Doctor of Credit (H/T) has reported today that more American Express Green Card details have been leaked. This is exciting news because a lot of the core details about this card have been revealed. This post explains the leaked details and then compares them to my predictions from last week.
What’s Going On?
The American Express Green Card will have a sign-up bonus worth 30,000 Membership Rewards (MR) Points. But the minimum spend requirement is still unknown. Plus, new cardholders will receive a $100 luggage credit from Away Luggage. This is a nice bonus that’s up there with that of the Amex Gold Card. I just hope that the minimum spend requirement is $2,000 or less to make it more accessible.
Furthermore, the Green Card will earn 3x points on Travel, (Local Commuter?) Transit, and Dining. These categories are like those from the Chase Sapphire Reserve. But the leaks did not specify what is included in the “Travel” category. I hope that its as inclusive as the Sapphire Reserve’s travel category. Also, I think that the Dining category is redundant for Amex Gold cardholders. Amex should have added another category such as Gas Stations and it would have been more inclusive for more travelers. Therefore, the Dining category is a disappointment for me relative to the Gold Card.
Plus, the Green Card will come with some credits like its metallic “bigger siblings”. Cardholders will receive a $100 CLEAR credit and a $100 Lounge Buddy credit. I have a bad feeling that Amex will divide these credits up somehow (like they did with the Gold and Platinum Card credits). But I hope they don’t, nonetheless.
The Green Card will also have a $150 annual fee. But the leaks did not mention whether it was waived for the first year.
How Close Was PYCR?
Last week, I wrote a post that highlighted my predictions for the American Express Green Card. This section is going to compare my predictions with the leaks mentioned above.
I predicted that the Green Card’s sign up bonus would be worth 25,000 MR points with a minimum spend of $1,000. The card will have a bonus worth 30,000 points, which is 5,000 more than I expected. I was close on this one, but I’m glad the bonus is higher than my prediction.
My predicted earning structure was totally off. But that might be good for those who do not want a Platinum Card. I predicted that the Amex Green Card would earn 4x points on Gas, 3x points on Streaming Services, and 2x points on either Hotels (rooms booked directly with the hotel) or travel booked on amextravel.com. However, I like the broader 3x categories better because more people can earn more points faster.
Furthermore, I predicted that the Away Luggage Credit would either be a perk or part of the sign-up bonus. I was correct about the sign-up bonus. But I did not expect the two credits for Lounge Buddy and CLEAR. These credits could be useless depending on whether Amex divides them up (if they do).
I also predicted that the card’s annual fee was increasing to $125. I was off by $25 on this prediction. But the Green Card’s increased annual fee can be justified by the earning structure and credits.
Final Draw
Assuming the leaked details are true, the American Express Green Card will become a decent option for travelers. All the details are not revealed yet and still anything could change. For example, many sources predicted that the Green Card would have a 4x and 3x bonus category. But today’s leaks debunked that rumor.
Another prediction of mine (and hope of many) was that the Green Card would include a credit for Amazon Prime membership. These leaks did not include such a credit. Many Amazon lovers will be disappointed by this. But it is possible that Amex could change their minds and include the Prime credit. They can also replace one of the two $100 credits with the Prime credit.
American Express will begin airing TV ads on Thursday, October 24, 2019. That means we can expect the card to launch by then.
Update: The American Express Green Card was officially launched early on October 24, 2019
