American Express® Green Card

The new American Express Green Card is a decent travel and restaurant rewards credit card for people with good or excellent credit who want a card for everyday purchases. Amex Green is a charge card, after all, which means cardholders generally cannot carry a balance from month to month and must instead pay the bill in full by the due date in order to continue making purchases.

The Amex Green Card’s revamp included several important changes, from higher rewards-earning rates on purchases and new opportunities to earn bonuses to a new fee structure. The Green American Express Card now offers 3 points per $1 spent on all travel purchases as well at restaurants worldwide, in addition to 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. Cardholders can also take advantage of up to $200 in bonus credits each year, with even more available the first year an account is open.

One of the biggest downsides of the American Express Green Card is its hefty annual fee: $150. At least the new version no longer charges a foreign transaction fee for international use. Amex Green does still generally require payment in full each billing period, however. That’s why people who need help with financing should explore other options.

Keep reading below to learn more. You’ll find all the key data points you’ll need to determine whether submitting an American Express Green Card application is the right move in your situation.

American Express Green Card Review Highlights:

• Initial Bonus: 30,000 points

The American Express Green Card’s initial bonus is worth roughly $240, based on the average redemption value of Amex Membership Rewards points. The average credit card welcome bonus equals roughly 22318 points/miles or $207 cash back. To receive the bonus, you need to spend $2,000 in the first 3 months.

• Regular Rewards Rate: 1 - 3 points / $1

Amex Green gives 3 points per $1 spent on all travel-related purchases. A purchase simply has to be made from a travel-focused company to qualify, but some examples that Amex gives include airfare, hotel reservations, ridesharing, and public transit. Accommodations booked on third-party travel comparison websites count, too. Purchases made at restaurants also yield 3 points per $1 spent. And unlike the restaurant rewards on some other American Express cards, the bonus earning rate applies to dining worldwide – not just at restaurants in the U.S.

All purchases that fall outside of those two bonus rewards categories get you 1 point per $1 spent. To put things in terms of actual currency, 3 points per $1 spent is roughly equal to 2.4% cash back, while 1 point per $1 is worth less than 1% cash back – the baseline for most rewards cards.

• Annual Fee: $150

The American Express Green Card’s annual fee is nearly eight times higher than the average credit card’s membership charge. So, you have to ask yourself, will Amex Green turn out to be eight times more rewarding than the best credit cards with no annual fee, based on your particular spending habits? For most people, the answer will be no.

• Foreign Transaction Fee:  0%

Amex Green won’t cost you extra when making purchases processed internationally, whether you are traveling abroad or buying from internationally based merchants while in the U.S. That hasn’t always been the case.

• Credit Limit: No Preset Spending Limit (NPSL)

The American Express Green Card’s limit varies based on each cardholder’s spending and payment habits as well as overall economic conditions. That’s because the card has a feature known as No Preset Spending Limit, which is common among charge cards. You generally won’t know exactly what your credit limit is when using this card, which can create some practical problems for people.

• Credit Score Needed: 700+ (Good credit or better)

The American Express Green Card’s credit score requirement is standard for an American Express credit card, all of which require a minimum of good credit for approval, if not excellent credit outright. Although it’s possible to get approved with a lower score, we recommend a credit score of 700+ for the best odds of success.

• Other Requirements: SSN & U.S. mailing address

In addition to a good or excellent credit score, the American Express Green Card’s requirements for approval include being 18+ years old, having a Social Security number, living in the U.S., and earning much more income than you spend on debt payments and other major expenses.

• Travel Benefits & Other Perks: Up to $200 in annual credits

Cardholders enjoy up to $100 per year in credits for membership in the biometric airport screening service CLEAR. They also get up to $100 per year in credits for LoungeBuddy purchases in order to save on airport lounge access. 

• Card Material: 70% recycled plastic

The new Amex Green Card is not made of metal. Rather, it lives up to its name by helping to promote clean oceans. The recycled plastic that the Green Card is now constructed of was taken from oceans, beaches and coastal areas.

Bottom Line: Is the Amex Green Card Worth It? The Amex Green Card is worth it if you have a 700+ credit score, spend a lot on travel and dining out, and don’t need to carry a balance from month to month. In that situation, the card should save you a lot more than it costs you at the end of the day.

However, if you only plan on having one card in your wallet, choosing Amex Green probably would not be worth it. That would mean missing out on some of the best rewards credit cards on the market, which have similar approval requirements.