Earn 30,000 bonus points with the American Express® Green Card

The American Express® Green Card recently got a totally new rewards rate, benefits and annual fee. Along with the facelift, the Green card temporarily offered a limited-time introductory bonus. While the offer has since expired, the current bonus is still one of the highest that has existed in the card’s history.

Right now, new Amex Green cardholders can score 30,000 points for spending $2,000 in the first three months of card ownership.

What is the American Express Green Card worth in the first year?

The Amex Green card used to have a rewards rate that was falling out of style, but the refresh has injected some much-needed value. Now, young travelers looking for their first travel credit card have another great option to choose from – one with a competitive rewards rate and plentiful travel benefits.

On the downside, the card’s annual fee also increased, limiting how much you can get out of the card’s credits.

American Express® Green Card
Why should you get this card? The American Express Green Card is a solid choice for travel-minded cardholders who want to earn points while sticking to a budget. Read full review	Rewards rate 3 points per dollar on travel, transit and dining worldwide 1 point per dollar on other purchases Introductory bonus 30,000 points if you spend $2,000 in first 3 months Annual fee $150 Estimated earnings in first year ($15,900 spend) $705

The American Express Green Card has a high annual fee for many spenders, but it also comes with a couple of travel credits to help offset that cost. Every year, cardholders can receive up to $100 to cover the cost of a CLEAR membership as well as up to $100 toward purchases with LoungeBuddy.

Recent changes to the American Express Green Card

For the first several months after its relaunch, the American Express Green card had a limited-time welcome bonus, that has since expired. Because the refreshed card is still new, we don’t know if there will be similar offers in the future.

It is worth noting here that American Express frequently runs targeted offers on their cards. While it is hard to track everything available, you can often find a better deal on the American Express site or through tools like CardMatch.

For example, we found this offer on CardMatch on Nov. 12, 2019, for 45,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first three months.

Who is eligible for the introductory offer?

American Express is one of the stricter issuers when it comes to awarding introductory bonuses. If you currently or have ever owned the American Express Green Card, you don’t qualify for the welcome offer.

Because of this “once per lifetime” rule, you should ensure you are getting good deal when you apply for the card.

Redemption options for the American Express Green Card

The Amex Green earns Membership Rewards points – which can be incredibly valuable if you redeem them strategically. Just keep in mind that the value of your points changes drastically depending on which redemption option you choose.

Transfer options with the American Express Green Card

In addition to the standard redemption options listed above, the Amex Green card allows users to transfer their points to one of 19 travel partners.

Since many of these hotel and airline partners offer a point value higher than 1 cent – this can be a great way to use up your rewards. However, you will be charged an excise tax offset fee of 0.06 cents per point transferred.

Nevertheless, we estimate you can stretch your rewards a long way by transferring points – getting up to $648 of value out of a 30,000-point intro bonus.

Should you apply for the American Express Green Card now?

With a newly revamped earning rate, now is a great time to apply for the American Express Green Card – even though the limited-time offer that accompanied the relaunch is no longer available. Since Amex only allows cardholders to receive a welcome offer for a particular card once in their lifetime – it is always a good idea to apply when the bonus is competitive.

Plus, keep in mind that you might be able to score an even higher bonus via a targeted offer on the American Express site or CardMatch.