7 Min Read | Last updated: August 24, 2023
American Express® Green Card Benefits and Requirements
The American Express Green Card is available exclusively at Amex. Here’s how to get it – plus a rundown of its rewarding travel and dining benefits.
At-A-Glance
The American Express Green Card is a rewarding card for travelers who want to maximize their points-earning potential and enjoy essential travel benefits.
But take note: The Card is now available exclusively at American Express.
Long before The American Express® Gold Card or The Platinum Card®, there was Green. For more than half a century, The American Express Green Card has been the card that practical travelers never left home without. And for good reason: Green from Amex offers essential rewards and benefits for those who savor experiences away from home – whether traveling with friends, trying out new restaurants, or taking a relaxing weekend to get away from it all.
In recent years, potential Green from Amex Card Members could apply for the Card through a variety of affiliates. But right now the Card is available exclusively at Amex. Read on for an overview of its benefits, plus how to apply.
Terms apply to all offers and benefits listed below and all offers are subject to change.
How to Earn Membership Rewards® Points with The American Express Green Card
Green from Amex can help Card Members maximize their points with several practical points multipliers:
- 3X points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, including takeout or delivery in the U.S.
- 3X points on transit worldwide, from taxis and trains to tolls and beyond.
- 3X points on travel purchases, including airfare, car rentals, hotels, and home shares.
Card Members will also get 1X points on all other eligible purchases.
How Green from Amex Helps Make Travel Stress-Free
Of course, points are only part of the picture. The American Express Green Card offers several essential travel perks to help make each trip better. For example, Card Members can enjoy a $189 CLEAR® credit – an annual statement credit that effectively covers up to $189 of a CLEAR Plus membership when charged to your American Express Green Card (Excluding any applicable taxes. Subject to auto-renewal).
What’s more, the annual $100 LoungeBuddy Credit can help make time spent in airports more comfortable. Card Members can earn up to $100 in statement credits every calendar year when using the American Express Green Card to purchase lounge access directly from LoungeBuddy, either through the LoungeBuddy website or LoungeBuddy app. LoungeBuddy is an airport lounge service that aims to provide any traveler with the ability to find, book, and enjoy premium airport lounges around the world – with no need for a lounge membership, premium credit card, or first-class ticket.
To top it off, when you use the Card outside of the United States Amex will not charge any foreign transaction fees.1 However, there may be circumstances in which a merchant or ATM charges a fee on foreign transactions.
Pay Your Way with Green from Amex
Aside from rewards and perks, credit cards are known and loved for their added flexibility when managing your budget. Green from Amex takes this flexibility to another level with no preset spending limit. Unlike a traditional card with a set credit limit, the amount you can spend on your Card adapts based on factors such as your credit history, purchase history, and payment history.
Green from Amex offers more flexible ways to pay your bill, too. Of course you can pay it in full each month – the ideal choice to avoid paying interest charges. But sometimes it’s better for your monthly budget to pay off an item over time. That’s why Card Members can use the Pay Over Time2 feature to carry a balance, with interest – as long as you pay your minimum payment each month.
How Does Pay Over Time Work?
When you make purchases, eligible charges are automatically placed in your Pay Over Time balance, up to your Pay Over Time Limit. Interest is charged at your standard APR from the date of charge, unless you pay your balance in full each month by the due date.1
Card Members can also use Plan It® to select eligible large purchases and split them into monthly payments with a fixed fee. With Plan It, you can create up to 10 active payment plans, up to your Pay Over Time Limit. Each plan is subject to a plan fee, which is a fixed finance charge that accrues each month the corresponding plan is active.1 For more on how Plan It works, read “Buy Now, Pay Later with Plan It® by American Express®.”
Finally, Card Members can pay off small purchase amounts – $100 or less – throughout the month with Pay It®. Pay It payments are deducted from your outstanding balance, making this option an easy way to keep your credit utilization ratio down. Pro tip: Making multiple credit card payments every month is a common practice followed by people aiming to get a perfect credit score.
What Are The American Express Green Card Requirements?
To get Green from Amex, you’ll have to apply directly through American Express. Application requirements are standard fare. For example, you’ll need to provide information such as your name, email address, date of birth, Social Security number, and income. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and live in the United States. Potential Card Members should also be prepared to pay the Green Card’s $150 annual fee.1
Once all application requirements are fulfilled, you’ll get a decision as to whether you’re approved in as little as 30 seconds. If so, you’ll receive the Card in the mail within 7 to 10 days. And if you’re eligible, you’ll be invited to receive an instant card number so you can start making online purchases or add your actual card number to your digital wallet before your Card arrives in the mail.
Wondering the credit requirements for the American Express Green Card? As with all lending products – credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, etc. – the higher your credit score, the more likely you’ll be approved. And while it’s still possible to be approved with a lower credit score, having a good or excellent score of at least 700 can boost your chance of success.
The Takeaway
Before Gold and Platinum there was Green, the original travel and dining Card from American Express. Long loved for its essential travel benefits, Green from Amex lives on as a popular Card for those who enjoy expanding their horizons and enjoying what life has to offer. With practical points multipliers, Card Members can get rewarded for doing the things they love, while essential travel benefits can help make every trip away from home even more enjoyable.
Megan Doyle is a business technology writer and researcher whose work focuses on financial services and cross-cultural diversity and inclusion.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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The material made available for you on this website, Credit Intel, is for informational purposes only and intended for U.S. residents and is not intended to provide legal, tax or financial advice. If you have questions, please consult your own professional legal, tax and financial advisors.
