Amtrak considering shifting Credit-Card Portfolio away from BofA

[Laser1987]

Not sure about who will become the new bank that issues the AGR credit card.

Dreaming that Amex will handle this task as I have tons of MR points can be transferred.

 

[user 14106]

I wonder if what ever issuer gets Amtrak. Metropolitan Lounge Access could be a new perk for their top of the line high annual fee Premium Card Memebers when traveling on Amtrak.

For example I'm thinking if AMEX became their card issuer AMEX Platinum Card Members whenever traveling on Amtrak even in coach would get Metropolitan Lounge Access (similar to the cards access to SkyClubs when flying Delta). I would also assume if Chase/Citi/Amex (I guess now CapitolOne is in the game) got the unique AGR Credit card portfolio their convertible points would now convert to AGR points.

I essentially get lounge access thru my combination of using the AGR card and my travel. If you use the card for everything you can get up to 4000 Tier Qualifying points for using the card. It takes 10000 TQPs to get Select Plus which includes lounge access. So you need to earn the other 6000 in travel. This means you need to spend 3000 dollars on Amtrak essentially to get full lounge access if you also use the card.

 

[MARC Rider]

I essentially get lounge access thru my combination of using the AGR card and my travel. If you use the card for everything you can get up to 4000 Tier Qualifying points for using the card. It takes 10000 TQPs to get Select Plus which includes lounge access. So you need to earn the other 6000 in travel. This means you need to spend 3000 dollars on Amtrak essentially to get full lounge access if you also use the card.

If you always buy business class tickets, you can get your 6,000 points with a $2,000 spend, due to the 25% TQP bonus. If you only ride Acela First, you could do it with even less of a spend. This of course, is above and beyond the $20K spend on non-Amtrak items on the credit card.

 

[jis]

Sitting in Florida we of course say: "Business Class? What may that be?"

 

[Bob Dylan]

Sitting in Florida we of course say: "Business Class? What may that be?"

Ditto for Texas!!!

 

[Exvalley]

Sitting in Florida we of course say: "Business Class? What may that be?"

It's the one consolation prize we get for putting up with the cold and lack of sunshine.

 

[jis]

Looks Like Capital One may be losing their GM Credit Card account

https://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm.../Pages/news/us/en/2021/jan/0115-gmcard-1.html

 

[jebr]

It's the one consolation prize we get for putting up with the cold and lack of sunshine.

The upper Midwest and Great Plains would like a share of this consolation prize. Here we're stuck with our one daily train not running for multiple days in a row.

At least the AGR credit card still works in the cold!

 

[neroden]

If you always buy business class tickets, you can get your 6,000 points with a $2,000 spend, due to the 25% TQP bonus.

Although business class tickets exist on Empire Service, I'd have to buy about 15 of them to spend that much on them, and I just don't make trips in that direction that often. I'm usually heading to Chicago in sleeper, which does get me the 6000 points pretty quickly.

 

[adamj023]

No more signups for Bank of America and no new Amtrak credit card out. Will Amtrak even continue to offer a credit card? Companies that make the most sense would be Capital One or Chase if it were to migrate to another company or maybe even Wells Fargo.

 

[Bob Dylan]

No more signups for Bank of America and no new Amtrak credit card out. Will Amtrak even continue to offer a credit card? Companies that make the most sense would be Capital One or Chase if it were to migrate to another company or maybe even Wells Fargo.

Wells Fargo, Noooooooo!!!

 

[jis]

Moderator's Notes: The posts pertaining to Chicago MSP second daily service have been moved to its own thread from this thread: The new thread is:

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/chicago-twin-cities-second-daily-service.80803/

 

[SanDiegan]

Sitting in Florida we of course say: "Business Class? What may that be?"

I think its called "Premium" on Brightline

 

[jis]

I think its called "Premium" on Brightline

But no AGR bonus. That is what we were talking about

 

[jebr]

In semi-related news, BoA is ending their relationship with MLB. Cardholders are getting sent letters letting them know and switching them to standard BoA cards. The article states it's their "Unlimited" cash card (1.5% back on everything) but the comments suggest that some (most/all?) are getting the "customized cash" card instead with a 3% category, a 2% category, and 1% back on everything else.

Info: Bank of America & MLB End Partnership - Doctor Of Credit

 

[printman2000]

If BOA is dropping Amtrak (and not the other way around), my fear is no one will want to pick it up and we will be stuck with no AGR card.

 

[Exvalley]

In semi-related news, BoA is ending their relationship with MLB. Cardholders are getting sent letters letting them know and switching them to standard BoA cards. The article states it's their "Unlimited" cash card (1.5% back on everything) but the comments suggest that some (most/all?) are getting the "customized cash" card instead with a 3% category, a 2% category, and 1% back on everything else.

Definitely an indication of what may be coming for those of us who hold a BoA Amtrak card.

I know it's illogical, but I prefer a card that allows me to splurge on something rather than a card that gives me cash back. I have a much easier time spending points on a $1,000 Amtrak trip than I would spending the same amount in cash that I had earned as a cash-back reward over many months.

 

[jebr]

If BOA is dropping Amtrak (and not the other way around), my fear is no one will want to pick it up and we will be stuck with no AGR card.

I think there's enough money to be made that Amtrak would find someone willing to offer some sort of AGR card. Banks want the transaction and interest revenue, and Amtrak wants the revenue from selling points to the bank. It might not be a bank any of us would want to sign up with, but I think they'll find someone to partner with.

 

[joelkfla]

In semi-related news, BoA is ending their relationship with MLB. Cardholders are getting sent letters letting them know and switching them to standard BoA cards. The article states it's their "Unlimited" cash card (1.5% back on everything) but the comments suggest that some (most/all?) are getting the "customized cash" card instead with a 3% category, a 2% category, and 1% back on everything else.

The 3% category on the Customize Cash card is user-selectable and can be changed once per month. Some of the categories are quite broad: the Travel category includes commuter railroads & ferries, hotels & motels, and theme park passes, for example. There's also an Online Purchases category, which includes just about any physical retail goods you order from a .com. The downside is that all 2% & 3% rewards are limited to $2,500 combined spending per quarter; after that, everything is at 1%.

I know it's illogical, but I prefer a card that allows me to splurge on something rather than a card that gives me cash back. I have a much easier time spending points on a $1,000 Amtrak trip than I would spending the same amount in cash that I had earned as a cash-back reward over many months.

Some cash-back cards (but not BoA) now allow automatic credit to your account every month, no matter how small the amount. You don't have to worry about spending the rewards, they're effectively just a discount on anything you put on the card.

 

[jis]

The last time Amtrak and BofA parted ways in 2007 when the AGR Card was picked up by Chase, BofA converted the AGR Card to BofA Worldpoint Credit Card. They probably do a contemporary equivalent this time around and I have my cancel fingers itching to hit the keyboard.

Now if onely someone will let the cat out of the bag about who is picking up the AGR Card. The last time around Chase had started soliciting AGR Members a couple of months before the final date of the BofA AGR Card.

 

[Exvalley]

Some cash-back cards (but not BoA) now allow automatic credit to your account every month, no matter how small the amount. You don't have to worry about spending the rewards, they're effectively just a discount on anything you put on the card.

Understood. My point was that spending points makes me more willing to splurge than spending actual dollars. Illogical, I know, since the points have a value, but it's just the way my brain is wired.

For example, I am taking my son on a trip to Chicago next month. I upgraded to a bedroom both ways. There is no way that I would have done this if I was spending cash, even if it was cash back from credit card purchases.

Thus, I truly hope that somebody picks up the AGR card.

 

[NorthShore]

In semi-related news, BoA is ending their relationship with MLB. Cardholders are getting sent letters letting them know and switching them to standard BoA cards. The article states it's their "Unlimited" cash card (1.5% back on everything) but the comments suggest that some (most/all?) are getting the "customized cash" card instead with a 3% category, a 2% category, and 1% back on everything else.

Info: Bank of America & MLB End Partnership - Doctor Of Credit

So not only can the players and owners fail in managing to agree on anything, neither can the financial institutions.

Ah, baseball!

 

[neroden]

Worth noting that my math showed that -- if you spend all your Amtrak points on Amtrak trips you would have paid cash for -- the Amtrak card was equivalent to a card with 2.67% cash back on everything, doubled on travel spending, tripled on Amtrak spending. So whatever card BoA sends out as a replacement is almost certain to be worse.

Presumably whatever bank Amtrak goes with will offer a deal of similar value to the previous Amtrak card, though maybe not quite as good.

 

[jebr]

In semi-related news, BoA is ending their relationship with MLB. Cardholders are getting sent letters letting them know and switching them to standard BoA cards. The article states it's their "Unlimited" cash card (1.5% back on everything) but the comments suggest that some (most/all?) are getting the "customized cash" card instead with a 3% category, a 2% category, and 1% back on everything else.

Info: Bank of America & MLB End Partnership - Doctor Of Credit

To follow up on this, reports are that Capital One is issuing the new MLB co-branded cards: Capital One To Issue New MLB Credit Cards - Doctor Of Credit

I wonder if Capital One has picked up all of BoA's cobranded business, or if each deal was/is being negotiated separately.

 

[Brian Battuello]

Another obituary for the BA AGR card....

https://www.bestcards.com/credit-card-news/bank-of-america-removes-amtrak-rewards-credit-card/