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Credit Cards

American Express Green Card is now offering a 60,000-point bonus plus up to $200 back on travel

This offer is more than enough to book a round-trip flight to Europe or three round-trip domestic flights.

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Kara Birnbaum / CNBC

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Travel credit cards that earn flexible rewards are one of the best types of rewards credit cards, especially if you aren't completely sure what you want to do with your rewards. And right now, a top-tier American Express travel card has an interesting new welcome offer.

The American Express® Green Card has an increased welcome bonus of 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Cardholders will also earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during the first six months of card membership (up to $200 back as a statement credit).

That's a great deal for a card that already earns bonus points for travel, transit and dining purchases. Plus, it earns Amex Membership Rewards® Points, which can be used to book just about any type of travel.

Below, CNBC Select has the details on what you need to know about the new offer and how it compares to the previous offer.

American Express® Green Card

Information about the has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
  • Rewards

    3X Membership Rewards® points on travel, transit purchases, and on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and 1X Membership Rewards® points on all other eligible purchases

  • Welcome bonus

    Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.

  • Annual fee

    $150

  • Intro APR

    Not applicable

  • Regular APR

    See Pay Over Time APR

  • Balance transfer fee

    N/A

  • Foreign transaction fee

    None

  • Credit needed

    Excellent/Good

  • Terms apply.

Pros

  • Up to $189 credit for a CLEAR® Plus membership each year
  • Up to $100 credit toward purchases with LoungeBuddy each year
  • No foreign transaction fees

Cons

  • $150 annual fee
  • No lounge access

New Amex Green Card welcome bonus

  • New offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
  • Old offer: Earn 30,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.

The current Amex Green Card's 60,000-point welcome bonus is double the typical welcome offer we've seen for this card. You'll also have a full six months to meet the $3,000 minimum spending requirement to earn the intro bonus, which works out to a reasonable $500 a month. And this is an even better deal once you factor in the potential to earn up to $200 in statement credits, which could more than offset the card's $150 annual fee (see rates and fees).

You can earn the intro offer statement credits on travel and transit purchases (20% back up to the maximum return). Travel and transit purchases include flights, hotels, tours, car rentals, ride shares, buses, subways, vacation rentals, purchases at Amextravel.com and more.

With 60,000 Amex points, you have all sorts of options thanks to the wide range of Membership Rewards transfer partners. You can transfer points to:

  • Iberia and book a round-trip off-peak ticket from New York, Chicago or Boston to Madrid for 34,000 points in economy or 68,000 points in business class
  • Virgin Atlantic to book a one-way Delta One business-class flight for 50,000 points
  • Aeroplan to book three round-trip domestic flights on United (under 1,500 miles each way) for 60,000 miles or a one-way business-class flight to Europe (under 4,000 miles) for 60,000 miles

Alternatively, you can pay for flights with points at a rate of one cent per point when you book through Amex Travel. Amex points also transfer to hotels like Hilton, Choice and Marriott. Hotel transfers can be useful at times, but you'll usually get better value by transferring Amex points to the right airline partner.

Don't miss: Here are the best ways to redeem Amex Membership Rewards points on flights, hotels and more

Amex Green Card features

Amex Green cardholders earn Membership Rewards points at the following rates:

  • 3X points on eligible travel, transit and at restaurants worldwide
  • 1X points on all other purchases.

Amex Green card members can also get up to $289 in annual statements, including credits for:

  • CLEAR® Plus membership: Get up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for a CLEAR membership with your card.
  • Lounge access: Receive up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year for LoungeBuddy purchases.

It's also a great card to use when you're traveling because it has no foreign transaction fees. Not only that but when you pay for a trip with the card, you'll get* baggage insurance and trip delay insurance.

Find the best credit card for you by reviewing offers in our credit card marketplace or get personalized offers via CardMatch™.

Here's how banks finance credit card rewards
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Who is paying for your credit card rewards?

How to qualify for the Amex Green welcome bonus

To be approved for the Amex Green Card you'll typically need a good to excellent credit score. However, other factors are also considered, including your income and history with Amex.

Amex also limits cardholders to earning one welcome bonus per card per lifetime. That means if you've ever had an Amex Green or currently have an Amex Green card, you're not eligible to earn this welcome bonus. However, having other Amex cards, like the American Express® Gold Card, won't disqualify you from taking advantage of this offer.

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Bottom line

The American Express Green Card has a new increased welcome bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first six months of account opening. On top of that, you can also earn up to $200 in statement credits for travel and transit purchases. You'll earn the statement credits as a 20% rebate on eligible travel and transit purchases you make in the first six months of having the card.

This is an excellent offer that's worth more than double the typical offer we see on this card.

Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cardsbanking and money, and follow us on TikTokFacebookInstagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Green Card, click here.

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/ benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
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