Cancelling AGR Card and Points

[gradstudentrailfan]

A quick question: how long are points earned with the AGR Mastercard (World or Platinum) valid for after the card is cancelled? Myself and some friends all applied for the card last year when the 30,000 points offer was available. Amtrak Guest Reward's website says the following:

As long as your Amtrak Guest Rewards account shows qualifying account activity—point earning or redemption activity—within 36 months, your points won't expire. Amtrak Guest Rewards®Mastercard® cardholders' points will not expire as long as your credit card account is open.

An Amtrak representative I called said that if I cancelled the credit card, that the points earned with the card would still be valid for as long as there was point earning or redemption withing 36 months.

Is this correct?

 

[gradstudentrailfan]

We are considering cancelling the cards before the year is up to avoid the annual fee. However, I also read somewhere that calling Bank of America and asking for the fee to be waived is often successful. Has anyone succeeded in getting the annual fee removed?

 

[Ryan]

Once BOA puts the points in your account, they're just like any other AGR points, and the usual points expiration policy applies.

 

[the_traveler]

What many people do is apply and obtain the FREE card. Because there is ne annual fee, and with it open, the card can be unused and just sit in a drawer. With the account open, you still get the 5% points rebate and the no points expiration!

 

[Acela150]

The one thing I don't understand is that you know you have a card with an annual fee and you'd ask them to waive it.. Why not r ask for the card with no fee? It's not like the annual fee is a secret. They tell you up front about it.

 

[gradstudentrailfan]

The one thing I don't understand is that you know you have a card with an annual fee and you'd ask them to waive it.. Why not r ask for the card with no fee? It's not like the annual fee is a secret. They tell you up front about it.

I was willing to pay the annual fee once to get the 30,000 point bonus. I don't want to pay the fee a second year in a row.

 

[TinCan782]

The one thing I don't understand is that you know you have a card with an annual fee and you'd ask them to waive it.. Why not r ask for the card with no fee? It's not like the annual fee is a secret. They tell you up front about it.

There are a few better benefits with the paid card...in particular the initial 20,000 points vs 12,000; 3 points per $ on Amtrak tickets and onboard purchases; 2 points per dollar for "other qualifying travel" (hotels, cruises, car rentals, airline tickets). Some will get the fee card to get the initial bonus then revert down to the "free" card.

https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/apply

 

[gradstudentrailfan]

The one thing I don't understand is that you know you have a card with an annual fee and you'd ask them to waive it.. Why not r ask for the card with no fee? It's not like the annual fee is a secret. They tell you up front about it.

There are a few better benefits with the paid card...in particular the initial 20,000 points vs 12,000; 3 points per $ on Amtrak tickets and onboard purchases; 2 points per dollar for "other qualifying travel" (hotels, cruises, car rentals, airline tickets). Some will get the fee card to get the initial bonus then revert down to the "free" card.

https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/apply

Can you get the 20,000 points, then get the 12,000 points when you move down to the free one?

 

[the_traveler]

Many people say they do. I personally have not tried.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

The one thing I don't understand is that you know you have a card with an annual fee and you'd ask them to waive it.. Why not r ask for the card with no fee? It's not like the annual fee is a secret. They tell you up front about it.

There are a few better benefits with the paid card...in particular the initial 20,000 points vs 12,000; 3 points per $ on Amtrak tickets and onboard purchases; 2 points per dollar for "other qualifying travel" (hotels, cruises, car rentals, airline tickets). Some will get the fee card to get the initial bonus then revert down to the "free" card.

https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/apply

Can you get the 20,000 points, then get the 12,000 points when you move down to the free one?

Yes, you can and I have. Key is to only apply for the second card after you have met the spending requirements for the bonus on the first card since I believe you must meet the spending requirements within 90 days of receiving the cards.

 

[George K]

I have done this as well, but it was about a year between applications. Interestingly, the free card came with a higher credit limit, though my credit score/finances hadn't changed.

Wondering, though...if I cancel the paid card, how long before I can re-apply and get the 20K bonus, again.

 

[benale]

I have never gotten a card with an annual fee until this one. I figure the $79 balances out getting three points for Amtrak travel and two points for other related stuff. Getting that initial 20000 points was nice.

 

[me_little_me]

I have never gotten a card with an annual fee until this one. I figure the $79 balances out getting three points for Amtrak travel and two points for other related stuff. Getting that initial 20000 points was nice.

The 3 points for Amtrak is good f you pay for your trips a lot but not if you use points for the trips. But wait until you have a billing issue with BoA. For us, so much worse than dealing with Chase. We now have two free Amtrak cards. They sit n the drawer. I'll probably use one of them the next time we take a train just to pay for the rail fare.