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Key takeaways
- The American Express Green Card’s $100 annual LoungeBuddy credit is no longer available, making the card less valuable for occasional travelers.
- The card’s only remaining unique bonus category is transit, but other Amex cards offer higher rewards rates for this and other categories.
- The Amex Green’s benefits are less impressive than they once were, with its CLEAR Plus membership credit the only noteworthy perk remaining.
- There are now better options for airport lounge access and other travel perks among Amex cards, making the Amex Green less appealing.
The hits just keep on coming for the American Express® Green Card*.
Though the Amex Green is perhaps the least popular of American Express’ travel cards, it had until recently been worth a look if you wanted to earn Membership Rewards and get a taste of luxury travel without paying a huge annual fee. That’s because one of the card’s best features was a $100 annual statement credit for LoungeBuddy, a service that allowed you to buy one-time passes to airport lounges, regardless of your loyalty status.
But that feature is just the latest of many recent devaluations of this once-excellent travel card.
LoungeBuddy has officially shut down, and LoungeBuddy.com now redirects to a page for the Amex Global Lounge Collection, with a notice reading “LoungeBuddy is no longer available as of January 30, 2025. Welcome to Lounge Finder! You’ve been redirected from LoungeBuddy to the American Express Lounge Finder, where eligible American Express Card Members can find details on airport lounges they can access with select American Express Card Products.”
This begs the question: Without its LoungeBuddy credits, is the Amex Green worth an application? Is it even worth keeping for current cardholders?
What was LoungeBuddy?
LoungeBuddy launched in 2013 as a tool for searching, reviewing and booking passes for airport lounges worldwide. The service was unique since you didn’t need to have elite status or another means of lounge access to buy a lounge pass.
American Express purchased LoungeBuddy in 2019 and began offering an annual $100 credit for Amex Green cardholders — a perk that fit well with the card’s other benefits, which are best suited for occasional travelers.
However, with the rise of premium cards offering airport lounge access and expedited pathways to elite status, the need for LoungeBuddy has dropped significantly in recent years. American Express decided to shut down the app in July 2024, and shuttered the website for good at the end of January 2025. Amex has not announced any plans to replace this benefit.
Should you keep the Amex Green?
With the loss of this $100 credit, you might be wondering if the Amex Green is still worth it?
In my opinion: No way.
Squeezing enough value from the card to justify its $150 annual fee is now quite the stretch. Here’s a look at what the card still offers and how it measures up with the best American Express cards.
Rewards
The Amex Green earns rewards at the following rates:
- 3X Membership Rewards at restaurants worldwide and on transit and travel purchases
- 1X Membership Rewards on all other purchases
The only unique bonus category on the Amex Green for a personal American Express card is transit. You can earn equal or higher rates on any other purchase with other cards in the Amex family. For example, even at a higher fee, a card like the American Express® Gold Card can provide significantly more value if you frequently dine at restaurants.
Benefits
After removing the LoungeBuddy credit, the only remaining annual statement credit is for up to $199 for a CLEAR Plus membership. However, three other American Express cards offer this feature plus several additional benefits to provide substantially better value.
For instance, The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with the CLEAR benefit, a higher rewards rate on travel, all the trip protection benefits found on the Amex Green, plus a laundry list of additional benefits which more than justify its annual fee if you’ll use them.
Who should keep the Amex Green
Following the removal of its LoungeBuddy perk, the Amex Green will hold the most value for cardholders with substantial transit expenses. For example, if you live in an urban area and mainly commute via subway, you’ll have a better chance of squeezing good value out of the card’s one remaining unique category.
You’d also want to renew your CLEAR Plus membership every year and use it frequently enough to get value from it. For instance, if you regularly attend sporting events at venues with a dedicated CLEAR line, that might be worth it. However, if you traveled enough to get value from the CLEAR credit, you’d likely be better off with a different travel card.
The bottom line
The American Express Green Card suffers yet another devaluation with the loss of the annual LoungeBuddy credit. When looking at the remaining features of this card, it just doesn’t work for the majority of people anymore, especially with nothing in line to replace the LoungeBuddy credit.
American Express has better options across the board at every price point with better benefit packages. If you’re seeking airport lounge access, many cards now offer some form of access as part of their benefits, along with many other travel perks you may find helpful. If you’re looking for a better option, you can always check out our CardMatch™ tool.
*Information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuers.
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