the way i explain Clear to my friends is this: TSA-pre: you get a shorter line and keep your shoes on CLEAR: you skip the line TSA-pre + Clear: you skip the line while keeping your shoes on
Here's how I use my Green, Gold, and Platinum. Platinum strictly for flights and travel benefits. Gold for dining (I love being able to stack the monthly Uber credits from the Plat with the Gold) and groceries. Green is my non-flights catch-all travel card, which is a lot for me living in NYC. An alternative would be to have the Chase Sapphire Reserve that has the same 3x multipliers, but since I also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, I a) can't have the Reserve and Preferred at the same time and b) don't need the other benefits of the Reserve when you factor in the overlapping benefits of the Platinum/Preferred. The lounge and clear credit don't add value bc of the Platinum, but the Green 3x travel multiplier is worth a lot to me. One note is that having Precheck and Clear can be a game changer as some major airports (ATL) have a separate third line for those with both. As with all of this, each should be based on your unique spending.
I just recently flew out from an airport that is always quiet, but on this day the general security line was easily a +45 min wait. TSA precheck always gets me through in 5 min or less, even when the line is long. I had arrived 30 minutes before my flight, so it was a lifesaver to just breeze by. I will die on the Precheck hill 🍵
I swear I had been looking for videos about Amex Green on RUclips these days (been deciding between Amex Gold/Green and CSP) and THIS popped up! Thank you Sebby!
If you qualify for membership, the Navy Federal More Rewards AmEx is similar to the AmEx Green card, but makes more sense. 3x on Dining, Transit, Fuel, and Supermarkets. Not only that, no AF and cash back at 1cpp. Love your channel btw!
🍵If I had my way, I would make the Green just a 2x on everything card and the 3x travel and transit multipliers would be added to the Platinum. The Green could then be the catch all card in a non-business Amex set-up or could be for people who don't want to worry about categories.
I have this card and it fits my budget and needs. I only travel 3-4 times, so the Green card with the Clear and LoungeBuddy credits more than make up the annual fee for me. Also, I don't spend enough to upgrade to the Gold to justify its annual fee or would not use enough of the Platinum's credits for its either. Plus the 3x for any travel, transit, and restaurants without the portal is fairly convenient, which helps me budget accordingly.
I have the Charles Schwab Platinum, the Gold card and, the Green card. I use the Green card for all travel related purchases besides flights. So that's rental cars, hotels, parking, subway, Ubers and whatever else falls in that category. The Green card is definitely a keeper for me. 🍵
The Amex Green is worth it for me, just for the Clear membership. I also like how the 3x on travel applies to all travel like tolls, parking, etc. Green/Gold for me 😃…for now. Maybe one day I’ll travel enough for the platinum to be worth it for me.
and then you go to an airport realize that the clear line is longer than Global Entry making it an absolutely useless perk - a perk that nobody wants to pay for
I just got approved for it! Woot! And with the 60000 points bonus. Honestly wasn't planning on getting it this year. I wanted to get the BBP as my next card just for the 2x on everything. The raised bonus set me off. So now i gotta figure out how to spend $3000 hahaha and make travel plans to get my money's worth.
I’ve had Clear for a couple years now. It seems worthless for families with children as Clear still pushes people to go in front of you like they’re pissed off that you’re bringing your children through Clear + TSA Precheck like you’re not supposed to be there. All 3 of our minor children have TSA Precheck and my husband and I have Clear and 100% of our Clear visits have been a frustrating mess because they keep bringing single adult travelers in front of us and expect us to be in the wrong place and are ready to correct us. Every single time they’re surprised all 5 of us have TSA Precheck and Clear Membership. Every. Single. Time. But we’ll keep going until they probably cancel Clear as it’s not family friendly and mostly unnecessary. Children are always considered adults for airfare prices so they should be treated as adults in the TSA lines. IMHO.
Wow thanks Sebby for doing this video! I would have totally missed this card. Just got approved 🤓 We do a lot of road trips and don't always stay with the big hotel chains, so this card will be perfect for all those catch all travel expenses.
I love MR points and am running an AmEx setup mainly (Platinum, Gold, BBP), but that said, my favorite card by far is the gold. I really wish the platinum card was better for the cost. I mostly get my value but of course I’m still within the first two years so I’m not sure that I’ll be keeping it long-term, even though I enjoy the perks here and there. The big benefit I don’t get to use really, is the hotel stuff that requires not only booking on Amex travel, but the fact to get those $200 hotel credits or whatever you have to book prepaid rooms. Whenever I search, I never seem to find any pre-paid room availability. They’re all just normal reservations and therefore don’t apply to the hotel credits. It’s really annoying. 🍵
Clear is valued at $0 for me. 95% of TSA PreCheck users report an average wait time of 5 minutes or less. I have never waiting more than 10 minutes for TSA PreCheck.
I have Clear and TSA precheck. have often spent more time getting thought clear than just having gone through TSA recheck. once in a while there is a really long line and it helps
So, my wife and I cruise a lot, and the Platinum card is actually better for cruises than the Green card despite having a worse multiplier (you end up getting 2x on cruises if you book through the portal). The reason being is the extensive travel insurance on the Platinum card. There are only two cards on the general market I know of that provide medical evacuation coverage that is sufficient for a cruise and that's the CSR and the Platinum card. Otherwise you're going to have to purchase separate travel insurance which vastly exceeds the 1x extra points in terms of value.
If you travel a fair bit other than by air, it makes sense. But yes, too much overlap with other cards. The 3X restaurant bonus feels wasted if you have a Gold card. IMO, 3X on gas instead of restaurants would be a game changer for this card since it would clearly make the Green card more complementary to the other cards instead of redundant.
The 60K SUB is a compelling case. I have both the Platinum & the Gold. I’ve applied for the Green & it’s in the mail. I think this card will be a compliment to my Gold Card when it comes to dining. In addition whenever I’m in large cities, the 3x on transit is interesting. Also, with tolls (per your Houston example) makes this card worthwhile. I think this is an underrated card & could be a nice addition to some wallets for a year. Again, a 60K SUB from Amex is pretty compelling.
@@m4.hugo.426 I’ve had the Gold Card for over 5 years & know it yields 4 points on dining. My thoughts were to use this card get the spend requirement, which will garner 60K MR points. Along the way, make dining purchases, at 3 MR points. Another thought would be to use this card as a slightly less generous alternative to the Gold or as an occasional “back and forth” between Gold & Green (with respect to dining).
if you have platinum then the green card is not compelling since you are not able to take advantage of the clear membership benefit in both cards. That is the key value in offsetting the annual fee for the green card.
🍵I live in NYC and I have to travel a lot for work booking hotels from third party sites. I also have to book rent-a-cars a lot too. The Green has been my work horse, and has gotten me tons of points. I highly recommend the card if you book hotels a lot.
I also fly a lot, although only once per month, not quite as much as Sebby. I cannot tell you how many times while traveling with friends who don't have Clear or TSA pre check, they end up clearing security faster than me in the supposedly "fast" lane. In EWR and JFK, Clear and TSA Pre is pretty much worthless, but SEA saves you quite a lot of time; LAS and MIA is 50/50 hit or miss. SAN isn't even busy enough airport to have TSA Pre check line open, many times they tell me to go through regular security cuz TSA Pre isn't open. It kind of depends on your home city airport, Clear and TSA Pre should be very useful in markets where Amex don't have a huge presence/market share. Where as in NY and SF where everyone has a platinum card, it's not really going to make any difference in my experience.
I have been testing this card out for the last couple months. It’s been great so far, I’m hoping to upgrade after a year to Gold or Platinum. I also use the BCP for gas, groceries, and streaming. Amex is by far my favorite issuer for both cash back and team travel 🍵
🍵When I was younger I always wanted the Green Card. It would have been great if I got it years ago. When covid hit, I no longer took the train or bus. Now I moved out of NYC to the south, so it's pretty useless for me in most areas MINUS the fact that it is the only card in the amex lineup that gives you the ability to gain points from 3rd party travel sites and hotel sites like orbitz, Expedia, travelosity, etc. Sometimes those 3rd party sites have cheaper flights and it would be great not getting tied into amex travel or directly from the flight/hotel companies. Would love to have it, but the $150 is too much to have the card as a collector's item...maybe if I downgrade from the platinum one day. Thanks for your videos, Sebby. I educated a heap of folks from the knowledge I gained from you!
🍵They need do either drop the fee to $50 or add credits that are actually useful to me before I’m interested. All of the credits are comparable to what I have on other cards. General travel spend has comparable multipliers on other cards of mine with better credits and lower annual fees. I’d happily dump those if they made it worth my while, but $150 is too steep a price.
I have the Quad Setup "PGGB+" ( Platinum, Gold, Green & Business Plus) I like it for EZ-pass, Parking, Transit and Car Rentals. I gave the clear to a family member and they used the lounge Buddy in the ATL and in JFK. I am in the "GREEN" every year!
The Amex Green card is the card to me if you want the Gold and platinum categories but don’t want to pay for the benefits of the two. I do a BBP + Green setup this way.
🍵 I like to refer to the green card as the forgotten stepchild 😬😬🤣🤣. It honestly is a good credit card for a specific audience and it isn’t a bad card to go after when you’re trying to accumulate more points, even if it isn’t a good fit for you personally. I’d simply cancel it after 1 year….or at least try to get a retention offer. I didn’t know that this is mostly a plastic card 😮😮😮. Strengthens my point about it being the forgotten stepchild.
Problem with this card is no trip cancellation coverage, so if I book travel on it, I have to either pay additional for trip cancellation insurance or risk not having insurance. From that angle it just does not justify having this card at all.
Got it with the resy offer last year and keeping it. Clear has been amazing especially during busy travel seasons, and the multipliers really add up. Loungebuddy options are meh though.
This is the time to get it with 60K + $200 back from travel purchases. I'm gonna use it for a year and then figure out if I want to cancel and get the Gold, or just keep the Green
There were some great points made here I hadn’t thought of! I’m sticking with the chase trifecta at the moment to get the SUB for the CSP, but I’ve added the Amex green card to my list!
🍵I agree that this card sits in a weird spot, but does carry a lot of nostalgia with it. It's been around for sooo long in one form or another. Great pickup now for the SUB.
Green tea. My initial AmEx plan was to get the Green Card, but on a whim I got the Gold Card instead. I’m now considering changing my AmEx Everyday Card from the Green.
Really looking into this card. My lady and I go on cruises semi often. I pay bridge toll on a monthly basis and we also go on one big trip yearly so the 3x back on flights seems good. Clear membership looks like it would come in handy as well. Have to look into it some more.
Seems like a solid pickup in your situation. I would also run the numbers (just to double check). Calculator: www.asksebby.com/credit-card-reviews/american-express-green-card
I actually think I should have gotten the green instead of the platinum I just got. Or green in addition to platinum. I tend to prefer rentals, airbnbs/Vrbos over Hotels. I like vacation tours a lot too. I book at least 1 REI trip almost every year and currently saving up for a National Geographic safari. I’m also planning (along with my siblings) to send our parents on a European viking cruise. It seems like these kind of tours would qualify for 3X rewards? Also, looks like my parking for work would earn points. I think I’ll try in 6 months.
I was just thinking about getting this card! I go to school in NYC and have close relatives who either live in different states or overseas and I'm traveling during the holidays most years so the CLEAR and the LoungeBuddy credits sound helpful! I'm running a chase trifecta right now and this card looks like the perfect addition to my setup
As a New Yorker, the green card is definitely worth it as I rely on mass transit include subways, bus, metro north, LIRR to get around the city. I also take rideshares Uber/Lyft and yellow cabs. Even if I drive, it includes tolls and parking. That 3x on transit/travel will add up quickly especially if you have family members added as authorized users who take mass transit as well. I have it setup with my Gold card and Blue Business Plus creating my Amex trifecta accumulating massive MR points monthly. It's definitely worth it if you live, work, or go to school in the big city.
Green card is 100% worth it if you live in nyc or another city where public transit is necessary. Its the only time where a amex trifecta/quadfecta that includes the green card makes the most sense if you already have the gold and platinum. Or if you stay at hotels/airbnb often enough. As someone who lives in jersey and works in jersey it is very hard to justify keeping the green amex with its annual fee.
🍵 To me it's a one and done card as well, get it for the welcome bonus and call it after a year. Already have Gold and Platinum cards and will be getting a Hilton card soon as well
Not cash back. With the Everyday Preferred you earn 3X points on groceries up to $6,000 per year in purchases, 2X points on gas at gas stations, and 1X points on other purchases. However, if you use your card 30 or more times on purchases in a billing period, you earn 50% extra points on those purchases less returns and credits. A great dump card for strict AMEX users gathering MR points.
I don't remember how much the sign up bonus for the Amex green card was last year (with the 20% cash back offer through resy) but it was very good. Tbh I would prefer last year's offer over this one.
I get good use out of it because I use a lot of Airbnb’s and also have it feeding my Ez Pass and for any other random “travel” expense but I’ll probably cancel it next year. I’ve already had the Green card for two years and I mainly got it for the welcome bonus🤷🏽♂️
🍵 I like the some features of the Green Card and would consider it as a viable downgrade option if i want to take a break from the Platinum fees, but right now the Platinum streaming media benefits (Disney+/Hulu and Paramount+) are a useful benefit to my household.
This is how I use it, I’ve basically lived in airbnbs and hotels as a digital nomad for several years and the green card is my workhorse that generates the majority of my MR points
No one talks about this. It's such a huge win when you split a big Airbnb house with a group and "generously offer" to put it on your Green Amex... muahahah! You could easily recoup the annual fee in one purchase. I spend about $3000 a year on Airbnb rentals and have been thinking about this card. The new 60k offer is about to make me jump on it.
🍵What’s the best strategy for United lounges if you’re in Chicago? Ohare is United or bust. I have the platinum but it almost makes more sense to cancel and get the United club card.
Sebby great video, i think for any Delta loyalists this will be a great match with the Delta Platinum. $400 annual fee between both cards, but a clear credit with the green and a tsa precheck credit with the delta platinum and 3X multipliers galore on both ends. Love the 3X transit multiplier for ride shares and busses etc also. It is a great pair for those who want to ditch the Amex Plat and Delta Reserve and make a great opportunity in reedeming points minus the lounge limitations come 2025.
The Amex Green only overlaps with Gold in dining. I can't justify Gold right now since I don't shop enough at supermarkets to warrant it and the 1x more in points in dining from 3x on Green to 4x on Gold is NOT worth it either for a $100 increase in annual fees. Maybe someday. Platinum I can't because I don't value lounge access, won't use enough credits to wipe out the fee to warrant paying that high an annual fee and don't travel enough and don't live near a Centurion lounge.
🐎 same thing happened to me at the Conrad resorts world. Walked in to people sitting there. I did get uphraded at crockfords with fhr booking to a suite
🍵 This card would almost suit me - - dare I say - - to a “tea.” 😆 Unfortunately it’s not practical for me to get at the moment because I also happen to be in American Express “Pop-Up Jail.” 😣
🍵 It's definitely a good time to add this card right now! Even if you don't want the card, Amex's once-in-a-lifetime welcome offer rule makes this one a solid pickup, even if just for a year. Just gotta be careful of pop-up jail 👀
@@m4.hugo.426 It could be many things but a high velocity of applications, closing too many of Amex's cards, only using Amex's cards for bonuses, etc. Once they deem you an unprofitable customer they will stop giving you bonuses until you show them you'll be profitable again, generally by putting more spend on their cards.
I like the 3X on hotels (direct) and travel. I guess I hate the credits and that makes the annual fee hard. The way I see, my AMEX platinum only gets me 1X MR direct at hotels, but I also get more points from Hilton and Bonvoy because of insta-gold status. 1MR + 18 points at Hilton per dollar with no additional annual fee is fair to me.
🍵 as some who has a car and doesn’t spend much on transportation and also has other travel cards, this card just isn’t worthwhile for me. 🤷🏾♂️ Thanks for the breakdown though.
I play the game even if I don’t like it. I loathe Clear. I simply don’t think they will be around in the future. The staff in New York cut me off and I missed a flight. Even though I had free offers I wouldn’t sign up. Also booked and paid for my most recent cruise in Royal Caribbean using Chase reward points.
Its not a bad standalone travel card but sucks compared to the gold/platinum combo. Kinda wish amex swapped 5x direct with airlines on the platinum to just 5x travel portal, 3x travel, 1x everything else.
Been debating on getting this card now that I’m moving to NYC to get the transit multiplier that my gold card doesn’t pick up. I do eat out more than cook at home, which my gold card has been good for, so I’ll have to do some math to see if the green would be a better option in that city. If green also picks up the 3x on flights, then that would make coming back during the holidays better for sure. 🍵
Im just curious, what happens when u cancel/close the charge card? I recently did that with my Gold card, just didnt wanna pay the annual fee. 😅 But what happens to my yr history with it?
Hey Sebastian, big fan, I've noticedrecently that you seem to have a good understanding or at least interest in things such as art, watches and decor. Any chance you would consider making videos on this? As someone young starting to make a good income I would be super interested in getting your perspective and learn a bit about some of these areas. Thanks in advance 🍵🍵🍵🍵
In reality, most of the perks and credits of Amex cards skew heavily toward urbanites anyway. Of course, that's where the high income, big spenders usually are.
I just feel like i am going too crazy to have amex, chase, venture X and citi together. Therefore both Green and Gold amex don’t make much sense for me.
My Green offer card was 50,000 points for $2k spend in 6 months & my no fee EveryDay card was 10,000 points for $1k in 3 months. I saved spending $1000 in spending by not going Gold since its $4000 in 6 months and also saved $100 in annual fees instead of going Gold. For Walmart supercenters and Target I use the Blue Business Plus. On 2 recent cruises, I was glad I picked up the Green card over the Gold. The Green is 3x on cruises where its 1x on Gold. Also, the 1x extra from Green at 3x at dining and 4x on Gold is NOT worth it for $100 more in annual fees a year to Amex. The credits on Green suck though! But if your one of those that fly a lot and value lounge access as well as the Platinum credits, then platinum would be good. If you even qualify for the black card, there have been RUclipsrs like Simon Katz that have the black card that have said the Platinum is better than the Centurion card based on value. If pair the platinum with the green, you have the ultimate travel setup. If you pair the green with Gold, you have the ultimate local, major city setup like New York if you shop a lot at regular supermarkets rather than Walmart supercenters, Target and other big box retailers. The other thing, the safety net and the finisher to complete the trifecta is the Blue Business Plus if you do go to places that are 1x normally like Target, Walmart supercenters and other places along those lines and can qualify as a sole prop upto $50k a calendar year. Last thing, to keep your points alive after canceling an annual fee card, its good to have the no fee EveryDay card or the Blue Business Plus for when you want to cancel the Green, Gold, Platinum and Centurion cards as well. Its good to have options.
@@docsays You did good in adding the BBP. Its your safety net for your points. You get tired of paying the Green and Gold annual fees, your points will be safe. The no fee EveryDay card works too. I have both. I have the BBP too as a sole prop.
@@docsays The Green is a sleeper card. You pair it with Platinum and its the ultimate travel setup, but pairing the Green with Gold and its the ultimate local and major city setup and if you shop a lot at supermarkets.
this card caught my attention for the sign up bonus but also potential use for Turo and Airbnb with it. Sadly, I am apparently in pop up jail as I was denied the bonus and canceled my application
💳 Amex Green calculator: www.asksebby.com/credit-card-reviews/american-express-green-card
💳 Sebby's Card Picks: www.asksebby.com/credit-cards
the way i explain Clear to my friends is this:
TSA-pre: you get a shorter line and keep your shoes on
CLEAR: you skip the line
TSA-pre + Clear: you skip the line while keeping your shoes on
Honestly, I only got the green card because my dad had it (God rest his soul) and was a member since 1977.
Miss you dad.
Same here
Here's how I use my Green, Gold, and Platinum. Platinum strictly for flights and travel benefits. Gold for dining (I love being able to stack the monthly Uber credits from the Plat with the Gold) and groceries. Green is my non-flights catch-all travel card, which is a lot for me living in NYC. An alternative would be to have the Chase Sapphire Reserve that has the same 3x multipliers, but since I also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, I a) can't have the Reserve and Preferred at the same time and b) don't need the other benefits of the Reserve when you factor in the overlapping benefits of the Platinum/Preferred. The lounge and clear credit don't add value bc of the Platinum, but the Green 3x travel multiplier is worth a lot to me. One note is that having Precheck and Clear can be a game changer as some major airports (ATL) have a separate third line for those with both. As with all of this, each should be based on your unique spending.
I just recently flew out from an airport that is always quiet, but on this day the general security line was easily a +45 min wait. TSA precheck always gets me through in 5 min or less, even when the line is long. I had arrived 30 minutes before my flight, so it was a lifesaver to just breeze by. I will die on the Precheck hill 🍵
I swear I had been looking for videos about Amex Green on RUclips these days (been deciding between Amex Gold/Green and CSP) and THIS popped up! Thank you Sebby!
Glad it's helpful! :)
I've had this card a while now and travel on the road. Tolls, campgrounds, and parking are the money makers for me
Definitely underrated for those purposes. If they added gas as well, it would be almost a no-brainer for some people.
If you qualify for membership, the Navy Federal More Rewards AmEx is similar to the AmEx Green card, but makes more sense. 3x on Dining, Transit, Fuel, and Supermarkets. Not only that, no AF and cash back at 1cpp. Love your channel btw!
🍵If I had my way, I would make the Green just a 2x on everything card and the 3x travel and transit multipliers would be added to the Platinum. The Green could then be the catch all card in a non-business Amex set-up or could be for people who don't want to worry about categories.
Totally agree. The Platinum card the supposedly powerful travel card should had 3x travel/transit on it from the beginning.
sounds like you want the BBP then
I think the green should be 3X on everything. It would be a must have card for everyone.
@@357twilson id pay that $150 annual fee if it was 3x on everything
@@this-is-big-john Happily
I have this card and it fits my budget and needs. I only travel 3-4 times, so the Green card with the Clear and LoungeBuddy credits more than make up the annual fee for me. Also, I don't spend enough to upgrade to the Gold to justify its annual fee or would not use enough of the Platinum's credits for its either. Plus the 3x for any travel, transit, and restaurants without the portal is fairly convenient, which helps me budget accordingly.
Thank you for commenting I’m in the same situation when it comes to traveling
I have the Charles Schwab Platinum, the Gold card and, the Green card. I use the Green card for all travel related purchases besides flights. So that's rental cars, hotels, parking, subway, Ubers and whatever else falls in that category. The Green card is definitely a keeper for me. 🍵
The Amex Green is worth it for me, just for the Clear membership. I also like how the 3x on travel applies to all travel like tolls, parking, etc. Green/Gold for me 😃…for now. Maybe one day I’ll travel enough for the platinum to be worth it for me.
Thats exactly what im thinking. Don’t travel enough for the platinum & already have the gold.
and then you go to an airport realize that the clear line is longer than Global Entry making it an absolutely useless perk - a perk that nobody wants to pay for
I just got approved for it! Woot! And with the 60000 points bonus. Honestly wasn't planning on getting it this year. I wanted to get the BBP as my next card just for the 2x on everything. The raised bonus set me off. So now i gotta figure out how to spend $3000 hahaha and make travel plans to get my money's worth.
I got this card late last year and I’m glad I did. I like how they revamped the card. It’s useful for my lifestyle.🍵
I’ve had Clear for a couple years now. It seems worthless for families with children as Clear still pushes people to go in front of you like they’re pissed off that you’re bringing your children through Clear + TSA Precheck like you’re not supposed to be there. All 3 of our minor children have TSA Precheck and my husband and I have Clear and 100% of our Clear visits have been a frustrating mess because they keep bringing single adult travelers in front of us and expect us to be in the wrong place and are ready to correct us. Every single time they’re surprised all 5 of us have TSA Precheck and Clear Membership. Every. Single. Time. But we’ll keep going until they probably cancel Clear as it’s not family friendly and mostly unnecessary. Children are always considered adults for airfare prices so they should be treated as adults in the TSA lines. IMHO.
I Live In NYC And I Love The Green Card For Transit And Uber/Lyft Also Airbnb When Traveling. Goes GREAT With My Amex Gold And BBP.
Wow thanks Sebby for doing this video! I would have totally missed this card. Just got approved 🤓 We do a lot of road trips and don't always stay with the big hotel chains, so this card will be perfect for all those catch all travel expenses.
I love MR points and am running an AmEx setup mainly (Platinum, Gold, BBP), but that said, my favorite card by far is the gold. I really wish the platinum card was better for the cost. I mostly get my value but of course I’m still within the first two years so I’m not sure that I’ll be keeping it long-term, even though I enjoy the perks here and there. The big benefit I don’t get to use really, is the hotel stuff that requires not only booking on Amex travel, but the fact to get those $200 hotel credits or whatever you have to book prepaid rooms. Whenever I search, I never seem to find any pre-paid room availability. They’re all just normal reservations and therefore don’t apply to the hotel credits. It’s really annoying. 🍵
Clear is valued at $0 for me. 95% of TSA PreCheck users report an average wait time of 5 minutes or less. I have never waiting more than 10 minutes for TSA PreCheck.
I have Clear and TSA precheck. have often spent more time getting thought clear than just having gone through TSA recheck. once in a while there is a really long line and it helps
So, my wife and I cruise a lot, and the Platinum card is actually better for cruises than the Green card despite having a worse multiplier (you end up getting 2x on cruises if you book through the portal). The reason being is the extensive travel insurance on the Platinum card. There are only two cards on the general market I know of that provide medical evacuation coverage that is sufficient for a cruise and that's the CSR and the Platinum card. Otherwise you're going to have to purchase separate travel insurance which vastly exceeds the 1x extra points in terms of value.
If you travel a fair bit other than by air, it makes sense. But yes, too much overlap with other cards. The 3X restaurant bonus feels wasted if you have a Gold card. IMO, 3X on gas instead of restaurants would be a game changer for this card since it would clearly make the Green card more complementary to the other cards instead of redundant.
I like the idea of 3x on gas.
The 60K SUB is a compelling case. I have both the Platinum & the Gold. I’ve applied for the Green & it’s in the mail. I think this card will be a compliment to my Gold Card when it comes to dining. In addition whenever I’m in large cities, the 3x on transit is interesting. Also, with tolls (per your Houston example) makes this card worthwhile. I think this is an underrated card & could be a nice addition to some wallets for a year. Again, a 60K SUB from Amex is pretty compelling.
I have the Platinum and Gold as well. Was trying to decide between the BBP and Green. Will go Green now.
Dining on gold gives 4x why would you use the green card?
@@m4.hugo.426 I’ve had the Gold Card for over 5 years & know it yields 4 points on dining. My thoughts were to use this card get the spend requirement, which will garner 60K MR points. Along the way, make dining purchases, at 3 MR points. Another thought would be to use this card as a slightly less generous alternative to the Gold or as an occasional “back and forth” between Gold & Green (with respect to dining).
@@patrickoneal8514 no point in that
if you have platinum then the green card is not compelling since you are not able to take advantage of the clear membership benefit in both cards. That is the key value in offsetting the annual fee for the green card.
🍵I live in NYC and I have to travel a lot for work booking hotels from third party sites. I also have to book rent-a-cars a lot too. The Green has been my work horse, and has gotten me tons of points. I highly recommend the card if you book hotels a lot.
I also fly a lot, although only once per month, not quite as much as Sebby. I cannot tell you how many times while traveling with friends who don't have Clear or TSA pre check, they end up clearing security faster than me in the supposedly "fast" lane. In EWR and JFK, Clear and TSA Pre is pretty much worthless, but SEA saves you quite a lot of time; LAS and MIA is 50/50 hit or miss. SAN isn't even busy enough airport to have TSA Pre check line open, many times they tell me to go through regular security cuz TSA Pre isn't open. It kind of depends on your home city airport, Clear and TSA Pre should be very useful in markets where Amex don't have a huge presence/market share. Where as in NY and SF where everyone has a platinum card, it's not really going to make any difference in my experience.
I have been testing this card out for the last couple months. It’s been great so far, I’m hoping to upgrade after a year to Gold or Platinum. I also use the BCP for gas, groceries, and streaming. Amex is by far my favorite issuer for both cash back and team travel 🍵
🍵When I was younger I always wanted the Green Card. It would have been great if I got it years ago. When covid hit, I no longer took the train or bus. Now I moved out of NYC to the south, so it's pretty useless for me in most areas MINUS the fact that it is the only card in the amex lineup that gives you the ability to gain points from 3rd party travel sites and hotel sites like orbitz, Expedia, travelosity, etc. Sometimes those 3rd party sites have cheaper flights and it would be great not getting tied into amex travel or directly from the flight/hotel companies. Would love to have it, but the $150 is too much to have the card as a collector's item...maybe if I downgrade from the platinum one day. Thanks for your videos, Sebby. I educated a heap of folks from the knowledge I gained from you!
The Green is also offering a record high 60,000 point SUB, plus 20% on travel and transit purchases up to $200 for 6 months 🍵
Yep! It's a great offer to earn more MR points.
Does gas count as travel for 6 months?
@@mightylaidlow1 unfortunately not, gas is always considered its own category
@@Clementinee thanks.
🍵They need do either drop the fee to $50 or add credits that are actually useful to me before I’m interested. All of the credits are comparable to what I have on other cards. General travel spend has comparable multipliers on other cards of mine with better credits and lower annual fees. I’d happily dump those if they made it worth my while, but $150 is too steep a price.
I have the green and gold cards. For travel, this combination covers everything. I also get all the additional benefits of the gold.
I have the Quad Setup "PGGB+" ( Platinum, Gold, Green & Business Plus) I like it for EZ-pass, Parking, Transit and Car Rentals. I gave the clear to a family member and they used the lounge Buddy in the ATL and in JFK. I am in the "GREEN" every year!
Just got this card. It’s paying for my Alaskan cruise 🚢 this summer. Thanks for info, not a lot out there on this card 🍵 but it might work for me.
The Amex Green card is the card to me if you want the Gold and platinum categories but don’t want to pay for the benefits of the two.
I do a BBP + Green setup this way.
🍵 I like to refer to the green card as the forgotten stepchild 😬😬🤣🤣. It honestly is a good credit card for a specific audience and it isn’t a bad card to go after when you’re trying to accumulate more points, even if it isn’t a good fit for you personally. I’d simply cancel it after 1 year….or at least try to get a retention offer.
I didn’t know that this is mostly a plastic card 😮😮😮. Strengthens my point about it being the forgotten stepchild.
Problem with this card is no trip cancellation coverage, so if I book travel on it, I have to either pay additional for trip cancellation insurance or risk not having insurance. From that angle it just does not justify having this card at all.
Got it with the resy offer last year and keeping it. Clear has been amazing especially during busy travel seasons, and the multipliers really add up. Loungebuddy options are meh though.
I'm considering getting the Amex Gold or Green. Am leaning towards the Green now. Thanks for the very useful video as always Sebby!
This is the time to get it with 60K + $200 back from travel purchases. I'm gonna use it for a year and then figure out if I want to cancel and get the Gold, or just keep the Green
There were some great points made here I hadn’t thought of! I’m sticking with the chase trifecta at the moment to get the SUB for the CSP, but I’ve added the Amex green card to my list!
🍵I agree that this card sits in a weird spot, but does carry a lot of nostalgia with it. It's been around for sooo long in one form or another. Great pickup now for the SUB.
I got the gold card cause of the travel insurance and stuff but I really really like how the green card looks. I think its the best looking amex card!
Green tea. My initial AmEx plan was to get the Green Card, but on a whim I got the Gold Card instead. I’m now considering changing my AmEx Everyday Card from the Green.
🍵Great analysis. Haven’t started into AMex yet. Still working Chase and some Citi but P2 has a Hilton Card so maybe we go there before too long.
Really looking into this card. My lady and I go on cruises semi often. I pay bridge toll on a monthly basis and we also go on one big trip yearly so the 3x back on flights seems good. Clear membership looks like it would come in handy as well. Have to look into it some more.
Seems like a solid pickup in your situation. I would also run the numbers (just to double check).
Calculator: www.asksebby.com/credit-card-reviews/american-express-green-card
I actually think I should have gotten the green instead of the platinum I just got. Or green in addition to platinum. I tend to prefer rentals, airbnbs/Vrbos over Hotels. I like vacation tours a lot too. I book at least 1 REI trip almost every year and currently saving up for a National Geographic safari. I’m also planning (along with my siblings) to send our parents on a European viking cruise. It seems like these kind of tours would qualify for 3X rewards? Also, looks like my parking for work would earn points. I think I’ll try in 6 months.
Even better for me as someone living outside The 🇺🇸, lots of cheaper travel agencies here in 🇧🇷.
Thank you for doing all the homework on this card! Great video
I was just thinking about getting this card! I go to school in NYC and have close relatives who either live in different states or overseas and I'm traveling during the holidays most years so the CLEAR and the LoungeBuddy credits sound helpful! I'm running a chase trifecta right now and this card looks like the perfect addition to my setup
As a New Yorker, the green card is definitely worth it as I rely on mass transit include subways, bus, metro north, LIRR to get around the city. I also take rideshares Uber/Lyft and yellow cabs. Even if I drive, it includes tolls and parking. That 3x on transit/travel will add up quickly especially if you have family members added as authorized users who take mass transit as well. I have it setup with my Gold card and Blue Business Plus creating my Amex trifecta accumulating massive MR points monthly. It's definitely worth it if you live, work, or go to school in the big city.
Green card is 100% worth it if you live in nyc or another city where public transit is necessary. Its the only time where a amex trifecta/quadfecta that includes the green card makes the most sense if you already have the gold and platinum. Or if you stay at hotels/airbnb often enough. As someone who lives in jersey and works in jersey it is very hard to justify keeping the green amex with its annual fee.
🍵 To me it's a one and done card as well, get it for the welcome bonus and call it after a year. Already have Gold and Platinum cards and will be getting a Hilton card soon as well
I still argue the AMEX Everyday Preferred is completely underrated for AMEX users.🍵
That grocery cash back and streaming are amazing.
Can those cash backs be converted to memebership rewards points?
@@alexthai5223no
It’s only underrated if you prefer cashback to MR
Not cash back. With the Everyday Preferred you earn 3X points on groceries up to $6,000 per year in purchases, 2X points on gas at gas stations, and 1X points on other purchases. However, if you use your card 30 or more times on purchases in a billing period, you earn 50% extra points on those purchases less returns and credits. A great dump card for strict AMEX users gathering MR points.
Is a gold card holder, I'd be more interested in the green if they swapped out dining for gas
The Green is my work horse
Lounge buddy Oakland airport. No priority pass but they have a lounge buddy one
Maybe if it got me into the star alliance lounge 😅, I see this as a simple one card travel set for access to amex travel partners.
3x back on Airbnb purchases.... don't sleep on this card. You can easily make back the annual fee with one group trip a year.
I don't remember how much the sign up bonus for the Amex green card was last year (with the 20% cash back offer through resy) but it was very good. Tbh I would prefer last year's offer over this one.
What was last years offer?
I get good use out of it because I use a lot of Airbnb’s and also have it feeding my Ez Pass and for any other random “travel” expense but I’ll probably cancel it next year. I’ve already had the Green card for two years and I mainly got it for the welcome bonus🤷🏽♂️
Team Gold & Platinum for me personally.
Does the transit category include ezpass? I know he said tolls but wasn’t sure about this separate program.
I got $900 travel credit every year with one simple trick. I cancelled the Amex Platinum and AU card. :)
🍵 I like the some features of the Green Card and would consider it as a viable downgrade option if i want to take a break from the Platinum fees, but right now the Platinum streaming media benefits (Disney+/Hulu and Paramount+) are a useful benefit to my household.
This video helped me with my decision to move from Platinum to the Geeen. Great video 🍵🍵
Speaking of overlap that's the problem with AMEX. Unfortunately, it's not what overlaps but what is exclusive that bothers me 😕
I had the Green and it wasn't right for me, so I upgraded it to the Gold.
I think the green is amazing for long term airBnb rentals. 3X points
Wow that’s a great point
This is how I use it, I’ve basically lived in airbnbs and hotels as a digital nomad for several years and the green card is my workhorse that generates the majority of my MR points
No one talks about this. It's such a huge win when you split a big Airbnb house with a group and "generously offer" to put it on your Green Amex... muahahah! You could easily recoup the annual fee in one purchase. I spend about $3000 a year on Airbnb rentals and have been thinking about this card. The new 60k offer is about to make me jump on it.
@@Bryankrall8090 I agree. I rent an Airbnb for a 6 month period at a time. I’m racking up the points on a monthly basis doing this.
I miss my Amex Green !! Upgraded it to a platinum bc I got an offer. But I miss her
🍵What’s the best strategy for United lounges if you’re in Chicago? Ohare is United or bust. I have the platinum but it almost makes more sense to cancel and get the United club card.
That’s why I have the United Chase card and CSR. Pick the one that best works for your status with United.
I like that you talked about travel and cash back.
I'll take my BBP any day along with the Plat+Gold
Sebby great video, i think for any Delta loyalists this will be a great match with the Delta Platinum. $400 annual fee between both cards, but a clear credit with the green and a tsa precheck credit with the delta platinum and 3X multipliers galore on both ends. Love the 3X transit multiplier for ride shares and busses etc also. It is a great pair for those who want to ditch the Amex Plat and Delta Reserve and make a great opportunity in reedeming points minus the lounge limitations come 2025.
The Amex Green only overlaps with Gold in dining. I can't justify Gold right now since I don't shop enough at supermarkets to warrant it and the 1x more in points in dining from 3x on Green to 4x on Gold is NOT worth it either for a $100 increase in annual fees. Maybe someday. Platinum I can't because I don't value lounge access, won't use enough credits to wipe out the fee to warrant paying that high an annual fee and don't travel enough and don't live near a Centurion lounge.
Im interested, but currently use the CSP for most of my travel. Also have the citi premier, so not sure.
🐎 same thing happened to me at the Conrad resorts world. Walked in to people sitting there. I did get uphraded at crockfords with fhr booking to a suite
🍵 This card would almost suit me - - dare I say - - to a “tea.” 😆 Unfortunately it’s not practical for me to get at the moment because I also happen to be in American Express “Pop-Up Jail.” 😣
Living in New York City, the green card is golden!
🍵 It's definitely a good time to add this card right now! Even if you don't want the card, Amex's once-in-a-lifetime welcome offer rule makes this one a solid pickup, even if just for a year. Just gotta be careful of pop-up jail 👀
Spencer Sebby Collab when
@@kheartztv 👀
I am in jail right now apparently. grrrr
How do you end up in pop up jail?
@@m4.hugo.426 It could be many things but a high velocity of applications, closing too many of Amex's cards, only using Amex's cards for bonuses, etc. Once they deem you an unprofitable customer they will stop giving you bonuses until you show them you'll be profitable again, generally by putting more spend on their cards.
🍵 I already have the Amex platinum, so what would be a good card to catch gas, entertainment, and groceries?
Cap1 Savor 1
I like the 3X on hotels (direct) and travel. I guess I hate the credits and that makes the annual fee hard. The way I see, my AMEX platinum only gets me 1X MR direct at hotels, but I also get more points from Hilton and Bonvoy because of insta-gold status. 1MR + 18 points at Hilton per dollar with no additional annual fee is fair to me.
🍵 as some who has a car and doesn’t spend much on transportation and also has other travel cards, this card just isn’t worthwhile for me. 🤷🏾♂️ Thanks for the breakdown though.
Love that concept 📷
🍵 Thank you, I do not currently have any amex, but still trying to decide...
I play the game even if I don’t like it. I loathe Clear. I simply don’t think they will be around in the future. The staff in New York cut me off and I missed a flight. Even though I had free offers I wouldn’t sign up. Also booked and paid for my most recent cruise in Royal Caribbean using Chase reward points.
🍵 Thanks for all your help.
Its not a bad standalone travel card but sucks compared to the gold/platinum combo. Kinda wish amex swapped 5x direct with airlines on the platinum to just 5x travel portal, 3x travel, 1x everything else.
The no FX fees is a big plus for me
Been debating on getting this card now that I’m moving to NYC to get the transit multiplier that my gold card doesn’t pick up. I do eat out more than cook at home, which my gold card has been good for, so I’ll have to do some math to see if the green would be a better option in that city. If green also picks up the 3x on flights, then that would make coming back during the holidays better for sure. 🍵
Im just curious, what happens when u cancel/close the charge card? I recently did that with my Gold card, just didnt wanna pay the annual fee. 😅 But what happens to my yr history with it?
If it had a multiplier for gas, i could justify the AF.
Hey Sebastian, big fan, I've noticedrecently that you seem to have a good understanding or at least interest in things such as art, watches and decor. Any chance you would consider making videos on this? As someone young starting to make a good income I would be super interested in getting your perspective and learn a bit about some of these areas. Thanks in advance 🍵🍵🍵🍵
Seems like this card will either really work well for you, or really not. There’s not a lot of middle ground.
Good if you are an urbanite I think.
Agree!
In reality, most of the perks and credits of Amex cards skew heavily toward urbanites anyway. Of course, that's where the high income, big spenders usually are.
If you have TSA pre check is clear basically useless?
I want the Rose Gold card or this Green one.
Great for city dwellers
I just feel like i am going too crazy to have amex, chase, venture X and citi together. Therefore both Green and Gold amex don’t make much sense for me.
🍵 It's definitely a good all rounder for travel.
As a city boy, I couldn't pass up on this offer
Yeah with the gold and platinum, this isn’t a worthwhile card. 🍵
I have both and got this just for the 60k bonus. Will cancel in two years.
I had a green card years ago, One of my first Amex card🍵
Amex wants you to make the green card your base and decide between the platinum or gold...
- that makes sense
I used the amex to get the points since it was a special deal of 60k points for 1k in purging.
My Green offer card was 50,000 points for $2k spend in 6 months & my no fee EveryDay card was 10,000 points for $1k in 3 months. I saved spending $1000 in spending by not going Gold since its $4000 in 6 months and also saved $100 in annual fees instead of going Gold. For Walmart supercenters and Target I use the Blue Business Plus. On 2 recent cruises, I was glad I picked up the Green card over the Gold. The Green is 3x on cruises where its 1x on Gold. Also, the 1x extra from Green at 3x at dining and 4x on Gold is NOT worth it for $100 more in annual fees a year to Amex. The credits on Green suck though! But if your one of those that fly a lot and value lounge access as well as the Platinum credits, then platinum would be good. If you even qualify for the black card, there have been RUclipsrs like Simon Katz that have the black card that have said the Platinum is better than the Centurion card based on value. If pair the platinum with the green, you have the ultimate travel setup. If you pair the green with Gold, you have the ultimate local, major city setup like New York if you shop a lot at regular supermarkets rather than Walmart supercenters, Target and other big box retailers. The other thing, the safety net and the finisher to complete the trifecta is the Blue Business Plus if you do go to places that are 1x normally like Target, Walmart supercenters and other places along those lines and can qualify as a sole prop upto $50k a calendar year. Last thing, to keep your points alive after canceling an annual fee card, its good to have the no fee EveryDay card or the Blue Business Plus for when you want to cancel the Green, Gold, Platinum and Centurion cards as well. Its good to have options.
i have the gold, and want to add the Green & BBP,
@@docsays You did good in adding the BBP. Its your safety net for your points. You get tired of paying the Green and Gold annual fees, your points will be safe. The no fee EveryDay card works too. I have both. I have the BBP too as a sole prop.
@@docsays The Green is a sleeper card. You pair it with Platinum and its the ultimate travel setup, but pairing the Green with Gold and its the ultimate local and major city setup and if you shop a lot at supermarkets.
this card caught my attention for the sign up bonus but also potential use for Turo and Airbnb with it. Sadly, I am apparently in pop up jail as I was denied the bonus and canceled my application