Good point. You know, 12 PM, as in noon, could create problems, in addition to confustion.
AGR Credit Card change (October 2022)
- Thread starter neroden
- Start date
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
- Status
Leave it to Amtrak to be 12 hours late!!!
Wouldn't it be the responsibility of BoA (or Amtrak) to post any points on the BoA card? The question would likely be better answered by one of them.
NorthShore
Conductor
What they're saying is, "No free lunch!"
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2009
- Messages
- 403
A brief AGR CC history from my perspective:
MBNA America (I joined in 2001) had the AGR card to the beginning of 2006.
January 2006- Bank of America bought out MBNA, AGR program continues.
May 2007-BOA program terminated, existing card becomes a BOA WorldPoints Mastercard
Late 2007-Chase issues new AGR Mastercard, application is required for this card.
Sept 2015-Chase terminates AGR program, existing Mastercard becomes a Chase Freedom VISA card.
Sept 2015-BOA becomes new bank and issues AGR Mastercards (Platinum with no annual fee, or World with $79 annual fee and up to 4000 TQPs for spending). Application is required for this card.
Sept 2022-BOA relationship with AGR ends.
Oct 2022- First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) will take up the credit card program, existing accounts will be transferred.
MBNA America (I joined in 2001) had the AGR card to the beginning of 2006.
January 2006- Bank of America bought out MBNA, AGR program continues.
May 2007-BOA program terminated, existing card becomes a BOA WorldPoints Mastercard
Late 2007-Chase issues new AGR Mastercard, application is required for this card.
Sept 2015-Chase terminates AGR program, existing Mastercard becomes a Chase Freedom VISA card.
Sept 2015-BOA becomes new bank and issues AGR Mastercards (Platinum with no annual fee, or World with $79 annual fee and up to 4000 TQPs for spending). Application is required for this card.
Sept 2022-BOA relationship with AGR ends.
Oct 2022- First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) will take up the credit card program, existing accounts will be transferred.
Center of Excellence
To follow up on my own post, I called BofA to ask if my BofA AGR card would become a non-AGR card after 10/23 or would close.I didn't see anything in FNBO's FAQ (linked earlier) that addressed what BofA is doing with the old credit cards. No reapplying, as you say: FNBO's new cards will be sent in October and won't kick in (once activated) until noon Central on October 23, and the BofA card will work (and presumably earn Amtrak points) until then.
Clearly one's BofA AGR card won't be an AGR card at 12:01 p.m. CT 10/23/22. But will it continue as a non-AGR card or just close? I presume FNBO didn't answer that because that's not FNBO's problem.
The first person I spoke with said the former, and that I would still have the $79 annual fee on the new BofA card. Well, I don't mind the now-$99 annual fee for an AGR card that I'll use daily, but I want my backup card(s) to be fee-free. So that operator said she'd transfer me to sales to pick a new card with no fee.
The second person said that there would NOT automatically be a replacement non-AGR BofA card after 10/23. The account was being transferred from BofA to FNBO and I would still have only one card (FNBO AGR) after 10/23, not two.
I'm going to presume the second person was further up the customer-service ladder and go with his answer.
It has the virtue of being consistent with the FNBO FAQ: use the BofA card until 10/23 and the FNBO card after.
jcastallack
Train Attendant
This is my question as well. BoA's annual fee notice to me this week says it will "bill on your October statement." According to Amtrak I am supposed to hang on until my account is transferred to the new bank but there's no guarantee I'd get my fee back if I do that.
I get the impression that current balance and all will be transferred over to the new account.The second person said that there would NOT automatically be a replacement non-AGR BofA card after 10/23. The account was being transferred from BofA to FNBO and I would still have only one card (FNBO AGR) after 10/23, not two.
I'm going to presume the second person was further up the customer-service ladder and go with his answer.
Most likely all that documentation was handled by the new bank.
The BofA fee notice also says (on p. 2):
"We will credit your account for the Annual Fee if you close your account by calling us at 1.888.704.9515 (open 24 hours a day) within 30 days of the mailing of the statement on which your Annual Fee is billed."
Although that doesn't resolve the confusion, because most people wouldn't want to close their account before Oct. 23: they'd definitely have no AGR credit card until FNBO kicks in, and possibly would end up with no AGR credit card if a closed BofA account doesn't carry over to FNBO.
I would hope that by October BofA would either NOT bill the $79 on its last bill or would have a procedure for waiving the fee without closing the account prematurely.
Some big questions regarding the new card:
- Is the annual fee card still a World Mastercard? Will we lose like Lyft and other World MC benefits?
- are the cards even contactless?
- 5% points rebate is missing?
- What’s wrong with the graphic design team?
- Is the annual fee card still a World Mastercard? Will we lose like Lyft and other World MC benefits?
- are the cards even contactless?
- 5% points rebate is missing?
- What’s wrong with the graphic design team?
Last edited:
Railfan1983
Train Attendant
Everything up to October 23 will simply be handed over to the new bank. AGR handles the points, not the bank, the bank will report your spending and AGR will apply the appropriate points. The new bank will handle the points reporting after October 23. You will not in essence get double points. So Bank of America will report your spending until the October 23 and AGR will credit the appropriate points, then after 12pm the new bank will begin reporting your spending to AGR.
That was clear and concise. Thank you
Side by side comparison
No-Fee card on left, fee card on right
No-Fee card on left, fee card on right
Just a guess - they’ll either wait till next May to bill the $99 or they’ll bill you $20 (or prorated amount)
I hope so. Both are fair. Either way I’ll still pay the $99 whether they charge it now or later.
I’ll be paying off 3 cruises between November and January. Can’t beat double points for travel.
plane2train
Train Attendant
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2015
- Messages
- 39
The accrual rate on these cards is still subpar vs other card programs that give you 3x points on dining and travel, for example. The top-tier cards offer even more. I do wonder if AGR/FNBO should offer a top-tier card in the $300 range that offers a better accrual rate, a few free upgrades a year and unlimited access to lounges, as many airlines offer such a tier.
None of the cobrand cards for the 4 largest US airlines (Delta, United, AA, and Southwest) offer a non-airline bonus category that earns higher than 2x, at least when I took a quick look today (including checking both banks that offer AA cards.) There are some credit cards that earn 3x or higher on select spend categories that can be transferred into specific airlines, but those don't offer any real airline-specific benefits. Amtrak's offering seems to be firmly in line with what airlines offer on their cobranded cards.
It would be nice to see one that had an unlimited lounge pass as part of it, though maybe Amtrak's worried about that being abused (either by someone who commutes on Amtrak daily or by people buying refundable tickets, getting into the lounge, and then cancelling the ticket.) I don't think it'd wind up being that big of a deal (a daily commuter probably gets up to Select+ already, and a competent IT system should be able to pick up someone cancelling tickets frequently after entering a lounge.)
plane2train
Train Attendant
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2015
- Messages
- 39
I was referring to bank cards earning 3x points that you can then transfer to the carrier of your choice or use for other travel or cash back. Amtrak competes against all cards in that regard and not just those that are carrier-specific. I think that giving people unlimited lounge access would definitely require that a ticket for same-day travel/arrival be purchased, since you can simply walk into an Amtrak lounge within having been through security.
Very wonky concern...but I wonder what effect this'll have on AGR cardholders' FICO (credit) scores? One major factor in the score is age or duration of account. Having owned a card for a long time and paid it faithfully is a plus; opening a new account is a minus, as is closing a longstanding account. If the new Bank of Omaha card is treated as a continuation of the old, good. Ditto whatever non-branded Mastercard BoA may switch us to. Otherwise, this seems like an unfair hit that might affect holders' mortgage quotes, insurance premiums, rental applications, all kinds of things that probably shouldn't use FICO scores but do.
plane2train
Train Attendant
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2015
- Messages
- 39
The exception to this is business class travel. When transferring Chase points, you can often get 5-6x the 1:1 ratio on those tickets. However, that wouldn’t have much value if you only travel domestically.
To add to the confusion, that is 12:00 Central Time. That means 10 AM for me!
How many will miss that?
- Status
