What counts as travel on the Amex Green card?
Editor's Note
The American Express® Green Card is a decent option for travel purchases.
New cardholders can now earn a welcome bonus of 40,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after they spend $3,000 on purchases on their new card in the first six months of card membership.
The Amex Green earns 3 points per dollar on travel, transit and dining at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. For all other purchases, you'll earn one point. Terms apply.
But exactly which purchases count as "travel" and earn 3 points per dollar? Here's what you need to know.
Related: The best time to apply for these 9 popular travel credit cards based on offer history
The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
What counts as travel on the Amex Green card?
Here are the travel purchases that will earn bonus points, according to the Amex Green Card's terms:
- Car rentals
- Campgrounds
- Cruises
- Flights
- Hotels
- Third-party travel websites (i.e., Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline)
- Tours
- Travel booked through amextravel.com
- Vacation rentals (with exceptions—see below)
That's a pretty strong list — but let's see what purchases won't count as travel with your Amex Green card.
Related: Everything you need to know about Amex Travel
What doesn't count as travel on the Amex Green?
Amex's terms clearly specify that timeshare purchases will not count as travel.
Additionally, whether or not something counts as travel depends on how the merchant codes when you make your purchase. According to Amex's terms:
Merchants are assigned codes based on what they primarily sell. We group certain merchant codes into categories that are eligible for additional points. A purchase with a merchant will not earn additional points if the merchant's code is not included in an additional points category.
This won't be an issue for most purchases, but it could be, depending on where you make the transaction. For instance, if you purchased a tour ticket from a convenience store, it likely wouldn't code as travel and would not earn any bonus points.
Another common area of confusion when it comes to determining travel purchases is home-sharing and vacation rental sites such as Airbnb, Homeaway and VRBO.
These will usually code as travel and earn bonus points, but some TPG staffers and readers have reported inconsistent experiences with these purchases.
Related: 10 ways to use points to book vacation home rentals
Bottom line
The Amex Green Card has impressive bonus-earning on travel, transit and dining purchases. But before you put a big travel purchase on this card, ensure it falls under Amex's travel category and know that vacation rentals are hit-or-miss.
Fortunately, the travel category is broadly defined for the Amex Green card — great news for earning the most points possible.
Related: Amex Green full review
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.