The American Express Green Card (formerly The Choice Card from American Express) is one of the newest additions to the line of AMEX credit cards available in Canada.
This no-annual-fee card offers Membership Rewards points on all purchases and access to American Express Experiences benefits.
New cardholders can also benefit from the welcome bonus offer of 10,000 points when they spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.
This American Express Green Card review covers its features, benefits, downsides, and alternatives.
American Express Green Card
Rewards: Earn 1x pts per $1 spent on all purchases.
Welcome offer: Get 10,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.
Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases and 21.99% on cash advances.
Annual fee: $0
American Express Green Card Benefits
1. No Annual Fee: This card won’t charge you an annual fee for primary and supplementary cards. You can compare the best no-fee credit cards in Canada.
2. Earn Rewards: Get 1 point per dollar spent on all purchases plus an extra point per dollar when you use your card to pay for hotels and car rentals.
It is quite easy to redeem your Membership Rewards points for:
- Travel bookings through AMEX Travel Services.
- A statement credit towards eligible purchases.
- Gift cards and merchandise.
- Purchases on Amazon.ca.
3. Welcome Offer: When you spend $1,000 or more in your first 3 months of activating the card, you get 10,000 bonus points… equivalent to $10 in travel credit.
4. American Express Experiences: Cardholders can access special offers for dining and shopping, as well as exclusive access to event tickets, advance screenings of blockbuster movies, and more.
5. Other Benefits: You can access customer service 24/7, get an emergency replacement for your card if it gets lost or stolen, and enjoy fraud protection guarantee when you take reasonable care of your card details.
The American Express Green Card does not have a minimum income requirement and could easily function as a student credit card or card for newcomers.
Downsides of the American Express Green Card
Amex credit cards are not as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard credit cards.
Also, the American Express Green Card does not offer travel insurance coverage.
American Express Green Card vs. Alternatives
Two no-fee cash back credit cards that rival the American Express Green Card are:
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
Rewards: Earn up to 2% unlimited cash back in up to 3 spending categories and 0.50% on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: Get an extra 10% cash back on up to $1,000 in spending in the first 2 months ($100 value).
Interest rates: 19.95% for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances.
Annual fee: $0
This Tangerine credit card earns up to 2% unlimited cash back when you spend on 2-3 categories of your choice, including groceries, gas, recurring bill payments, entertainment, hotels, and more. Aside from your 2% categories, you earn 0.50% cash back on all other purchases.
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card offers a 1.95% balance transfer for the first six months, purchase protection, and extended warranty benefits.
Learn more in this review of Tangerine credit cards.
SimplyCash Card From AMEX
SimplyCash Card from American Express
Rewards and benefits: Earn up to 2% cash back on gas and groceries; 1.25% cash back on all other purchases; travel accident insurance.
Welcome offer: Earn a $10 statement credit each month you spend $300 in purchases on your Card in the first 10 months (up to $100 value).
Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases and 21.99% on cash advances.
Annual fee: $0
The SimplyCash Card from AMEX offers a 1.25% cash back rate on most purchases and up to 2% cash back on groceries.
This card comes with travel accident insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty coverage. You can learn more in this review.
