5 Best Reasons To Get the American Express Green Card in 2023

The American Express^® Green Card is an excellent rewards card in the American Express Membership Rewards Program family. It offers well-rounded bonus categories, flexible rewards, travel benefits, and much more for a relatively reasonable $150 annual fee (rates and fees).

Although the Green from Amex might often be overlooked compared to the American Express^® Gold Card and The Platinum Card^® from American Express, here are the best reasons to get the Green from Amex.

1. Sizeable Welcome Offer

One of the best perks of any new card is its welcome offer, which offers a great opportunity to earn a large chunk of points or miles much faster than you would have otherwise. This can get you closer to your next award trip much faster!

Since we value Amex Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents per point, the current limited-time welcome offer for the American Express^® Green Card is worth ~$1,520.

2. Well-Rounded Bonus Categories

With the Green from Amex, you’ll earn 3x points on restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S., 3x points on transit, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways, and 3x points on travel, including airfare, hotels, cruises, car rentals, and travel purchases on third-party travel websites.

This means the card is great at earning points on travel expenses and daily purchases that fall within the eligible restaurant and transit categories.

3. Flexible Redemption Options

We value Amex Membership Rewards points so highly because of the number of redemption options you have when you are ready to redeem points.

You could redeem points towards eligible travel purchases on AmexTravel.com or for gift cards, shopping with merchant partners, or, our favorite, transferring them to the Amex transfer partners.

When you strategically use the Amex travel transfer partners, you can book fantastic travel experiences to destinations worldwide for a fraction of what the retail price would cost.

4. $100 LoungeBuddy Credit

Usually, a credit card with airport lounge access can have an annual fee of anywhere from $450 to $695, depending on the card.

With the Green from Amex, you’ll pay an annual fee of $150 (rates and fees) and when you use the Card to purchase lounge access through LoungeBuddy you can receive up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year.

With your LoungeBuddy credit, you can pay for airport lounge access at over 300 airport lounges worldwide. Day passes for these lounges run anywhere from $30 to $50, depending on the quality of the lounge. The credit allows you to visit lounges 2 to 3 times per year thanks to your Green from Amex.

5. Priority Airport Security Screening

You’ve likely heard of TSA PreCheck, and credit cards frequently offer a credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck. The Green from Amex stands apart from the crowd by offering an annual CLEAR Plus statement credit of up to $189, which covers the full membership cost. Terms Apply.

If you’re unfamiliar, CLEAR provides an expedited security experience at select U.S. airports and stadiums using your biometrics. These biometrics replace the airport security identity screening portion, allowing you to head right to the front of the security line, saving you time and headaches.

Who Should Consider the American Express Green Card?

The Green from Amex is a great option for people who love to travel and want a card that earns travel rewards but are not interested in a premium rewards card with a high annual fee.

Similarly, the Green from Amex may be a good choice if you love having priority security screening thanks to CLEAR Plus, you purchase airport lounge access through LoungeBuddy, and your spending habits fall within the card bonus categories of dining, travel, and transit.

Final Thoughts

The Green from Amex is a fantastic card option, and we view it as one of the best Amex credit cards.

Not only is the Green from Amex a great all-around option that you could use as the primary card in your wallet, but it also pairs nicely with other credit card combinations.

Once you’ve built up a nice stash of points, you can set your sights on deciding where your next adventure will be!

American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. is acting solely as a sales agent for travel suppliers and is not responsible for the actions or inactions of such suppliers. Certain suppliers pay us commission and other incentives for reaching sales targets or other goals and may provide incentives to our Travel Consultants. For more information visit www.americanexpress.com/travelterms.

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For rates and fees of the American Express^® Green Card, click here.