American Express Classic Green Card

Think of the American Express Classic Green Card (you probably know it as the Amex Green) as the budget-friendly travel card of the Amex Membership Rewards family — without the premium price tag. For $150/year, you get 3X points on travel, transit, and restaurants worldwide, which is a lot of everyday spending covered at a solid rate. It sits below the Gold ($325) and Platinum ($895) in both cost and perks, and that's exactly the point.

Amex relaunched this card in 2019 after it spent years collecting dust as a forgotten product, and the new identity is clear: it's a streamlined travel-and-dining earner for people who want MR transfer partners without selling a kidney. It won't dazzle you with dining credits or grocery bonuses like the Gold, but its travel and transit earning combined with a CLEAR+ credit make it surprisingly competitive for commuters and frequent flyers.

Heads up: Amex stopped taking new applications for the Green on July 23, 2026, and on August 20, 2026 renamed it the American Express Classic Green Card. Existing cardholders can keep using it, and Gold or Platinum cardmembers can still product-change into it — but there's no way to apply for it fresh right now.

• 3X Membership Rewards points on travel worldwide (flights, hotels, car rentals, home shares)
• 3X points on transit worldwide (taxis, rideshares, trains, buses, tolls, parking)
• 3X points on restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.)
• 1X points on all other eligible purchases
• $219 CLEAR+ Credit: Annual statement credit covering a CLEAR+ membership for expedited airport security
• No foreign transaction fees
• Car rental loss and damage insurance
• Global Assist Hotline for travel emergencies
• Baggage insurance plan covering lost, damaged, or stolen luggage

Annual Fee: $150

Additional Card Members: No annual fee

Foreign Transaction Fee: None

Late Payment Fee: Up to $40

Pay Over Time APR: Prime Rate + 12.74% to Prime Rate + 21.74% variable (capped at 29.99%)

Here's the fun math: the $219 CLEAR+ credit literally exceeds the $150 annual fee. If you use CLEAR, this card pays you $69/year to hold it. That's rare. But — and this is a big but — CLEAR is only useful if you fly through airports that support it. If CLEAR isn't your thing, you're evaluating this card purely on its 3X earning structure against $150, which is a tighter call.

Note: This card is no longer accepting new applications. Amex pulled the Green from new applicants on July 23, 2026, so there's no welcome bonus to chase. The only way in now is a product change from the Amex Gold or Platinum, and that doesn't come with a bonus.

Before it closed, the public offer was 40,000 Membership Rewards points after you spent $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months of Card Membership.

Six months to spend $3,000 was about as relaxed as welcome bonus requirements get — that's $500/month. The 40,000 points was on the modest side, though; the card peaked at 60,000 points during past promotions. If you want a fresh MR welcome bonus today, look at the Amex Gold or Amex Platinum instead.

At 1.5–2 cents per point, those 40,000 MR points were worth roughly $600–$800 toward travel. Send them to the right partner (ANA or Virgin Atlantic, for example) and you can squeeze out even more.

All 3X earning is uncapped — no limits, no quarterly activations, no nonsense. The transit category is where this card quietly shines. It covers rideshares (Uber, Lyft), subway systems, commuter rail, parking garages, tolls, and even ferries. If you're commuting in a major city, your daily spend is racking up points on autopilot.

Compared to the Amex Gold (4X on dining, 4X on groceries), the Green earns less on food but more on travel and transit. If your wallet leans toward transportation rather than takeout, the Green is your card.

You get the full Amex Membership Rewards transfer partner network — the same partners whether you hold the Green, Gold, or Platinum:

• Airline transfers (1:1): Delta, ANA, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, Virgin Atlantic, and more (JetBlue, Emirates and Cathay Pacific transfer at 5:4)
• Hotel transfers: Hilton Honors (1:2 ratio), Marriott Bonvoy and Choice Privileges (1:1), and Leading Hotels of the World (4:1)
• Amex Travel: Book flights at 1 cpp through the portal (most hotels get just 0.7 cpp)
• Statement credits: Just 0.6 cpp (not recommended)
• Gift cards and merchandise: Variable rates, typically poor value

The real value is in airline transfers — always. Sweet spots include ANA round-trip business class to Japan from 100,000 points, Virgin Atlantic partner awards on ANA or Delta, and Avianca LifeMiles for Star Alliance flights. Having access to this network for just $150/year is genuinely a great deal.

Practical perks, nothing flashy — which is fine at this price:

• $219 CLEAR+ Credit: Covers a CLEAR+ membership for expedited identity verification at airport security and select stadiums/venues. Automatically triggered when you charge CLEAR to the card.
• No foreign transaction fees: Use freely abroad without surcharges
• Car rental loss and damage insurance: Secondary coverage for collision damage or theft on eligible rentals
• Baggage insurance: Up to $1,250 for carry-on, $500 for checked baggage
• Trip delay insurance: Up to $300 per trip when a covered delay runs more than 12 hours on a round-trip paid with the card (max 2 claims per 12 months)
• Global Assist Hotline: 24/7 emergency assistance when traveling 100+ miles from home

What you won't get: no airport lounge access (no Centurion Lounges, no Priority Pass), no airline fee credit, no hotel status, no TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit. For any of that, you're upgrading to the Platinum — and its $895 fee.

Let's be blunt: the Chase Sapphire Preferred at $95 is the biggest threat here. It gives you 3X dining (plus gas, streaming and online groceries), 2X travel, a $100 hotel credit, and Chase's transfer partners for $55 less. The Green fights back with transit earning and the CLEAR credit, but for most people, the Sapphire Preferred is the better bang for the buck — unless you specifically value Amex's partner network or commute heavily.

• City commuters whose transit spending (rideshares, subway, parking, tolls) adds up fast
• CLEAR members who turn the $219 credit into a card that pays them $69/year
• MR point collectors on a budget who want Amex's transfer partners without paying Gold or Platinum fees
• International travelers who want no foreign transaction fees and worldwide 3X earning
• Amex Gold or Platinum holders who'd rather downgrade than cancel — a product change is now the only way to get this card

Not your card if: you don't already have the Green or an Amex Gold or Platinum to downgrade from (new applications are closed), you spend heavily on groceries (get the Gold), you want lounge access or premium perks (you need the Platinum), or the Sapphire Preferred's $95 fee just makes more sense for your wallet.