American Express Green Card Review
With the Amex Green Card, go green in more ways than one. This card’s cover is made from 99% eco-friendly plastic. Beyond its appearance, it stands out as the highest no-fee rewards card in Canada. Enjoy flexible points on every eligible purchase.
May 20, 2026 6:22 PM
The Bottom Line
The American Express Green Card is great for cardholders who want to avoid complex point systems and annual fees, while earning the highest-value rewards in Canada.
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Welcome Bonus
Up to 10,000 Membership Rewards® points
Annual Fee
$0
Interest Rates
21.99%* / 21.99%*
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
Rewards
- 1x point per $1 spent on all purchases
Insurance
Coverage
Purchase Protection
90 days
Extended Warranty
Up to a year
Benefits
Details
Amex Experiences™
With Amex Experiences™ and Front Of The Line® Amex Presale Tickets, American Express Cardmembers get access to amazing events in Canada
Extra points
2 points on Amex Travel Online purchases
Eligibility
Credit Score
FairAnnual Income
N/A
Welcome Bonus Details
Earn a Welcome Bonus of 10,000 points when you charge $1,000 in purchases to your Card in the first 3 months.
Card Details
Interest Rates
Purchase APR
21.99%*
Cash Advance APR
21.99%*
Fees
Annual Fee
$0
Additional Cards
$0
Eligibility
Minimum Individual Income
N/A
Minimum Household Income
N/A
Credit Score Estimate
Fair
Type
Pros & Cons
Pros
- No spending limits
- Flexible redemption options
- VIP perks
- Eco-friendly plastic
- Instant decision. No credit impact.
Cons
- Lower reward rates
- Limited travel perks
- Limited acceptance
Our Detailed Review
How You Earn Rewards with the American Express Green Card
Simple and straightforward, the American Express Green Card grants you one Membership Rewards point per dollar spent on all purchases.
This rewards system turns your spending habits into extra credit for expenses like travel, shopping, and subscription services. Plus, earn double the points when you book American Express online travel purchases.
Redeeming your American Express Green Card Rewards
With the American Express Green Card, your points are the most valuable in the travel categories, specifically in transfers to airline partners for plane tickets, followed by the fixed point travel program for base ticket prices on flights, and transfers to hotel partners like Marriott Bonvoy for accommodation bookings. Other lower-value categories include statement credits, gift cards, Amazon purchases, and eligible everyday merchandise.
Amex points are also extremely flexible and transferable compared to other rewards programs. You can even combine a card payment with your Membership Rewards points to make a purchase.
For updated breakdowns on what your rewards points are worth with the American Express Green Card, check out our Credit Card Points Value Calculator for further insights.
How to apply for the American Express Green Card
To apply for the American Express Green Card, you'll need to do so through the official American Express website:
- To begin, click the “Apply Now” button featured on the American Express Green Card page found on the American Express website
- Carefully review the card’s terms and conditions, once you understand what you’re signing up for, select the “Agree and Begin” button to continue
- This is where you’ll need to fill out your personal details (full name, date of birth, phone number, email, postal code, etc.)
- You’ll also need to include information about your finances like your personal annual income, household income, and other employment details
- Always review your information before submitting your application, once you’ve made sure everything is accurate, hit submit
Benefits and Perks
5 Benefits of the American Express Green Card
So far, we’ve unpacked the American Express Green Card’s points system, now let’s break down all the benefits that make this card one of the best Amex credit cards in Canada.
With American Express' personal cards, you can see if you will be approved before you apply, without impacting your credit score. To make this decision, Amex runs a soft credit check instead of a hard credit check.
Most lenders perform a hard credit check when you apply for a new card, which can temporarily impact your credit score. A soft credit check, however, does not affect your credit score.
Instant decisions are only available for personal card applications and the soft credit check process is not available for applications done by phone.
With a line-up of premium cards with substantial annual costs, it’s nice to know the American Express network also has some options equipped with similar benefits for no annual fee. Luckily, the American Express Green Card is one of these exceptions, allowing you to accumulate the highest value rewards in Canada with no annual fee, making it one of the top no-fee credit cards in Canada.
Some welcome bonuses are trickier to achieve than others, this is because whether you receive the bonus all comes down to how much you spend within a certain timeframe. The American Express Green Card offers a welcome bonus that you can easily work your way up to, with a reasonable spending minimum that will earn you tons of bonus points in the first few months.
With Amex Experiences™ and Front Of The Line® Amex Presale Tickets, American Express Cardmembers get access to amazing events in Canada.
Use your Amex Membership Rewards points for travel redemptions like airline and hotel partner transfers, gift cards, shopping, or even to cover statement credits. So, whether you're a frequent traveler, a constant shopper, or just want some points to help clear your credit card balance, this card is equipped to suit a variety of needs.
Drawbacks and Considerations
3 Downsides of the American Express Green Card
For a balanced review, it’s crucial to bring up the categories in which the American Express Green Card could offer more to cardholders, here are some important shortcomings to note:
With a no-annual-fee card, you can’t necessarily expect the best insurance coverage – that often comes with a cost. However, there are some no-annual-fee card competitors that do offer a bit more when it comes to insurance policies. That said, if purchase protection and extended warranty sounds like all the support you need, then the American Express Green Card should prove itself to be satisfactory.
American Express credit cards are known for their travel perks. While the American Express Green Card does fall under this same network, and offers some travel benefits in terms of extra points through online Amex travel bookings, it’s not the best choice for frequent travelers due to its lack of travel coverage and perks that tend to be present on other competing premium cards.
If you’re not completely impressed with the perks that come with having an American Express affiliated card, then you should know that there are some setbacks to using this network as your credit card provider. American Express cards are not as widely accepted as other networks like Visa and Mastercard (specifically they're not as commonly accepted internationally and even at some popular establishments like Costco and Loblaws).
So, if you're looking for a card you can use almost anywhere or if you’re an avid Costco or Loblaws shopper, the network alone might be a dealbreaker.
Compare to Similar Cards
To help you decide whether the American Express Green Card is right for you, we've compared it against other no-fee rewards cards in Canada.
American Express
2.8
Scotiabank
3.7
Scotiabank
3.3
Annual Fee
$0
$0
$0
$0
Interest Rates
Purchase
21.99%*
Cash advance
21.99%*
Rate details
Purchase
21.99%*
Cash advance
22.99%*
Balance transfer
22.99%*
Rate details
Purchase
21.99%
Cash advance
22.99%
Balance transfer
22.99%
Purchase
21.99
Cash advance
22.99%
Balance transfer
22.99%
Welcome Bonus
Up to 10,000 Membership Rewards® points
Earn up to 5,000 bonus Scene+ points within your first 3 months.
Up to 10,000 bonus points†† + 4x points on restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership and household utility purchases††
Earn up to 10,000 bonus Scene+ points within your first 3 months (that’s up to $100 towards travel).
Rewards
$610.66
First year rewards
$296.72
First year rewards
$509.07
First year rewards
$424.08
First year rewards
on American Express' website
Apply with Confidence — won't impact your credit score
on Scotiabank's website
on MBNA's website
on Scotiabank's website
Welcome Bonus Details
Earn Rates
Insurance Coverage
Extra Benefits
Requirements
American Express Green Card vs Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card
For no annual fee and more bonus optimization opportunities, you can opt for the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card. This card earns plenty of Scene+ points per dollar spent on groceries, home improvement, Cineplex purchases, and travel. That said, American Express Membership Rewards points are more valuable overall. Unfortunately, this card also lacks insurance coverage and only comes with car rental discounts as a perk.
Verdict: The Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card offers extensive optimization categories, but the American Express Green Card is still more valuable overall.
American Express Green Card vs MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard
Unlike the American Express Green Card, the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard also optimizes bonus categories, including dining, groceries, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases. However, American Express Membership Rewards points are still more valuable overall. This card also comes with better coverage, featuring mobile device insurance. For benefits, cardholders can expect car rental discounts and an annual birthday bonus of extra points.
Verdict: The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard has more bonus categories, coverage, and slightly more unique perks. That said, the American Express Green Card is still more valuable.
American Express Green Card vs Scotiabank American Express Card
The Scotiabank American Express Card earns tons of Scene+ points on groceries, dining, entertainment, gas, transit, streaming, and travel. As mentioned previously, however, Scene+ points aren't quite as valuable overall as American Express Membership Rewards points. Still, this contender comes with mobile device insurance, Amex Experiences, and car rental discounts. To qualify, cardholders will need to meet a small annual income requirement.
Verdict: The Scotiabank American Express Card has more bonus optimization and coverage, but the American Express Green is still more valuable and accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions
With no annual fee and no income requirements, it’s fairly simple to apply for an American Express Green Card. However, a “good” credit score (which has a value of about 660) is probably what you'll need in order to be considered by American Express. Prior to applying, you'll also want to make sure that your are a Canadian resident with a Canadian credit file and that you are the age of majority in the province or territory where you live.
The American Express Green Card is a rewards credit card and not a charge card. With this card, you can make purchases using borrowed funds and pay off your balance before it’s due to avoid interest charges. As a rewards card, you’ll also receive points for every eligible purchase you make that you can use towards certain future expenses.
The American Express Green Card doesn't list "no foreign transaction fees" as a benefit. Therefore, as a Canadian, you can be subject to foreign transaction fees while travelling internationally or making international payments when using this card.
About the author
Sara Skodak
Lead Writer
Since graduating from the University of Western Ontario, Sara has built a diverse writing portfolio, covering topics in the travel, business, and wellness sectors. As a self-started freelance content ...
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American Express® Green Card
2.8
FinlyWealth Rating
Apply with Confidence — won't impact your credit score
on American Express' website
Get personalized rewards estimates — see exactly how much you could earn.
American Express® Green Card Points Calculator