Refreshed Amtrak Credit Cards Are Now Open for Applications

Anyone who previously held the Amtrak Guest Rewards^® World Mastercard^® or Amtrak Guest Rewards​^® Platinum Mastercard^® should have recently received a letter informing them that the cards would be shifting issuers, from Bank of America to First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO).

The shift has officially happened, and the 2 new cards are now open to applications, as well. Here’s what you need to know about the update.

FNBO Now Issues Amtrak Credit Cards

Amtrak removed information about the Amtrak Guest Rewards card and the Amtrak Guest Rewards​ Platinum card from its website earlier this year, sparking speculation that the rail company would update the cards.

An application portal for the new cards is now live, with the Amtrak Guest Rewards^® Mastercard^® replacing the Amtrak Guest Rewards Platinum card and the Amtrak Guest Rewards^® Preferred Mastercard^® replacing the Amtrak Guest Rewards card. 

The Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred card is offering 30,000 bonus points after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 billing cycles of account opening (the offer ends December 2, 2022). This card comes with a $99 annual fee.

The no-annual-fee Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard offers 12,000 bonus points after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 billing cycles of account opening.

FNBO is now managing all accounts for Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card customers. Existing cardholders began receiving new cards, as well as new account numbers, expiration dates, and 3-digit security codes, in October.

Increased Earnings for Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Cardholders

The most significant positive change for customers who already have the now-Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred card is that cardholders will now earn 2 points per dollar spent on dining, transit, and rideshare purchases. This is up from the previous 1 point for every dollar spent on other purchases.

Many perks will remain the same, however.

The card will retain the elevated earnings of 3 points for every dollar spent on Amtrak travel, including onboard purchases. Cardholders will still earn 1,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) toward tier status each time your eligible spending reaches $5,000 in a calendar year, plus anniversary benefits such as a Companion Coupon, 1-class upgrade upon account opening, and complimentary single-visit Amtrak station lounge pass upon account opening.

However, the caveat of these positive updates is that the card’s annual fee has increased.

Bank of America’s Amtrak Guest Rewards card had a $79 annual fee, but the FNBO-issued Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred card is $99 per year. The Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard will continue to not charge an annual fee. Both cards offer a 5% rebate when redeeming points for Amtrak travel.

Hot Tip: Running low on points and need to book with cash? Make sure to read our guide about the best ways to book cheap Amtrak train tickets.

Final Thoughts

Many fans of Amtrak and existing cardholders were left with many questions about the status of these credit cards when the company pulled both of them from its website in recent months.

However, those questions have been answered now that the applications for the new FNBO-issued co-branded cards are live.

This update is mostly good news, especially with FNBO’s Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred card offering an elevated earning structure on transit and dining — though it does come with a higher annual fee.

The information regarding the Amtrak Guest Rewards^® World Mastercard^®, Amtrak Guest Rewards​^® Platinum Mastercard^® and Amtrak Guest Rewards^® Mastercard^® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.