(EXPIRED) Now 40K or 20K points with Amtrak credit cards

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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.

a man taking a selfie

The Offers & Key Card Benefits

Card Offer and Details
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
Base: 1X (2.56%)
Travel: 2X (5.12%)
Dine: 2X (5.12%)
Brand: 3X (7.68%)
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
Card Offer and Details
12K points after $1K spend in the first 3 billing cycles
No 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
Base: 1X (2.56%)
Dine: 2X (5.12%)
Brand: 2X (5.12%)
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

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.

a child looking out a window at the ocean
We took the train from Los Angeles through Santa Barbara and up to San Luis Obispo a few years ago and it was very scenic.
people on a train with people on seats
There was even a sightseeing car on that train from Los Angeles with a guide who explained the history and sights along the way.
a row of seats in a train
I find business class on Amtrak to be much, much more spacious and comfortable than an airplane, so I can see why this is popular in the Northeast.
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