance as well as baggage insurance. You can decline coverage when you rent a vehicle and will be protected from loss if your carry-on or checked bags are damaged. Plus, if your flight is delayed more than 12 hours, you can also be reimbursed for up to $300 in unexpected expenses per trip.

Drawbacks to this card

• Annual fee: If you're looking for a card with no annual fee, then this one won't be a good fit for you. Instead, check out our list of the best travel credit cards with no annual fee.
• Limited travel benefits: While the Amex Green comes with some really nice travel benefits, it doesn't have as robust of a line-up as some other more premium travel cards. For example, for the best in lounge access as well as a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, you might want to check out The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Earning & redeeming Membership Rewards points

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your points can add up with the Amex Green. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 1 cent per Membership Rewards point.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $957

Year two earnings: $357

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee. This does not include the value of the CLEAR Plus credit and LoungeBuddy access, so this card could potentially be worth a lot more to the right cardholder.

Best ways to earn

Spending on bonus categories is the best way to maximize the rewards points you can earn with your American Express^® Green Card. You'll earn 3X points on eligible travel and transit purchases, and at eligible restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.; and 1X points on all other eligible purchases.

To make the most of your spending, make sure you use your card for transportation purchases, such as bus or train tickets and Uber or Lyft rides, so you can get the bonus rewards on this expense too.

Maximizing your redemptions

American Express Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for travel, gift cards, and statement credits. If you want to book travel, it's easy to use the Amex travel portal and use the “Pay with Points” option to cover trip costs instead of paying out-of-pocket.

Because American Express points can be transferred to other loyalty programs, including hotel and airline programs, you should also compare which redemption option will get you the most bang for your buck.

Often, transferred points are worth more than if you redeem them through Amex directly. While booking through the American Express travel portal, for example, points are generally found to be worth about a cent each. But if you use points with a transfer partner like the Delta SkyMiles program, they could be worth more.

Amex Green transfer partners

Most Membership Rewards points transfer at a 1:1 ratio with these travel partners, with some exceptions. With the following airlines, you could use your Amex rewards to book nearly free airfare.

If you want to use your Amex Membership Rewards for your lodging, you can transfer to these hotel loyalty programs.

American Express^® Green Card FAQs

Other cards to consider

If you'll use the CLEAR Plus and LoungeBuddy statement credits, getting the Amex Green is a no-brainer, as it will more than pay for itself. If you are a frequent traveler, though, you may want to look into higher-end cards from other credit card issuers that could offer added perks and make one of these the best card for your travel lifestyle.

As explained above, the American Express^® Gold Card charges a higher $325 annual fee that's higher than the Amex Green's $150 fee. But it also provides you with 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, after that 1X), 4X at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X), 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com, 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases. The Amex Gold Card defines travel more narrowly than the Green Card in terms of what you can get bonus rewards for, and it provides statement credits for different things than the Green Card does.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, on the other hand, has a lower annual fee than the Amex Green at just $95. Cardmembers earn 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases. 

You also get a 25% bonus for redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel℠, which can make your points more valuable. Additionally, the Sapphire Preferred offers new cardholders a robust welcome offer. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (that's worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel). Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year. 

You can compare the Amex Green vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred cards directly to determine which better suits your needs.

Powerful Benefits with a Low Annual Fee

American Express^® Green Card

4.6

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

American Express^® Green Card

4.6

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Why We Like It

Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months

See rates and fees | Terms Apply

See how these cards compare:

American Express® Gold Card

• Robust rewards for dining out and U.S. supermarket purchases
• Offers great travel rewards and benefits
• See rates and fees | Terms Apply

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

• Generous welcome offer valued at up to $1,050 when redeemed via Chase Travel
• High rewards on dining and bookings via Chase Travel
• 25% more value when redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel
• Up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel
• Receive valuable travel protections like trip delay reimbursement and primary rental car insurance