Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Credit Card Review
Key Takeaways
If you ride Amtrak even a few times per year, the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard can easily justify its $99 annual fee. Along with a 25,000-point welcome offer, cardholders receive an annual round-trip companion coupon, one-class upgrade coupon, and station lounge pass.
Why This Card Could Be Right For You
If you regularly ride Amtrak a few times per year, the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard can provide good value for its $99 annual fee. Cardmembers earn a 25,000-point welcome offer after spending $1,500 within the first 3 billing cycles of account opening.
There are several benefits cardholders receive after being approved for the card and again each year they renew that can easily offset the annual fee:
- A round-trip companion coupon
- A one-class upgrade coupon
- A station lounge pass
Cardmembers also receive:
- 3x points on Amtrak purchases, including onboard purchases, plus a 20% rebate on onboard food and beverage purchases
- 2x points on dining, travel, transit, and rideshare purchases
Amtrak points can also provide excellent redemption value. For example, a one-way trip from New York to Washington, D.C., that costs $45 can be booked for 1,688 points, giving you about 2.67 cents per point in value. While Amtrak does not use an award chart, redemption prices generally track cash fares and often provide 2.45-2.9¢ per point value. Combined with the 25,000-point welcome offer, that can add up to a lot of free train travel depending on where you live and where you're going.
When The Usual Advice Doesn't Apply
The exceptions where this card might not be good for you:
- You don’t travel on Amtrak often enough to use the annual companion coupon, upgrade coupon, and lounge pass, making it harder to justify using one of your 5/24 spots on this card.
What to Know About Amtrak Guest Rewards
Amtrak Guest Rewards can provide excellent value for train travel, particularly now that you can transfer Bilt Rewards points to the program.
- Amtrak points can be redeemed for train travel throughout the U.S., with redemption prices generally tied to the cash cost of the ticket.
- You can expect to get between 2.5-2.9 cents per point in value on Amtrak redemptions.
- Bilt Rewards transfers to Amtrak Guest Rewards at a 2:1 ratio, providing a new way to add to your Amtrak points balance without riding Amtrak or using an Amtrak credit card.
- Amtrak offers two co-branded credit cards that earn Guest Rewards points and provide additional benefits when traveling by train.
How The Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Credit Card Fits In The Amtrak Guest Rewards Ecosystem
Amtrak also offers a no-annual-fee card, the Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard, which comes with a 15,000-point welcome offer after spending $1,000 in the first three months. This card can make sense for someone who knows they'll take a trip or two on Amtrak but doesn't ride often enough to justify paying an annual fee.
The no-fee card also offers:
- 2x points on Amtrak travel, including onboard purchases
- A 10% rebate on onboard food and beverage purchases
- A 5% points rebate when redeeming points for Amtrak travel
If you travel on Amtrak with any regularity, though, we think the Preferred card is worth its $99 annual fee and may even be worth using a spot under 5/24.
Card Information
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