Credit Card News
American Express Green Card Removing LoungeBuddy Credit
It looks like American Express is preparing an update to its Green Card after dropping a benefit from the card’s site.
About the update the LoungeBuddy:
As noticed by Doctor of Credit, American Express has updated the listing for its Green Card to remove one key perk. Previously, customers could get up to $100 in annual credits for LoungeBuddy. However, looking at the terms for the card, it now states that this credit will be discontinued on January 13th, 2025. Given this wording, it appears as though current cardholders and those who apply before that date will still be able to use it despite Amex no longer including the benefit in its marketing.
This update comes on the heels of LoungeBuddy (which American Express purchased in 2019) discontinuing its mobile app. As of July 2024, users can no longer access the platform using the application. However, the LoungeBuddy site is still live and does allow guests to purchase passes for select lounges.
Also notable is that the annual CLEAR Plus credit that’s also included with the Green Card recently increased. With CLEAR Plus hiking its membership fee to $199 per year (from $189), the Green Card’s credit followed suit. When the refreshed Green Card initially debuted with both the LoungeBuddy and CLEAR credits, the latter was only for $100, which left cardholders to pay the remaining membership cost out of pocket. This was then updated to cover the full fee in 2022.
More on the Amex Green Card:
In addition to the CLEAR Plus credit that’s still offered on the American Express Green Card, the $150 annual fee card also offers some key rewards for travelers. With the Green Card, customers can earn 3x points on travel purchases, including airfare, hotels, tours, car rentals, cruises, and more as well as 3x on transit, such as trains, taxis, rideshares, ferries, tolls, parking, and subways, etc. The card also earns 3x at restaurants worldwide and takeout/delivery services in the United States. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar spent.
My thoughts:
It’s now been nearly five years since American Express refreshed its iconic Green Card. That fact coupled with this quiet discontinuation of the LoungeBuddy credit suggests that another revamp is likely incoming. After all, Amex updated the Gold Card just a couple of months ago, raising the annual fee while adding new credits to the card (a strategy that has become an Amex staple).
If American Express does go ahead and refresh the Green Card, I really hope they come up with something good to replace the LoungeBuddy credit. That’s because I’m currently considering downgrading to the Green Card when my Gold Card renewal arises. I’d also love it if they didn’t hike the annual fee…but that seems to be a foregone conclusion — especially if the card keeps the CLEAR Plus credit as that already exceeds the Green Card’s annual fee.
While I could speculate all day, instead, I’ll just say that I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for potential developments.
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