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The Amtrak Credit Cards are once again featuring increased bonuses. While these cards don’t get a ton of attention since there aren’t really any great uses of Amtrak points beyond Amtrak trains, the bottom line is that these offers can be great if you like traveling via Amtrak thanks to high value for points.
The Offers & Key Card Benefits
Card Offer and Details |
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40K points ⓘ Non-Affiliate 40K points after $2K spend in the first 3 billing cycles (Offer Expires 4/3/2024)$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 |
Card Offer and Details |
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12K points ⓘ Non-Affiliate 12K points after $1K spend in the first 3 billing cyclesNo 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. Earning rate: 2X Amtrak ✦ 2X dining ✦ 1X elsewhere Card Info: Mastercard Platinum issued by FNBO. This card imposes foreign transaction fees. Noteworthy perks: ✦ 5% Amtrak Guest Rewards point rebate on redemptions. ✦ 10% rebate for onboard food & beverage purchases as a statement credit See also: Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card review |
Quick Thoughts
The Amtrak cards went offline for a bit last year, but both of these cards came back in the fall and are are now issued by FNBO.
Amtrak points are worth more than most other reward currencies, with each point worth about 2.9c toward most train fares (or 2.56 on Acela fares). That means that the 40K offer on the Amtrak Rewards Preferred card will buy you well over $1,000 in train tickets (nearly $1200 on non-Acela service!). That’s a fantastic return on $1,000 spend.
The no-annual-fee Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard also offers an excellent bonus for a consumer card with no annual fee when you consider that you could buy well over $500 worth of train tickets with 20K points.
While these points have a very limited scope of use, they can nonetheless be highly useful to those who value train travel. I’ve taken Amtrak a handful of times over the past few years and while the trains in some cases have been quite old and a sometimes show their wear, the seats are wide and spacious and you can sometimes get a good WiFi signal on board. Furthermore, they can be a sightseeing tool in parts of the country that can make the journey part of the trip.