Great Card If
- You occasionally travel with Amtrak
- You want a card that will help you earn more Amtrak points without an annual fee
Don’t Get If
- You rarely ever travel with Amtrak
- You travel with Amtrak frequently and would prefer the premium version of the card
Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard — Is It Worth It?
If you travel with Amtrak semifrequently and would like these rides to be more rewarding, then the Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard could be a worthwhile addition for you.
It helps you earn more points on your rides and daily purchases, comes with useful perks (such as a rebate on onboard food and beverage purchases and points redemptions), and keeps your points from expiring without an annual fee.
Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard Top Benefits
As a no-annual-fee card, the Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard is limited on perks, but still offers some value.
- 10% rebate on onboard food and beverage purchases: Receive 10% back as a statement credit when you use your card to pay.
- Points don’t expire: As long as your card remains active and in good standing, your points will never expire.
- 5% points rebate: When you redeem your points for Amtrak travel, you’ll receive 5% of the redemption total credited back to your points balance.
- No foreign transaction fees: Use your card for purchases outside of the U.S. to continue earning points with no fees.
Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Amtrak Points
Using your card is the best way for you to help yourself earn more Amtrak points, since the Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard earns 2x points on Amtrak purchases, 2x points on dining, and 1x points on all other purchases.
Amtrak points are quite valuable, and you’ll typically receive around 2.5 to 2.7 cents per point for your redemptions. This means you’ll receive around a 5% return on spending for Amtrak and dining purchases, and a 2.5% return on spending for all other purchases, which is excellent for a no-annual-fee card.
Alternative Cards to the Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard
Amtrak Guest Rewards® Preferred Mastercard®
Depending on the frequency with which you book Amtrak tickets, it may be more beneficial for you to opt for the premium version of the card, the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred card.
While it does charge an annual fee, it comes with many great additional benefits like 3x points on Amtrak travel, 2x points on dining, travel, transit, and rideshare purchases, and a 20% rebate on onboard food and beverage purchases. Upon opening and every cardmember anniversary, you’ll receive a round-trip companion coupon, a 1-class upgrade certificate, and an Amtrak station lounge pass annually. You’ll also get the ability to earn Tier Qualifying Points from your spending on the card.
If you prefer a travel rewards card that earns flexible rewards, then the Capital One Venture card could make sense for you.
It earns 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and an uncapped 2x miles on all other purchases. Plus, it comes with perks like an up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, no foreign transaction fees, and access to Capital One transfer partners.
While Amtrak isn’t a Capital One transfer partner, nor is it a transfer partner of any other program, you could book an Amtrak ticket using your card, and then redeem your Capital One miles to cover the purchase.
