Cancelling Amtrak card and losing points

[Pooh2]

I just cancelled my amtrak card before the annual fee posts.
The person who cancelled it told me that I lose my points by cancelling the card?
So far, the points are still there.
I was thinking of using the points for gift cards if that is the case.
I had the card a few years ago and the points remained after cancelling the card.
Any recent experiences with this?

If I get gift cards, do they send them by email or a regular gift card in the mailbox?
How long does it take to get the gift cards?

 

[Ryan]

Once the points are in your Amtrak account, they're yours. Cancelling the credit card means nothing.

 

[jis]

Once the points are in your Amtrak account, they're yours. Cancelling the credit card means nothing.

Well, there is the bit about having continuing account activity to keep the points from expiring, which is prevented by owning the card. I suppose that concept was miscommunicated by the agent perhaps?

 

[Pooh2]

That is what I thought!
It stinks that the customer service rep is telling me that I will lose my points!
They must get people to keep the account open that way?

 

[Ryan]

Well, there is the bit about having continuing account activity to keep the points from expiring, which is prevented by owning the card. I suppose that concept was miscommunicated by the agent perhaps?

Excellent point.

 

[Bob Dylan]

That is what I thought!
It stinks that the customer service rep is telling me that I will lose my points!
They must get people to keep the account open that way?

Some companies have "Retention Specialists" that you are transfered too when you attempt to cancel Services..

They often give you better " deals" than the regular agents if you agree to renew!

 

[bratkinson]

Losing points is a reality when you cancel, in my opinion.

Looking at my AGR account, credit card points for spending are only posted on the same day (or next day) as the closing date on the statement. By cancelling your account, if you've made purchases since the prior closing date, those points will not be posted to AGR as your card is cancelled. I suspect that cancelling your card immediately removes the 'Amtrak flag' or something like that on the account that indicates points for dollars spent get transferred to Amtrak (or any other corporate association 'link').

So, the agent was right, but only if you've made charges in the current billing cycle.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I just cancelled my amtrak card before the annual fee posts.
The person who cancelled it told me that I lose my points by cancelling the card?
So far, the points are still there.
I was thinking of using the points for gift cards if that is the case.
I had the card a few years ago and the points remained after cancelling the card.
Any recent experiences with this?

If I get gift cards, do they send them by email or a regular gift card in the mailbox?
How long does it take to get the gift cards?

They’ll do anything to stop you from cancelling. I just got some card replaced with a new card for a reason I don’t recall, and they wanted my wife to activate it using an app. We are both selective luddites and avoid being forced to use apps because we are neurotic… anyway, my wife tried the website and then calling and was told they can’t activate the new card for the active account over the phone. My wife hung up cursing Billy blue blazes out of CITI and the app economy and what not. I bet her I could activate it over the phone or I’d buy dinner (joke- we have intermingled finances). She took me up.

i called the customer services, it asked me robotically what I wanted to do, “I want to cancel my card.” 10 seconds, I swear, I’m talking to a human. Why do I want to cancel? “It’s forcing me to use an app to activate it and I won’t put up with this schmontzes.” One beat pause. “Oh I can activate the card for you sir.”

I win the bet. I mean I would have cancelled if I lost, admittedly.

 

[fhussain44]

I've never lost points after cancelling a card. I've gotten a 100+ credit cards with bonues over the past 20 years. It's just boilerplate scare tactic to get you to keep the card.