The Amex Green Card has a $150 annual fee, earns 3X on travel, transit, and dining, gives a 40,000-point welcome bonus after $3,000 in 6 months, and includes $309 in annual credits (CLEAR Plus + LoungeBuddy). Here's the honest math.
TL;DR
- The Amex Green Card has a $150 annual fee and earns 3X on travel, transit, and dining, one of the broadest 3X setups around since the transit category covers everyday transportation, not just flights.
- Welcome bonus: 40,000 Membership Rewards points after $3,000 in spend within 6 months.
- Annual credits actually exceed the fee: $209 CLEAR Plus + $100 LoungeBuddy = $309.
- Points are Amex Membership Rewards, transferable to airline and hotel partners.
- Worth it if you use CLEAR or buy lounge passes and you spend on travel, transit, or dining.
The Amex Green Card lives in the shadow of the Gold and Platinum, but it has a quietly strong pitch: a broad 3X category and enough credits to wipe out its own fee.
3X Membership Rewards on travel, transit, and dining. The travel and dining 3X is common, but the transit category is unusually wide for a travel card, covering everyday transportation like rideshare and public transit rather than just airfare. That makes the Green a useful everyday card for anyone living in a city. If a hard credit check is a dealbreaker, the United MileagePlus Debit Rewards Card offers a no-credit-check way to start earning airline miles instead.
40,000 Membership Rewards points after $3,000 in spend within 6 months. The 6-month window is generous, so the bar to earn it is low. Membership Rewards transfer to Amex's airline and hotel partners, so the real value depends on how you redeem. The same math applies whenever an airline runs a fare sale. See our breakdown of Southwest's Mother's Day flight sale for a recent example of when paying cash beats redeeming points.
The $150 fee looks steep until you add up the credits:
That is $309 in annual credits against a $150 fee. If you already use CLEAR, the card pays for itself on that credit alone.
If you use CLEAR, yes. The $209 credit alone more than covers the fee, and the 3X transit category is genuinely useful day to day. If you do not use CLEAR or buy lounge passes, the math is weaker, and it is worth comparing against the Amex Gold, which leans into everyday dining and grocery spend. Decide on the credits first. For a broader look at how outlets rank cards like this one, see our coverage of U.S. News & World Report's Credit Card Awards.
What is the Amex Green Card welcome bonus? 40,000 Membership Rewards points after $3,000 in purchases within 6 months of opening.
What is the annual fee? $150.
What does it earn? 3X Membership Rewards on travel, transit, and dining.
What credits does it include? Up to $209/year in CLEAR Plus reimbursement and $100/year in LoungeBuddy credit.