American Express Green Card vs. Amex EveryDay Credit Card
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Key takeaways
- The American Express Green Card and Amex EveryDay Credit Card are both great options for someone who wants to earn Membership Rewards points without a hefty annual fee.
- The American Express Green Card offers a strong rewards rate but comes with a $150 annual fee, while the Amex EveryDay Credit Card has no annual fee but doesn't earn as many points.
- For those who travel often, the American Express Green Card is likely worth the annual fee.
- Those looking for a daily-use card that earns extra points at U.S. supermarkets should consider the Amex EveryDay Credit Card.
If you’re in the market for a card that earns points in the American Express Membership Rewards program, there are numerous options to consider. However, some cards in this program come with high annual fees (up to $695) due to their cardholder perks, rewards rates and overall value proposition.
The American Express® Green Card and The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card are two cards that earn Membership Rewards points with a lower annual cost. While the American Express Green Card charges an annual fee of $150, the Amex EveryDay Credit Card lets you earn Amex points with no annual fee at all.
If you’re ready to start earning flexible rewards from Amex, but you’re not sure which of these two cards to sign up for, read on to learn how they compare in the most important categories.
Main details
| American Express Green Card | Amex EveryDay Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome offer | Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of card membership | Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $2,000 on purchases within your first 6 months of card membership |
| Rewards rate | 3X Membership Rewards points on travel (including hotels, cruises, car rentals and travel purchases booked through third-party websites and through American Express Travel); 3X points on transit (including including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses and subways); 3X points at restaurants worldwide; 1X points on all other purchases | 2X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1X points); 2X points on travel purchases booked through American Express Travel; 1X points on all other purchases; Get a 20% bonus on your points when you use your card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period |
| Intro APR | 21.24%–29.24% variable APR | 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months from the date of account opening (18.24%–29.24% variable APR thereafter) |
| Foreign transaction fees | None | 2.7% |
| Annual fee | $150 | $0 |
American Express Green Card vs. Amex EveryDay Credit Card highlights
Because one of these cards charges an annual fee and the other doesn’t, it might seem like an easy choice between the two. But, there are still other metrics to consider. For example, how can the rewards rate and welcome offer make up for the annual fee — and what other factors could help you save money or end up ahead?
Welcome offer winner: American Express Green Card
The American Express Green Card boasts a welcome offer of 40,000 points for those who can spend $3,000 on purchases within six months of account opening. While $3,000 might seem steep, the math still comes out in favor of the American Express Green Card. At a rate of spending $500 a month for those first six months, you’d get a welcome offer that’s four times the size of the welcome offer on the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, yet you’d only need to spend $1,000 more overall.
Considering the value of Amex Membership Rewards points can be up to 2 cents each when redeemed with travel partners, the welcome offer on the Amex Green Card can be worth up to $800. That compares favorably to the welcome offer on the Amex EveryDay, which can be worth up to $200.
Rewards rate winner: American Express Green Card
The American Express Green Card also comes out ahead due to its rewards rate, which extends more points in its highest categories and doesn’t have earning caps. Those who sign up for this card can earn 3X points at restaurants worldwide, as well as on transit and travel-related purchases. Cardholders also earn a flat rate of 1X points on everything else.
By contrast, the Amex EveryDay offers 2X points on up to $6,000 in spending at U.S. supermarkets each year (then 1X points), 2X points on travel purchases booked through American Express Travel and 1X points on all other purchases.
While you do get a 20 percent points-bonus each billing cycle with the Amex EveryDay if you use your card 20 or more times, that still brings your highest earning rate to up to 2.4X points. The bonus rewards cap on U.S. supermarket spending also limits your earning potential substantially.
Annual Fee winner: Amex EveryDay Credit Card
Simply put, the Amex EveryDay wins for its annual fee because it doesn’t have one. That makes this card a great option for anyone who is fee-averse, as well as those who don’t think they’ll earn enough in rewards to make up for any added charges.
Intro APR winner: Amex EveryDay Credit Card
The Amex EveryDay also offers a 0 percent intro APR on purchases for 15 months, followed by a variable APR of 18.24 percent to 29.24 percent. The savings from this offer can be substantial if you need to make a large purchase and pay it down over time, or if you may need to carry a balance when cash is tight.
By contrast, the American Express Green Card does not offer an introductory APR period, and its variable APR range has a higher starting minimum of 21.24 percent.
Which card earns the most?
If you’re wondering which card will leave you “ahead” in terms of rewards, that really depends on which categories you spend the most in. Consider this spending example and how it might apply to your spending habits and rewards goals:
For the purpose of this example, we assume a family of four with two adults under the age of 50 and two kids ages 9 and 11 and a moderate average food spend of $1,352.50 a month (or $16,230 a year), according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Building on that scenario, let’s imagine you also spend $300 a month ($3,600 a year) dining out, $4,000 a year on two family vacations and $1,500 a year on transit — like trains, buses, subways and rideshares. Separately, say you also use your card for $12,000 a year in miscellaneous purchases.
With the Amex Green Card, you could earn a total of 55,530 Amex Membership Rewards points per year:
- 16,230 points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets
- 10,800 points at restaurants
- 12,000 points on family vacations
- 4,500 points on transit
- 12,000 points on other purchases
If you also earned the welcome offer, your first-year rewards haul could add up to 95,530 points.
With the Amex EveryDay, your total would vary based on how often you earned the 20 percent spending bonus. If you used your card for at least 20 purchases every billing cycle and gained 20 percent more points on everything you spent, you could earn a total of 56,796 Membership Rewards points per year:
- 26,676 points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets
- 4,320 points at restaurants
- 9,600 points on family vacations (booked through Amextravel.com)
- 1,800 points on transit
- 14,400 points on other purchases
If you also earned the welcome offer, your first-year rewards haul could add up to 66,796 points.
Why should you get the American Express Green Card?
While the Amex Green Card offers a better rewards potential for most people, there are additional factors to consider outside of each card’s earning rate. Here are some other details to keep in mind as you decide between these two American Express cards.
Additional benefits
If you travel even some of the time, you’ll love the benefits offered by the American Express Green Card. Not only do you get up to a $189 yearly credit toward a CLEAR Plus membership and up to $100 in credits toward the LoungeBuddy airport lounge membership program, but you also get a baggage insurance plan, secondary auto rental coverage, access to a Global Assist hotline, purchase protection against damage or theft and extended warranties on eligible items that come with a manufacturer’s warranty.
And, as we mentioned already, the American Express Green Card does not charge foreign transaction fees when you use it for purchases abroad.
Redemption options
You can redeem Amex Membership Rewards points in many different ways, including for gift cards, merchandise or travel through the Amex travel portal. You can also transfer your points to Amex airline and hotel partners.
Recommended credit score
Consumers will need good or excellent credit to qualify for the American Express Green Card. While the card issuer doesn’t publish their standards, your approval odds will increase if your credit score is 700 or higher.
Why should you get the Amex EveryDay Credit Card?
If you’re after an Amex Everyday credit card with no annual fee, the Amex EveryDay should be at the top of your list. Here are some other details to keep in mind as you decide:
Additional benefits
One of the biggest benefits of the Amex EveryDay is its introductory 0 percent APR offer on purchases, which lasts for 15 months (18.24 percent to 29.24 percent variable APR thereafter). Beyond that offer, cardholders also qualify for a variety of other benefits, such as secondary auto rental coverage, access to a Global Assist hotline and Amex dispute resolution.
Redemption options
The Amex EveryDay Credit Card lets you access all the same Membership Rewards redemption options as the American Express Green Card, including for point transfers to airlines and hotels.
Recommended credit score
Consumers will need good or excellent credit to qualify for the Amex EveryDay Credit Card. While the card issuer doesn’t publish their standards, your approval odds will increase if your credit score is 700 or higher.
The bottom line
Deciding between these two rewards cards can be quite a challenge. If you’re looking for a good travel rewards credit card that gives you plenty of opportunities to earn 3X points, then the American Express Green Card might be better for you, even with the $150 annual fee. If you’re not as interested in travel and want a simple card that can earn you points on common purchases, then the Amex EveryDay Card might be the right choice.
But, you don’t have to choose between them if you don’t want to. American Express will actually let you get both if you wait a while between sign ups, and this strategy makes sense since the Amex EveryDay doesn’t charge an annual fee.
Even so, you may also want to compare other rewards credit cards, including other cards from American Express. The right card (or combination of cards) is out there, but you may have to do some digging to know for sure.
Information about the American Express® Green Card and Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
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