All information about the American Express Green Card® has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
The American Express® Gold Card and the American Express Green Card are both best used to earn rewards to put toward flights. Though they’re a little pricier than other rewards credit cards with respective $325 (see rates and fees) and $150 annual fees, the Gold Card’s premium makes sense given that it doubles as a grocery card.
Despite the price, the Gold Card will be the best option for most cardholders because of its superior rewards program, welcome offer and other perks. Both cards dole out Membership Rewards points, which can make redeeming rewards trickier than classic cash-back credit cards, so both of these cards are best for frequent travelers. But there’s more to consider when deciding which one is ultimately right for you.
Annual fees
WINNER
American Express Green Card®
- $150
American Express® Gold Card
- $325
These cards are both slightly pricier than your average rewards credit card. They aren’t quite in the $400-plus category of premium cards, but $150 (Green Card) and $325 (Gold Card) are both significantly more than the closest competing travel credit cards, like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card* and the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card which come in at $95 annually.
As always, you’ll want to make sure the rewards and perks will make the cost of the annual fee worth your while. Alternatively, you can apply for credit cards with no annual fee.
Welcome offers
American Express Green Card®
- Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express Green Card® within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
WINNER
American Express® Gold Card
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
The Gold Card has a higher welcome offer. However, the Green Card’s welcome offer requires a lower spending threshold, requiring you to spend only $3,000 in eligible purchases on your card in the first six months of card membership -- a full $3,000 less than the Gold Card’s $6,000 minimum spend requirement for the same timeframe.
Consider your normal spending habits to ensure you’ll be able to reach the welcome offer. If you can easily spend $6,000 or more in six months, the Gold Card’s welcome offer will be more valuable. But if you think you’ll struggle to reach that spending threshold through your normal spending, you may be better off getting the Green Card.
Also consider how you would redeem the welcome offer to get the best value. American Express values Membership Rewards points redeemed for flights booked through Amex Travel at 1 cent per point, and for statement credits at 0.6 cent per point. So 60,000 Membership Rewards points would be worth $600 if redeemed for flights through American Express Travel, but would only be worth $360 if redeemed for a statement credit.
Rewards
American Express Green Card®
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® Points on transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® points on all other purchases.
WINNER
American Express® Gold Card
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
The Gold earns more rewards on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, while the Green earns more rewards on transit and some travel purchases. Transit includes trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses and subways. If you commute a lot, the Green Card’s rewards programs may make more sense to you. Otherwise, the Gold covers more basic rewards categories.
Remember that the same redemption rates apply for Amex’s Membership Rewards points: You’ll get a value of 1 cent per point if you redeem your rewards for flights through American Express Travel, but significantly less for most other redemption options.
Annual credits
American Express Green Card®
- Up to $199 CLEAR® Plus statement credit for airport security expediting (subject to auto-renewal)
- Up to $100 LoungeBuddy statement credit for airport lounge access purchased through LoungeBuddy
WINNER
American Express® Gold Card
- Up to $120 annual dining statement credit (up to $10 per month) for Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Five Guys
- Up to $120 annual Uber Cash (up to $10 per month) good for either rides or Uber Eats in the U.S.
- Up to $100 Resy credit (up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually) to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases
- Annual $84 Dunkin’ credit (up to $7 in statement credits per month)
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
This one is trickier to determine. For the Green credits, CLEAR® Plus is less popular than TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, and single-use passes through LoungeBuddy typically cost $40 to $50. If you regularly purchase one-day lounge passes and value CLEAR® Plus membership, the Green Card offers good credit value, but we think the dining credit and Uber Cash will do more good for the broadest group of people.
Travel perks
American Express Green Card®
WINNER
American Express® Gold Card
Both cards offer car rental loss and damage insurance**, lost baggage insurance**, trip delay insurance** and a 24/7 global assist hotline. The Gold Card also grants access to the Hotel Collection -- a curated list of hotels which you can reserve through AmEx. If you stay at least two nights at a Hotel Collection property, you receive up to a $100 experience credit with the Gold Card for qualifying spa, dining, or resort activities (experience credit varies by property).
How American Express® Gold Card and American Express Green Card® compare to other cards
CNET’S PICK
60,000 points + earn up to $100 back Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
- $325
- See Pay Over Time APR
- N/A
- Good – Excellent
1x – 4x Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.; Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.; Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.; Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.; Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Annual fee
APR
Intro Purchase APR
Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
Earn 40,000 points Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express Green Card® within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- $150
- 21.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
- N/A
- Good – Excellent
1x – 3x Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.; Earn 3X Membership Rewards® Points on transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.; Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US.; Earn 1X Membership Rewards® points on all other purchases.
Annual fee
APR
Intro Purchase APR
Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
Earn 75,000 + $250 in Travel Credit Earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- $95
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- N/A
- Good – Excellent
2x – 5x 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
Annual fee
APR
Intro Purchase APR
Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
The bottom line
The Gold Card is more expensive, but it will also offer better value for most consumers. The Green Card is more travel-focused -- but other travel credit cards will most likely be better options.
FAQs
The Hotel Collection is a curated list of properties where American Express cardholders can book stays. Upon check-in, you’ll receive a free upgrade if available, and for two-night stays or longer, you’ll receive up to a $100 credit for qualifying resort activities, depending on the specific location.
Membership Rewards points can typically be redeemed for airline travel, hotels, statement credits, gift cards and more. Air travel and gift cards will generally net the highest values, but each card has its own redemption rates. Check out our breakdown of Membership Rewards point values for more information.
The CLEAR® program allows you to bypass designated airport security lines. It uses biometic information like an eye scan or fingerprint identification to quickly identify you. It only takes a few minutes to sign up. You can find more information in our comparison of Clear, TSA Precheck and Global Entry.
For rates and fees of the American Express Gold Card, click here.
*All information about the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
**Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
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