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 U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature Card from U.S. Bank at $0/yr. Below: side-by-side specs, an opinionated verdict, and the FAQs people actually ask before applying.
For most people the American Express Green Card is the stronger pick today, the sign-up bonus is meaningfully larger ($520 more in estimated value) than the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature Card's. Get the American Express Green Card first; revisit the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature Card after you've earned that bonus.
| Feature | American Express Green Card | U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $150 | $0 |
| Sign-up bonus | 40,000 Membership Rewards points | 20,000 bonus points after $1,000 spend in 90 days |
| Bonus value (est.) | $720 | $200 |
| Min spend to unlock bonus | $3,000 in 3 mo | $1,000 in 3 mo |
| Issuer | American Express | U.S. Bank |
| Card category | travel | cashback |
| Best earning category (Travel) | 3x | 1x |
| Transfer partners | amex-mr | None |
| Headline benefits |
|
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.
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.