The Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard is featuring an increased bonus of 35K points after meeting the minimum spending requirement of $2k within three billing cycles.
Amtrak cards don’t get a ton of attention since there aren’t a good uses of Amtrak points beyond Amtrak trains, this offer can get you anywhere from $700-1000 worth of train travel, so it’s worth a look for those who live along the rail lines.
The Offer & Key Card Details
Click the card name below to learn more about this card and find a link to apply.
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
20K points ⓘ Non-Affiliate 20K points after $1K spend in the first 3 billing cycles $99 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: 30K points after $1K spend in the first 3 billing cycles + 2 companion certificates, 2 upgrade certificates and 2 lounge passes Earning rate: ✦ 3X Amtrak ✦ 2X qualifying travel, dining, transit, and rideshare ✦ 1X elsewhere Card Info: Mastercard World issued by FNBO. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Earn 1,000 Tier Qualifying Points towards elite status for each $5K spent in a calendar year. Limit 4,000 TQPs per year. Noteworthy perks: ✦ 5% Amtrak Guest Rewards point rebate on redemptions ✦ Complimentary companion coupon ✦ One-Class Upgrade and a single-day ClubAcela pass each year. ✦ 20% rebate for onboard food & beverage purchases as a statement credit See also: Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card review |
Quick Thoughts
In addition to the welcome offer, this card offers an annual round-trip companion certificate, a one-class upgrade cert, a station lounge pass every year and a 5% rebate on points redemptions. I’ve never used those benefits and can’t speak to how much they are worth, but it’s worth knowing they exist.
Amtrak points can sometimes be worth up to 2.9 cents per point toward train travel. The value can vary based on what you’re booking, but there are plenty of situations where you can easily get over of 2 cents per point, which means that this bonus should easily get you $700 and possibly over $1,000 worth of train travel. That’s a solid return without a huge amount of minimum spend.
This bonus probably won’t draw anyone out of the woodwork to apply for an Amtrak card, but if you’re someone who occasionally takes the train and/or lives in an area that is well-served by Amtrak, this could certainly be worth taking a gander.
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We just moved to Philadelphia so this helps for trips to NYC, Washington and BWI. Watch out for the 40k SUB that comes out a couple of times during the year.