American Express Green Card vs Citi Double Cash® Card: Which Card Wins for Your Spending?

Which earns more for you?

Monthly spending. We rank on rewards minus the full annual fee, so statement credits and perks are listed separately and never counted for you.

Choosing between the American Express Green Card ($150/yr) and the Citi Double Cash® Card (no annual fee) comes down to where you spend most. Both cards can deliver real value. Let’s break it down, then run your numbers to find the winner.

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Meet the Contenders

American Express Green Card

Strongest in travel at 3%. 3X on travel, transit, and dining worldwide.

Annual fee: $150 Sign-up bonus: 40,000 points after $3,000 spend in 6 months Foreign fees: 0%

Perfect if: You want a strong rewards rate with no spending caps to worry about.

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Citi Double Cash Card

Unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. Earns a solid 2.0% on everything else.

Annual fee: None Sign-up bonus: $200 after $1,500 spend in 6 months Foreign fees: 3%

Perfect if: You're comfortable booking through the issuer's own site for the best rate.

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Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature American Express Green Card Citi Double Cash Card
Annual Fee $150 $0
Sign-Up Bonus 40,000 points after $3,000 spend in 6 months $200 after $1,500 spend in 6 months
Foreign Transaction Fee 0% 3%
Base Reward Rate 1% 2%
Travel Rewards 3% 2%
Dining Rewards 3% 2%
Rates with conditions
not counted in the rows above
None 5% through Citi Travel
Earns 5% only on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through Citi Travel, Citi's own booking site. Travel booked anywhere else earns the flat 2%.
Key Benefits 3X on travel, transit, and dining worldwide. Unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases.

The Verdict

American Express Green Card pulls ahead for travel, dining spending.

Citi Double Cash Card wins on groceries, gas.

The $150/year fee difference means American Express Green Card needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.

American Express Green Card carries $209/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings). Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.

Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math. The calculator ranks purely on rewards minus the full annual fee, so credits and perks are yours to judge.