# Best time to apply for the AGR master card?



## pianocat (Jan 17, 2014)

About 3 months ago I received an email trying to get me to apply for the AGR master card. At that time, it was offering 18,000 bonus points when I spend $500 in the first 3 months. I let that one pass, didn't apply...but now I'm much more interested in getting those 18,000 points for my next trip. Yesterday, I got another email with the same master card offer of 18,000 points - but this time, I'd have to spend $1,000 in the first 3 months. My question is this... Since i'm sure these offers will continue to come my way, is there a best time to apply and receive the points with a min. spending requirement on my end. [i'd be hard pressed to spend $1,000 on a cc in 3 months' time....but $500, could do] I'm hoping to book an Amtrak trip for sometime this summer, of course it'd be nice to have these points by then - but I know I wouldn't actually show the points until the 3 month period passes. But on the other hand, I want to acquire the card when I am getting the best 'deal'. Historically, is there a time of year that I'd be better off waiting for, to get the card? Thank you.


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## the_traveler (Jan 17, 2014)

First off, the points post to your AGR account on the closing date of the credit card. (If your card closes on the 10th, you'll see those points in your AGR account on the 11th or 12th!) Once you meet the requirements for the bonus, the points will also post on the closing date.

As far as the best time, who knows. The offers change all the time. When I got mine, it was only 5K. I've also have seen 6K, 12K, 18K and even 32K!


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 17, 2014)

It's not as hard as you think to spend $1,000 in 3 months time on a CC! Some of us use our Amtrak MC for almost Everything including Food, Utilities, Gas,AGR Partners, Purchases etc. that we would spend anyway! Living in Flyover Country with Few Trains, this is the way we Rack up our Points! I'd take the 18,000 Point offer, it probably won't get better! (I got 12,000 when I got mine a Few Years ago!)


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## the_traveler (Jan 17, 2014)

Continuing on what Jim said, here's an example:

Gas = $40/week or $160/month

Food = $100/week or $400/month

Misc shopping (clothes, fast food, coffee, etc...) = $50/week or $200/month

Points for shopping (like for computer supplies, flowers, etc...) = $100/month

So for only those things listed, if you add $160 + $400 + $200 + $100, you get $860 for only 1 month! Even if you spend only 1/2 of that amount, it's $430 a month. So in 3 months, it's almost $1,300 you spent!

So you see it's not that hard.


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## shelzp (Jan 17, 2014)

I wouldn't wait for a better offer if you can hit the spending requirement. I run my expenses through my card and the points are adding up fast. There's another bonus with the card which is a 5% point rebate on AGR point trips and that's helpful as well. If you schedule a 40000 point trip they kick back 2000 to your account.


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## pianocat (Jan 17, 2014)

Thanks everyone for the input. I just applied, they'll let me know soon. This combined with current points should pay at least part of whatever trip I take next on Amtrak. Now, just have to decide where to go and when I want to go!


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## andersone (Jan 17, 2014)

I received and took the offer yesterday, but mine was for 12K points for $500 in the first three months,,, I can make that in one month alone ,,, and one for one plus a 5% rebate seemed pretty good,,,, after my cancer surgery and positive PET scan we already had one trip booked to Glacier, setting up the 2015 trip to Yellowstone,,, and if i have extra points I am sure I can talk She Who Must Be Obeyed into some shorter junkets..... my biggest problem is that Card hits Ashland EB at 5 something in the morning !! ah the burdens we must bear ...


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## Ryan (Jan 17, 2014)

Check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

If you can do $3,000 in the first 3 months, there's a 40,000 point bonus, plus 5,000 if you add an authorized user. You earn Ultimate Rewards points, which can be instantly transferred 1:1 into Amtrak Guest Rewards (and United, Southwest, British Airways, a bunch of hotels, etc, etc, etc).

Once I found about about that, it's been my "go to" card for everything.


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## guest (Jan 17, 2014)

I applied a couple of years ago. In a few days I got a rejection notice, which included a link to the credit report they used. When I looked at that, I saw the problem, a reference to a disputed bill which had been settled years earlier. The notice gave a number to call to discuss. I called, and the agent told me that another reason for refusal was that I had no other credit cards!

To shorten the story, he put me on hold, talked to his supervisor, and about 2 minutes later came on and said "Ok, you're good."

And - the best part - I got 32,000 points!

Good luck, piano lady.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 17, 2014)

Best time to apply for the AGR master card? The day after you've unlocked the bonus points from meeting the minimum spend on Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Bold, Chase Ink Plus, and Chase Freedom. Although by that time you'd already have something like 150,000 points.


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## guest (Jan 17, 2014)

Devil's Advocate said:


> Best time to apply for the AGR master card? The day after you've unlocked the bonus points from meeting the minimum spend on Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Bold, Chase Ink Plus, and Chase Freedom. Although by that time you'd already have something like 150,000 points.


Another great thread-killer post. Congrats DA.


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## Ryan (Jan 17, 2014)

Actually he's dead on with a valuable contribution.

Unlike your completely no-value added post.


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## pianocat (Jan 17, 2014)

Ok, another perk of this offer is a 'free companion coupon'. Does this mean I can take a friend with me on my next trip, for free - or would I have to use some of those 18,000 points? [is free really free?]


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## Ryan (Jan 17, 2014)

Free is free, but it applies to coach fares only.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 17, 2014)

guest said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
> 
> 
> > Best time to apply for the AGR master card? The day after you've unlocked the bonus points from meeting the minimum spend on Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Bold, Chase Ink Plus, and Chase Freedom. Although by that time you'd already have something like 150,000 points.
> ...


I rarely give advice I wouldn't follow myself and that post was no exception. I have those cards along with the AGR card and to me the better value is with the Ultimate Rewards program. The cards I mentioned come with substantial spending bonuses and earn 2-5 points per dollar on many of my purchases. As with the AGR portal they can also earn several times the base rate when used online through the rewards mall. I've earned over 300,000 UR points at this stage (which convert 1:1 to AGR) just by being a little more picky as to when and where I make my purchases. The system works fine for me. If it required a lot of effort or had a lot of pitfalls I would have blown it off a long time ago. But I guess you can't please everyone. *shrug*


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## tonys96 (Jan 18, 2014)

Devil's Advocate said:


> guest said:
> 
> 
> > Devil's Advocate said:
> ...


I looked at my UR page and could not find the place where I can convert them to AGR points. Can you tell me how to find that?


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## Ryan (Jan 18, 2014)

There's a "transfer points" option in the menubar at the top when I log in.

You have to do it in 1,000 point blocks.


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## tonys96 (Jan 18, 2014)

EDIT: I checked the site and my card Chase Freedom card does NOT have the "transfer points" option. I can "combine points" between one Chase account and another account that has UR, but not to an outside account. Sigh.

*What if I don't see "Point Transfer" in the top navigation of the Ultimate Rewards site?*

You may be enrolled in a credit card that does not offer this feature. If you want to learn more, call the number on the back of your Chase card to find out about eligible cards.


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## Ryan (Jan 18, 2014)

Yep - Chase Freedom can't do that, you need the Sapphire Preferred (there may be one or two others) to do that.

On the good side, you can get the CSP card, get the megabonus and then have lots of points to transfer to AGR!


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## trainman74 (Jan 18, 2014)

Just thought I'd note that the Sapphire Preferred card has a $95 annual fee (waived for the first year), while the Guest Rewards card has no annual fee.

I have both, although I use the Sapphire Preferred for just about everything -- it's still useful to have the Guest Rewards card because of the 5% rebate on AGR redemptions, and the fact that it makes AGR points expiration-proof.


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## benjibear (Jan 18, 2014)

If I have an AGR card, what card should I pursue to get more AGR points. I think I am seeing the Chase Saphire Prefered?


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## Ryan (Jan 18, 2014)

trainman74 said:


> Just thought I'd note that the Sapphire Preferred card has a $95 annual fee (waived for the first year), while the Guest Rewards card has no annual fee.
> 
> I have both, although I use the Sapphire Preferred for just about everything -- it's still useful to have the Guest Rewards card because of the 5% rebate on AGR redemptions, and the fact that it makes AGR points expiration-proof.


Good point.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card also gives you a 7% bonus on every point you earn once a year (which is coming up soon). Should make for a nice little kicker in my case.


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## sechs (Jan 21, 2014)

trainman74 said:


> Just thought I'd note that the Sapphire Preferred card has a $95 annual fee (waived for the first year), while the Guest Rewards card has no annual fee.
> 
> I have both, although I use the Sapphire Preferred for just about everything -- it's still useful to have the Guest Rewards card because of the 5% rebate on AGR redemptions, and the fact that it makes AGR points expiration-proof.


Due to its quarterly bonuses, I think that the Freedom is often the better card to have. Of course, it's useless without a CSP or Ink card to make the transfers.

I basically only use my AGR card for Amtrak purchases.


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## lo2e (Jan 30, 2014)

Question for those who've gotten the 18,000 point AGR CC offers by email - how often do those get sent out? I got an email today offering only the standard 12,000 points. Should I wait for an 18,000 point offer?


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## Zach (Oct 16, 2014)

Amtrak is now offering the Amtrak Guest Rewards Card with 18k AGR points and a free companion certificate - the offer is covered in the post below:

http://www.railhacker.com/2014/09/amtrak-guest-rewards-credit-card-18000.html


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## NW cannonball (Oct 17, 2014)

Zach said:


> Amtrak is now offering the Amtrak Guest Rewards Card with 18k AGR points and a free companion certificate - the offer is covered in the post below:
> 
> http://www.railhacker.com/2014/09/amtrak-guest-rewards-credit-card-18000.html


Amtrak, and the credit card outfits, make more or less good bonus point offers from time to time, targeted to reliable Amtrak and/or credit card users.

Got more points than you noobs could believe, way back when.

The main point is -- no point system can pretend to be money -- and even money loses a lot sometimes.

No way to compare rgw current offer to ancient offers -- if the bonus points works for you == use it!

If not -- wait!

All these FF and Amtrak points can disappear any time. please consider. Freq User "points" are like the old-time "gold bond stamps"

"points have no value, cannot be traded, might possibly be redeemed for something sometime"

like those "gold bond stamps" back in the 50's and 60's.


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