The Offer
Sent out via e-mail, subject line is ‘Presenting the new American Express® Green Card:….’
- American Express is offering some people a bonus of 30,000 points after $2,000 in spend within the first three months on the American Express green card
Card Details
- Annual fee of $150 (not waived first year)
- Card earns at the following rates:
- 3x points on
- Restaurants worldwide
- Travel including flights, hotels, transit, taxis and ridesharing services.
- 1x points on all other purchases
- 3x points on
- $100 CLEAR credit per calendar year
- $100 Loungebuddy credit per calendar year
- No foreign transaction fees
- $100 Away Luggage credit (stack with $20 referral bonus)
- Contains no lifetime language
Our Verdict
If you’ve never had this card before then don’t sign up for this offer, as it’s possible to get 45,000 points instead. The real reason this bonus is interesting is because it contains no lifetime language, meaning you can get the bonus even if you’ve had the card before. Bonus itself is relatively small but keep in mind the $100 Away luggage credit and the fact you can get the CLEAR/Loungebuddy credit per calendar year (meaning you can use them twice and only pay one annual fee). Not the most exciting bonus, but still worth doing/considering if you’ve had the card before as these no lifetime bonuses are relatively rare. I won’t be adding this to the best credit card bonus page due to the fact this offer is targeted. Make sure to read this list of things everybody should know about American Express.
Hat tip to reader Ian F
Hi Everyone,
Hope this works for you too:
Try a different browser than your usual one, take out any cookies from Amex (if any left), then go to the Amex Credit Card offer site … You might get a “just for you” 45K Membership Point offer. Worked for me, instant approval for the card. Good luck !!
I currently have this card as a downgrade from another card last year and have never received a signon bonus. The annual ~$95 fee just posted. 1. Can I use the $100 Away luggage credit? 2. Am I eligible for a signon bonus if I cancel it? 3. If I’m eligible for the singon bonus, how long after canceling it do I need to wait to apply and get the signon bonus?
No, the Away luggage credit is part of the signup bonus, not a card benefit. You also won’t be eligible for the signup bonus unless you get an offer with no lifetime language. I think you can get the bonus again after like..8 years? I forget the exact number, but the DPs are out there.
Thanks for the info! It looks like I have a green business and not a green personal. Sounds like I’ll cancel the green business card.
Just plain not worth it!
So $150 fee not waived the first year so basically you are getting a $150 sign up bonus. Million cards out there that give you that.
I remember reading somewhere that the once per lifetime rule is reset after some number of years, is that true? I had a green card around 15 years ago and am wondering if I’d be able to sign up for the higher bonus with once per lifetime language.
While I cannot insult this card as artistically as the previous poster, I am passing on this targeted offer. And I’ve had the card before, so in theory I should have been very interested. But I just cannot figure out how I could ever get $150 of value from it. And to use up a 5/24 spot, the value has to be very compelling.
Then can I have your targeted offer ?
It wouldn’t work. And even if it looked like it worked, the rats will come back in a few months and chew you up.
Is it that hard to figure out you’re essentially paying $150 for 32,000-36,000 MR points plus $100 off a bag, that at a minimum, you could resell for maybe $50-$75 profit? Additionally you’ll be getting another card that can grab some AMEX offers with for a year, potentially get AU bonus offers, and then an opportunity to grab retention offers. AMEX cards are so much more valuable than other cards because of the opportunities throughout the year to earn paired with frequent and generous transfer bonuses. And if you aren’t getting any of this in 12 months you just close the card and wait for the next no lifetime language offer. AMEX doesn’t even hard pull you anymore…
5/24 is so overblown. All the offers people pass up to make sure they’re around to nab 50k UR points is mind boggling to me. AMEX is the gift that keeps on giving, I say take while the taking is good.
Reselling a bag? Seems like a big hassle. Like I said you make $150 with this card. Every little bank will give you a $150 bonus on a credit card. I have a minimum of $250 of value to open a new account.
An AU bonus is definitely not worth it as you getting a new account on your report and only getting $50.
If you’re only getting $0.01 in value per MR point or never have bought and resold something for profit you’re doing it wrong.
Additionally, you don’t get any new accounts on your report with AUs. The AUs do and if those folks are concerned about 5/24, AUs don’t count towards 5/24.
I’m pretty disappointed with how this “refresh” turned out. It always seems like the Amex cards’ benefits/rewards earn rates are just not quite enough to make the annual fees worth it. And what’s with the weird perks? I don’t need a new bag. I don’t need CLEAR. I already have lounge access with my Priority Pass thru my Citi Prestige. Who is this card even for?? When they were planning the refresh of this card, who was their target market? If you’re into travel…enough to consider selecting a card for its lounge benefits, then the Green Card would surely be overlooked in favor of the more “premium” cards from Chase and Citibank – products that don’t make you jump through hoops to get travel credits and easily get you your annual fee back with their perks.
What I wanted was a day-to-day card like the Gold except with a lower earn rate and without the so called “travel credits” (heavens forbid your incidental fees aren’t with the airline you selected 7 months ago). Why didn’t Amex just make the card 3x on gas, groceries, and restaurants? Is that so hard to do?
Next year: American Express announces the release of the Brown Card. Earn 50,000 points after you spend $50,000 in the first 12 months. Annual fee is $175§. Earn 10x points at Blockbuster Video, 5x points at Trader Joe’s, JoAnn Fabrics, and Fleming’s Steakhouse, and 3x points on diesel fuel, Park N’ Fly, Waffle House, and any business that starts with the letter “X”. Earn 1 point on everything else up to $100 a month, after that earn 1 point for every $3 spent. Cardholders get a $100 credit toward a purchase of a battery-powered leaf blower or set of giant inflatable holiday yard ornaments, $5 a month credit for 1-800-FLOWERS (Not valid in February, May, November, or December), and a free subscription to your choice of the Wall Street Journal, US Weekly, or The Motley Fool*. Plus, get a free Cinnabon and an antacid with each visit to the airport.
*only available in Mandarin and Sanskrit
§Bonus not available to applicants who have earned a bonus for this card before, whose immediate family have earned this bonus before, or whose employer or associated employees have earned or thought about earning this bonus before.
And every travel blog would value this card at $2,000 in the first year! 🎉
Funniest thing I read in a long time!!!
I got the Green card only because I wanted to keep my MR points for another year.
I got the Gold card last year and still have 10k points left that I don’t want to take out at a 30% loss. Well this post makes me feel like a fool. I really can’t trust the point valuation sites anymore. This will be my last Amex card. Fool me twice shame on me.
American express wants to know your location