American Express Green Card vs Amex Gold Rewards Card
Two cards, one Standard Score rubric. The Amex Gold Rewards Card scores higher overall at 7.5/10, but the right pick depends on which components match your spending.
The verdict
ExcellentBoth open the door to Membership Rewards, but the Gold is a different weight class: up to 60,000 points versus 10,000, 2x on gas, groceries, drugstores, and travel, and real travel insurance, against a $250 fee. The Green is free, but it has no accelerated categories at all: every eligible purchase earns a flat 1x. Take the Green purely as a no-cost way into the MR ecosystem (Aeroplan transfers included); anyone who spends enough on food and travel to use the Gold's categories will out-earn its fee many times over.
See offer · current Amex Gold Rewards Card offer, direct from the issuer
Rewards math assumes you pay your balance in full every month — interest charges quickly exceed any rewards value.
| American Express Green Card | Amex Gold Rewards Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Score | 5.2/10 · Pass | 7.5/10 · Excellent |
| Annual fee | None | $250 |
| Welcome bonus | 10,000 MR points on $1,000 spend in the first 3 months | Up to 60,000 MR points (5,000/month on $1K monthly spend for 12 months); the widely promoted 90,000 is a referral-only offer |
| Est. bonus value | ≈ $190 | ≈ $1,140 |
| First-year net value | ≈ $260 | ≈ $1,040 |
| Earn rates |
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| Points currency | Amex Membership Rewards | Amex Membership Rewards |
| No FX fees | No | No |
| Lounge access | No | Yes |
Where the American Express Green Card wins
- Low friction: scores 8.5/10 on this component
Where the Amex Gold Rewards Card wins
- First-year value: scores 7.5/10 on this component
- Ongoing value: scores 7.0/10 on this component
- Flexibility: scores 9.0/10 on this component
- Perk usability: scores 7.5/10 on this component
- Strategic fit: scores 7.5/10 on this component
Read the full reviews: American Express Green Card and Amex Gold Rewards Card, or see how both rank in Best Rewards Credit Cards in Canada.
What the points are worth in dollars: Amex Membership Rewards Value. Each has a calculator for your balance.