American Express Green

If this link brings you to another card click on “View all Cards with a Referral Offer” to find the Green

By: Randy Clinton
Last updated Feb 18th, 2022

The American Express Green card is great for individuals looking to maximize Membership Rewards points through spending on travel, transit, and restaurants.

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    Sign Up Bonus + Annual Fee

    American Express is quite tricky when it comes to sign up bonus (SUBs). Location, VPN use (to spoof location), browser cookies, and relationship with American Express all can affect the offer you see. Try using the “Pre-Qualify” or “Check for Offers” button on the American Express site to check to see if there are more competitive offers. If you don’t find a more competitive offer, please consider using our referral links.

    Please read the Membership Rewards Points Guide prior to applying.

    Review

    The American Express Green card has great multipliers for people living in big cities who use transit and/or travel seldom.

    Who is this card for?

    This card is definitely centered around people who are out and about. In my opinion, this card heavily favors people in big cities because often times, they rely on Uber/Lyft, eating out, or getting takeout for food. These activities all have the three major spend multiplies in common. It is also good for those looking to beef up their multipliers to pair with an American Express Platinum Card.

    The Green card does not have a path to a no annual fee card, you can upgrade to Gold or Platinum, which have annual fees. That being said, this is typically a keep or cancel card. If you want a Platinum or a Gold card, it would be best to simply apply rather than upgrade. Unlike with Chase, you do not need another card with “superpowers” to make use of the points. American Express has many transfer partners that you can use your points with. The card has an annual fee of $150, but comes with $200 in credits via a $100 credit from LoungeBuddy and a $100 credit for Clear each year. That’s an effective annual fee of -$50, plus the SUB and all the easy multipliers to earn points. This card doesn’t have all of the premium travel perks, but it has enough to make a small trip here and there more enjoyable for the casual traveler.

    Multipliers

    • 3x On Restaurants (including takeout and delivery)

    • 3x On Transit

    • 3x On Travel

    • 1x On everything else

    Benefits

    • $100 Lounge buddy

    • $100 Clear credit

    • 1 to 1 Transfer Partners

    • No foreign transaction fee

    • Various travel, shopping, and phone Insurance

    Travel Insurance

    If something happens while you’re on a trip, it is definitely good to have travel insurance. If your situation falls under the category of covered instances, you will be covered just because you used your Green card for your purchase.

    Before you go on a spending spree for lost luggage or one of the items that appears to be listed here or on the benefits page, please call American Express customer service to be sure that your situation meets their requirements.

    Shopping Insurance

    The Green card might not have good multipliers for purchases for things on eBay or sketchy sites that you might not trust, but sometimes, it is worth it. About 5 years ago a friend of mine wanted an iPhone; we looked on eBay and found one that seemed like it was a good buy. Unfortunately, it had a few scratches on it and my friend did not exactly want it. To make things worse, the seller did not take returns, so we felt like we were in a tough spot, thanks to this return protection benefit, we got all of our money back, and got to keep the phone. Every case may have varying results and it is important to pay attention to American Express terms and conditions.

    Often times when I buy expensive electronics I buy an extended warranty, but with this card you get one just for using it. You will also be covered for 90 days on eligible purchase even if you lose something you purchased!

    ShopRunner

    When I’m not shopping on Amazon, I sometimes consider how long it is going to take to arrive. With ShopRunner you can get free 2 day shipping on eligible items, from specific stores at no cost to you. All you need to do is enroll from the benefits tab. I have used this benefit with Ebags, Calvin Klein, and Adidas!

    Summary

    The American Express Green card is a good entry-tier travel card within the American Express brand because it offers acceptable multipliers on food and travel. The credits equal $200 and the annual fee is $150, making it a fairly good card to break even on. It is the cheapest charge card that American Express offers, with the capability of transferring to hotel and airline partners.

    If you think this card would be a good fit for you, please consider using our referral link below.

    If this link brings you to another card click on “View all Cards with a Referral Offer” to find the Green