Great Card If
- You’re a frequent Amtrak traveler
- You’ll easily get good value out of the card’s annual perks like the companion coupon, 1 class upgrade certificate, and lounge pass
- You want a card that will help you earn Amtrak elite status
Don’t Get If
- You rarely ride with Amtrak
- You want a card that earns flexible rewards with multiple redemption options
- You want a card without an annual fee
Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Card — Is It Worth It?
If you travel with Amtrak frequently, the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred card is almost certainly a worthwhile addition to your wallet.
Not only will the card help you earn more points on your Amtrak rides and daily purchases, but it also comes with several great benefits that easily help offset the annual fee, like a 20% rebate for onboard food and beverage purchases, a 1-class upgrade certificate annually, a round-trip companion certificate annually, additional Tier Qualifying Points for your spend, and more.
Frequent Amtrak travelers are most likely to benefit from this card.
Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Card Top Benefits and Perks
It’s essential for any rewards card to deliver more value than what it charges in its annual fee, and the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred card meets the bill here with the following perks:
- 20% rebate on onboard food and beverage purchases: When you use your card to pay for these eligible transactions, 20% of the cost will be credited back to you as a statement credit.
- Annual round-trip companion coupon: Upon account opening and on your card anniversary, you’ll receive a companion coupon valid for a round-trip fare. This effectively functions as a buy-one-get-one coupon on eligible trips that you receive each year you hold the card.
- 1 class upgrade certificate annually: This certificate allows you to upgrade the cabin class you originally booked to the next highest cabin class, and you’ll receive this certificate upon account opening and on your account anniversary each year.
- Station lounge pass: Each year, you’ll receive a station lounge pass that will grant you entry into any of the Amtrak metropolitan lounge locations across the U.S.
- Earn Tier Qualifying Points: Qualify for Amtrak elite status faster by earning 1,000 Tier Qualifying Points each time you make $5,000 in qualifying purchases.
- Points don’t expire: As long as your card remains open and active, your Amtrak Guest Rewards points will never expire.
- 5% rebate on Amtrak travel redemptions: Each time you redeem your Amtrak Guest Rewards points, 5% of the redemption amount will be credited back to you — further increasing the redemption value of your points.
- No foreign transaction fees: Use your card when you travel internationally to earn more points without paying any foreign transaction fees.
Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Rewards
The Amtrak Guest Rewards program doesn’t partner with any transferable point programs, so using your card is the best way for you to help yourself earn more Amtrak points. In addition to the points you earn from your Amtrak tickets, the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred card earns 3x points on Amtrak purchases, 2x points on dining, travel, transit, and ride-sharing purchases, and 1x points on all other purchases.
Once you’re ready to redeem your points, you’ll typically receive an approximate value of 2.5 to 2.7 cents per point toward Amtrak rides. Plus, you’ll receive 5% of your redeemed points back as a benefit of holding the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred card, further boosting the overall value you’ll receive from your points.
Alternative Cards to the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Card
If you like the idea of adding a card to your wallet to help you earn more Amtrak points, but you don’t want to pay a credit card annual fee, then the Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard is the perfect middle ground.
While it doesn’t pack as many benefits as the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred card, you’ll still earn 2x points on Amtrak travel, including onboard dining, 2x points on dining, and 1x points on all other purchases. You’ll receive a 10% rebate on onboard food and beverage purchases, a 5% rebate on all redeemed points for Amtrak travel, and prevent your points from expiring, all with a $0 annual fee.
If you prefer to earn cash-back rewards instead of rewards that are tied to travel with Amtrak, the U.S. Bank Cash+ Signature card could be a better fit for you.
With it, you earn 5% back from your choice of 2 top categories every quarter (from an eligible list of categories), including ground transportation (which includes passenger rail travel), along with other options like home utilities, cell phone providers, fast food, TV, internet, and streaming services, and more, on up to $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter.
You’ll also earn 5% back on prepaid air, hotel, and car reservations booked directly in the U.S. Bank Rewards Center, and 2% back on 1 everyday category, including grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations.
With this card, if you choose ground transportation as one of your 2 top categories, you can earn 5% back on up to $2,000 in purchases per quarter, which is $100 in cash-back, with a $0 annual fee.
