The Old $95 Annual Fee Amex Green Card Still Exists
The American Express Green Card was the original Amex charge card that was introduced back in 1958. It is still relevant and a good product, even though it doesn’t have the same status. The Amex Green card was refreshed in 2019. The annual fee went up to $150. The card earns now 3x on travel and restaurants and has some other benefits as well.
But apparently the Traditional Green Card is still available and it is a different card than the current Amex Green Card you can apply for. I was given the option to downgrade to the Traditional Green Card during a retention chat for my current Amex Green Card. It still has a $95 annual fee, but with a twist.
“There is always an option to change the card product to a lower annual fee traditional green card,” the rep said. It has a “$55 annual fee with the option to add the Membership Rewards Program for an additional $40 per year.” The extra $40 would let you enroll in the Individual Membership Rewards program and earn points for all eligible purchases. Otherwise the card would just earn cashback.
How much it earns? It’s 1X on all purchases and 2x through Amex Travel. As for benefits, you don’t get much either besides some purchase protections. So the existence of this card is just interesting, but not really exciting. Even before the refresh to the current Amex Green Card, it was really just a downgrade option, and not much else. Rarely we saw a 25,000 Membership Rewards bonus as well.
Guru’s Wrap-up
I was given the option to downgrade my Amex Green Card to the Traditional Green Card which is apparently still available in two versions. The other offer I was given during my retention chat was $125 credit with $2,000 spending. I turned them both down and closed my card since I haven’t used it in a while now.
Hi, Danny.
I just now thought of something along
the lines of this topic: Is there a “traditional”
Amex gold card still available in a clandestine
way which ( I think) would have the original (?)
$75 annual fee? I wonder what such a card, if it
exist would have in benefits? Just a thought.
The only other Gold card available that I know of, is the free AU Gold Cards that you can add to your Amex Platinum accounts. Those earn the same as the primary cardholder.
How did you come across this information about the
old $95 amex green card still existing and how do I
go about getting it? I have the new revamped card but
I don’t really need to travel or use the Clear or Lounge Buddy
memberships so I don’t really feel its justified to pay
the higher $ 150 fee in 2022.
It’s not a great card at all, so I don’t think it’s worth it for $95. You can call in and see if Amex will offer you some kind of retention offer for your Green Card. maybe a credit or points. If not, it’s best to just close it and go for a different Amex card that has better earning in your favorite categories.
I came across this information when calling in to close my Amex Green Card.
Or you can do is get the regular everyday card or the blue business plus or both with no annual fee. I have both of them. The regular everyday is 2X on groceries only and 1X on everything else. The blue business plus you can get as a sole proprietor. The blue business plus is 2X up to $50,000 in a calendar year and 1X after that. Again, both with no annual fee. You need just 1 of those and your points are safe