Editorial take: American Express Green Card
Hard to justify vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred at $95 with stronger earning. The CLEAR credit is nice but only useful if your airport has CLEAR lines. Most people are better off with Sapphire or Amex Gold.
Free during beta. Plus launches at $12/mo or $99/yr on July 1. Annual is locked for 12 months during beta.
Both are well-respected travel cards. The American Express Green Card comes from American Express at $150/yr; the United Business Card from Chase at $150/yr. Below: side-by-side specs, an opinionated verdict, and the FAQs people actually ask before applying.
For most people the United Business Card is the stronger pick today, the sign-up bonus is meaningfully larger ($780 more in estimated value) than the American Express Green Card's. Get the United Business Card first; revisit the American Express Green Card after you've earned that bonus.
| Feature | American Express Green Card | United Business Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $150 | $150 |
| Sign-up bonus | 40,000 Membership Rewards points | 100,000 miles + 2,000 PQP |
| Bonus value (est.) | $720 | $1,500 |
| Min spend to unlock bonus | $3,000 in 3 mo | $5,000 in 3 mo |
| Issuer | American Express | Chase |
| Card category | travel | business |
| Best earning category (Travel) | 3x | 1x |
| Transfer partners | amex-mr | None |
| Headline benefits |
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Hard to justify vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred at $95 with stronger earning. The CLEAR credit is nice but only useful if your airport has CLEAR lines. Most people are better off with Sapphire or Amex Gold.
Strong United business card. The free checked bag for two travelers, two club passes, and the under-the-radar $50/twice-per-year hotel credit help cover the $150 AF for any United-leaning small business. The 100k + 2,000 PQP bonus is the sweetener. Post-2025 refresh swapped the old $100/$10k-spend credit for a $125 travel credit unlocked by 5 United flight purchases of $100+.
Card details on this page reflect the most recent data we've verified against the issuer's own site. Sign-up bonuses and fees can change at any time, confirm the current offer on the issuer's page before applying.