American Express Green

Overview

The American Express Green is Amex's no-fee entry-level card for Canadians — a simple, no-cost way to join the Membership Rewards (MR) ecosystem. Issued by American Express with no annual fee, the card earns 1 MR point per dollar on every eligible purchase. There are no category bonuses or complicated tiers to track. Because MR points transfer to Aeroplan and hotel partners, the Green card functions as a gateway for anyone who wants to start accumulating transferable points without committing to an annual fee.

Who this card is for

This card makes sense for two kinds of people: someone new to travel rewards who wants to test the Membership Rewards ecosystem before upgrading, and someone who already holds a higher-tier Amex card and wants a no-fee supplementary card to put low-spend purchases on. There's no income requirement. The flat 1x earn rate means it won't outperform category-heavy cards, but it costs nothing to hold, so there's no minimum-spend breakeven to worry about.

Key benefits

The main appeal is access to Membership Rewards at no cost. Those MR points transfer to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio, to Marriott Bonvoy, and to other airline and hotel partners. A dollar spent anywhere earns 1 MR point, which in practice means 1 Aeroplan point when transferred. Spend $12,000 CAD over a year and you've accumulated 12,000 Aeroplan points — not transformative on its own, but meaningful if you're stacking across multiple cards or using this as a catch-all for non-bonus-category spending.

Supplementary cards can be added at no cost, letting family members earn on shared purchases. The card includes standard Amex protections like purchase security and fraud protection.

Potential drawbacks

The 1x earn rate across the board is the lowest of any card in the Amex Canada lineup that earns MR points. If you're spending $2,000 per month in grocery and dining — the American Express Cobalt earns 5x on that same spending at a modest monthly fee. The Green card's value proposition is specifically its $0 cost, not its earn rate. Amex acceptance in Canada is also narrower than Visa or Mastercard, so the practical usability of a card earning 1x is more limited than a no-fee Visa or Mastercard with a similar earn rate.

How it compares

The American Express SimplyCash earns 1.25% cashback on all purchases with a $300 annual cap on the 2% gas and grocery rate — a slightly better return on general spending for anyone who prefers cashback to points. For MR-focused cardholders, the Cobalt earns 5x on food and drinks at $15.99 CAD per month, which is almost always worth paying if food is a meaningful category. The Green card's one clear advantage over both: it genuinely costs nothing.

Bottom line

This is a reasonable card for people entering the Membership Rewards world with zero risk or for pairing as a catch-all card alongside a category-bonus Amex. Don't expect it to be your primary earner — think of it as a free on-ramp to Aeroplan transfer capability.