Buying points

[George K]

I realize that I can only buy 10,000 points per calendar year. But I have some questions about that.

1) Can someone else who is an AGR member (my daughter) buy points for me? I would, of course, reimburse her. Then, next year, I can buy myself another 10K points, and she can buy 10K points for me again.

2) When (calendar year) is the best time to buy points? I got a bonus this fall, does that happen at a regular time of the year?

3) From a purely economic standpoint, is it worth it to buy points? I mean, is the cost just about the same as if you bought a ticket?

 

[TinCan782]

1) From the AGR website: "Members may buy or receive up to a total of 10,000 points in a calendar year (Select Executive members have no annual buy points limit)."

2) I only buy points during the bonus time period. IIRC, that occurred near the beginning of the current calendar year. Early, 2015, I'll be looking to buy points again for both of us.

3) The maximum of 10,000 points (dismissing the bonus) costs $275 ($0.0275 per point). A current reservation I hold is a 2-zone bedroom redemption for 40,000 points. At $0.0275 per point, that 40,000 points "cost" $1100. At the time I made the reservation, the cash purchase price for the same ticket was $2026. You do the math. I should add, my points purchases are with the 3000 point bonus and I also earn points from Amtrak trips, my AGR credit card and, making purchases through the shopping portal. All of that will reduce the per-point value of points that I used for the above calculation. The actual points value was probably somewhat lower than the $1100 I calculated.

Don't know how travel works with you and your daughter but, with my wife and I who almost always travel together, my points pay for the trip out and her points pay for the return (or vice versa). We now have two separate reservations/tickets so if the outbound ticket doesn't get scanned, our return ticket isn't cancelled. Also, by doing that, we avoid sharing points which involves a transaction fee. For our next LD trip, we each had more than sufficient points for one leg although in total, we had enough for the entire trip and we avoided having to share points.

 

[Orie]

Transferring and buying points both fall into the same category. This is to prevent people from simply creating AGR accounts and buying as many as they want I imagine. Unless they are select executive, then you can buy all the points you want.

 

[George K]

So my daughter can't buy points for me?

 

[TinCan782]

So my daughter can't buy points for me?

As I understand it, you can't exceed 10,000 points from a combination of buying or gifting. If you buy 10,000, you can't receive any more. If you buy 5,000, your daughter could then purchase for you, up to 5,000 for a total of 10k.

From the AGR website: "Members may buy or receive up to a total of 10,000 points in a calendar year."

I guess, in the end, if you are at your annual purchase limit, have your daughter attempt to buy points for you and see what happens. All they can do is refuse your request.

Another way is to "share" points from one account to another...

"Members may share up to a total of 100,000 points, in 1,000 points increments in a calendar year (Select Executive members have no annual share points limit)." There is a transfer fee associated with this.

 

[George K]

Thanks for the insights. I guess "sharing" will be the way to go.

 

[the_traveler]

Another way instead of "sharing" (which has a fee) is for her to have her own AGR account, buy herself the points - and then when the time comes redeem an award for you from her account. You can redeem an award for anyone, the account holder does not have to travel on that award and there is no fee that way!

 

[Rail Freak]

Another way instead of "sharing" (which has a fee) is for her to have her own AGR account, buy herself the points - and then when the time comes redeem an award for you from her account. You can redeem an award for anyone, the account holder does not have to travel on that award and there is no fee that way!

How much of a fee is it, Dave?

Thanx

 

[George K]

Another way instead of "sharing" (which has a fee) is for her to have her own AGR account, buy herself the points - and then when the time comes redeem an award for you from her account. You can redeem an award for anyone, the account holder does not have to travel on that award and there is no fee that way!

That's interesting. However, I doubt that she'd have enough points (even buying them) for anything other than a coach trip. We're looking to take a trip to DC next year - 20,000 each way in a roomette from Chicago.

 

[George K]

Another way instead of "sharing" (which has a fee) is for her to have her own AGR account, buy herself the points - and then when the time comes redeem an award for you from her account. You can redeem an award for anyone, the account holder does not have to travel on that award and there is no fee that way!

How much of a fee is it, Dave?

Thanx

$10 per 1000 points.

 

[Bob Dylan]

As Dave showed Transferring Points in isnt a good idea unless you need only a few hundred or thousand points to book a reward trip! Alao remember that if you have the AGR Card you get a 5 % rebate from.AGR when you book so for example, a 20,000 Point Award Trip costs 19,000 after a 1,000 point rebate to your account after booking!

Having your a own account and using the AGR MC is the Best way to roll in Points!!!

 

[the_traveler]

Another way instead of "sharing" (which has a fee) is for her have her own AGR account, buy herself the points - and then when the time comes redeem an award for you from her account. You can redeem an award for anyone, the account holder does not have to travel on that award and there is no fee that way!

That's interesting. However, I doubt that she'd have enough points (even buying them) for anything other than a coach trip. We're looking to take a trip to DC next year - 20,000 each way in a roomette from Chicago.

Buy the maximum 10,000 points on 12/31/14 and 10,000 on 1/1/15 (you can buy 10K per CALENDAR year - 2014 and 2015 are different years). On 1/1/15, you now. have 20,000 AGR points!

 

[TinCan782]

As Dave showed Transferring Points in isnt a good idea unless you need only a few hundred or thousand points to book a reward trip! Alao remember that if you have the AGR Card you get a 5 % rebate from.AGR when you book so for example, a 20,000 Point Award Trip costs 19,000 after a 1,000 point rebate to your account after booking!

Having your a own account and using the AGR MC is the Best way to roll in Points!!!

BUT, you must have sufficient points BEFORE you book the trip via AGR. You get the rebate after they take the points!

 

[George K]

Buy the maximum 10,000 points on 12/31/14 and 10,000 on 1/1/15 (you can buy 10K per CALENDAR year - 2014 and 2015 are different years). On 1/1/15, you now. have 20,000 AGR points!

Oh, yeah. I already bought my 10K this year, and I plan another 10K early next year. Actually, if my daughter buys 10K this year, and 10K next year, we can do our DC trip easily - one way on her, and one way on me!

Still trying to save up for a trip (bedroom) for me and my bride to NOLA.

Let's see...

Hmmm...

20K daughter to DC

20K me back home

That's 40...

Round trip to NOLA, 50K

Total of 70K for me to get.

Easily doable (already have 43!!)!

 

[George K]

So, D4 got an AGR account, and she bought 10,000 points.

It was purchased using *MY* MasterCard.

So, do I get credit for the cash spent on the purchase? I mean, I will get credit for the actual dollars, but if it's spent on "Amtrak" do I get extra points to my account?

 

[TinCan782]

The points purchase was not from Amrak...it was from points.com. You'll just get the $1 per point on the credit card.

 

[the_traveler]

Yes, you will earn 275 AGR points for the $275 purchase price that you spent.

 

[TinCan782]

BTW...on the one point vs two points on the AGR credit card... Obviously, you get 2 points per dollar for using your AGR MC for purchasing the ticket (in addition to the Amtrak points). I did discover that I got two points per dollar for using the AGR card at the official Amtrak souvenir stand at a recent National Train Day (LAUS) and when I used the card while onboard an Amtrak train (diner, cafe car, PPC) for purchasing adult beverages. Didn't have time to BYOB on a recent trip!

 

[George K]

I'd get 275 just for the use of the MasterCard, right? IOW, if I had bought a couch, I'd get 275 (well, a cheap couch). But, if it's an Amtrak purchase, do I get ANOTHER 275?

Never mind - John answered my question.

 

[the_traveler]

Anytime it is coded "Amtrak", you will earn 2 points per $. So besides buying tickets, it also includes purchases from the Dining Car and cafė. As explained above, you do not purchase points from Amtrak but from points.com instead. So they earn 1 per $, just like a purchase from EBay or Macy's.

 

[George K]

As explained above, you do not purchase points from Amtrak but from points.com instead. So they earn 1 per $, just like a purchase from EBay or Macy's.

I mean...

 

[me_little_me]

So my daughter can't buy points for me?

Tell her to get an AGR M/C. My wife got 18K bonus this year w/ free companion ticket. Only have to spend $1K in first 6 months (and don't ever have to use it again). With Christmas coming up, that shouldn't be too hard. You can even help her out by having her buy some of your big purchases and then reimbursing her in cash (or better yet, you send the money directly to her Chase CC account so she never sees that portion of the bill).

 

[reppin_the_847]

As a fan of rail travel (and utilizing Michigan Services frequently to/from Chicago), I have benefitted greatly from the Amtrak Mastercard. Took a bunch of phone calls to make it happen, but I converted an old Chase Freedom card to the Amtrak card.

 

[George K]

I converted an old Chase Freedom card to the Amtrak card.

ORLY?

I have a Chase Freedom Card as well, that I don't use anymore because I have the AGR MasterCard. I sent an email and was told that I could NOT transfer points. Any suggestions on how to proceed?

 

[reppin_the_847]

I converted an old Chase Freedom card to the Amtrak card.

ORLY?

I have a Chase Freedom Card as well, that I don't use anymore because I have the AGR MasterCard. I sent an email and was told that I could NOT transfer points. Any suggestions on how to proceed?

This was my situation. I had the Chase Freedom card & a Chase Slate card. I wanted to combine the two credit lines into one Amtrak card (and get rid of those other cards). At first their answer seemed to be "no". But, after some persistence & repeated calling into Chase I was able to get the job done. This is what I did per their instructions. I applied for the Amtrak card and was rejected. Then, I submitted a "reconsideration" request. I forgot the exact sequence, but during the reconsideration process, I indicated my desire to close the Freedom & Slate cards & use their past credit lines to roll up into the Amtrak card. With repeated phone calls & letters I was able to make it happen! I've been using the Amtrak card since August or September of 2012.