New Amtrak Guest Rewards Master Card - Fall 2015

[Bob Dylan]

Maybe the Airlines, Amtrak and the Credit Agencies are involved in a conspiracy to make it difficult to impossible to know how their Wizards do their thing?

Smoke and Mirrors! How they do it in Congress and the White House!

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I'll 'pile on' and add that my experience is that FICO score reports will contain directly conflicting reasons why your score is negatively impacted. Who comes up with this nonsense?

I recently had a non-AGR card switch issuers and change to MasterCard from VISA, (while AGR is switching to VISA from MasterCard! :wacko: ) I did not need to reapply, the issuer sent the new card and it was all pretty seemless, except for online bill pay, which requires changing card numbers.

With BOA, (Bleed'em On Arrival?) anything is possible, but I suspect this changeover will be like my last.

 

[jis]

Chase changed my United Presidential Plus from a strip Mastercard to a chip Visa upon my request, with no hassle. When you are changing an issuer all bets are off. Somehow Continental pulled off a relatively seamless transfer from Amex to Chase MC. We had a choice to get rid of or keep the Amex card as Amex Platinum and get a new Premium MC Presidential Plus Card without going through the rigmarole of applying for one somehow..

 

[SarahZ]

Same here on the shredding. Hopefully it will be in an obvious envelope with Amtrak livery on it. But if there is any kind of fee attached to it, it goes straight to the shred!

The envelope does not have an Amtrak logo. The return address is Chase, as that is the card issuer.

Unlike the pre-approved offers, which often have the issuing bank's logo stamped on the envelope, it looks like a legitimate letter from Chase. The return address is behind a window.

Here is mine:

 

[SarahZ]

Also, here is the letter. Like the envelope, I've redacted personal info and barcodes:

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Same here on the shredding. Hopefully it will be in an obvious envelope with Amtrak livery on it. But if there is any kind of fee attached to it, it goes straight to the shred!

The envelope does not have an Amtrak logo. The return address is Chase, as that is the card issuer.

Unlike the pre-approved offers, which often have the issuing bank's logo stamped on the envelope, it looks like a legitimate letter from Chase. The return address is behind a window.

Here is mine:

chaseenvelope.jpg

I think they're talking about getting an offer from the new AGR credit card provider (BoA?) and shredding it by mistake.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks Sarah!

I haven't received my letter, but I see it's going to be a VISA with a Chip and a New Account # and Security Code!

I already have a Chase Freedom Card but it's the old style Swipe and Sign Master Card with a higher Credit Line than the Chase AGR MC, so I'll have to see once everything shakes out!

I do wonder, since it takes to long to receive the next Card, and with your Points goiung to Chase Rewards after Sept 30 what will happen with AGR Points till the new BOA Card is rolled out??

In other words, just in time for the Gathering in WAS, we have no AGR Card for AGR Amtrak pionts! Bummer! Chase Freedom points aren't worth much,1% Cash back mostly!

 

[SarahZ]

Same here on the shredding. Hopefully it will be in an obvious envelope with Amtrak livery on it. But if there is any kind of fee attached to it, it goes straight to the shred!

The envelope does not have an Amtrak logo. The return address is Chase, as that is the card issuer.

Unlike the pre-approved offers, which often have the issuing bank's logo stamped on the envelope, it looks like a legitimate letter from Chase. The return address is behind a window.

Here is mine:

chaseenvelope.jpg

I think they're talking about getting an offer from the new AGR credit card provider (BoA?) and shredding it by mistake.

Even so, it would have BoA's logo on it, not Amtrak's.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Same here on the shredding. Hopefully it will be in an obvious envelope with Amtrak livery on it. But if there is any kind of fee attached to it, it goes straight to the shred!

The envelope does not have an Amtrak logo. The return address is Chase, as that is the card issuer.

Unlike the pre-approved offers, which often have the issuing bank's logo stamped on the envelope, it looks like a legitimate letter from Chase. The return address is behind a window.

Here is mine:

chaseenvelope.jpg

I think they're talking about getting an offer from the new AGR credit card provider (BoA?) and shredding it by mistake.

Even so, it would have BoA's logo on it, not Amtrak's.

I'd think it would have both BoA and Amtrak Guest Reward. I'm pretty sure I've seen Delta and Frontier on offer envelopes for their frequent flyers credit cards.

 

[jis]

Thanks Sarah!

I haven't received my letter, but I see it's going to be a VISA with a Chip and a New Account # and Security Code!

I already have a Chase Freedom Card but it's the old style Swipe and Sign Master Card with a higher Credit Line than the Chase AGR MC, so I'll have to see once everything shakes out!

I do wonder, since it takes to long to receive the next Card, and with your Points goiung to Chase Rewards after Sept 30 what will happen with AGR Points till the new BOA Card is rolled out??

In other words, just in time for the Gathering in WAS, we have no AGR Card for AGR Amtrak pionts! Bummer! Chase Freedom points aren't worth much,1% Cash back mostly!

Call up Chase and ask them to simply transfer your line of credit from your AGR card to your existing Chase Freedom Card. I think Chase said they are going to issue a chip card for all cards by the end of the year anyway.

 

[George K]

I have several cards through chase, and once the AGR Chase MC goes away, there's no reason for me to keep it. I haven't used several of them for years. Or, for that matter, the Freedom Card that I have. I'll close 'em both out and stick with the Sapphire Visa, as long as I can keep the AGR transfer. Once that goes away (and I imagine it will if Chase no longer partners with AGR), there's no reason for that one either.

I'll probably just use the BoA card for everything, as much of a pain it will be to change all my auto-pay options.

 

[StanJazz]

Depending which account is older you might want to keep the Freedom card that was the Amtrak card. I will transfer the credit from the Amtrak card to my Freedom and Sapphire Preferred and cancel the Amtrak Freedom. My Amtrak card dates to 2008 while my Freedom card dates back to 1976. If your Amtrak card is older you might want to cancel your existing Freedom and keep the Amtrak Freedom.

 

[George K]

Thanks for the tip, Stan. My Freedom card is older than the AGR MC. I'll probably dump that one - the AGR MC.

 

[calwatch]

Freedom has the 5% bonuses. Even for someone who doesn't manufacture spending, you could purchase a Visa gift card from your supermarket or drug store when the categories come up and use that to pay bills due in the future, and pocket the 4%. Freedom points, as noted, are indirectly transferable to AGR (for now) and many airline and hotels via a Sapphire Preferred or Ink Bold/Plus card.

 

[George K]

I wonder if AGR will continue the relationship with vendors like they do now. Those purchases have netted me over 35K points in the last year.

 

[Carolina Special]

I'm trying to understand why we need to go through this process of having to apply for a new AGR card instead of just being transferred over to the bank from North Carolina. There logically is going to be a significant loss in card membership resulting from having to reapply that the Amtrak budget department has to have modeled.

The potential reasons that come to mind so far:

1) Amtrak negotiated a rather bad contract with Chase that allows the bank to keep the customers, and not even promote a new competing card until a certain deadline.

2) Amtrak wants to get rid of the low volume customers who rarely use their cards. Perhaps there is a per customer charge from Chase, which makes Amtrak want to see those users churn off.

3) Amtrak wants to establish a lower value card as the no fee card and a card similar in value to the present one as the annual fee card, maybe with a bone thrown in for easier status achievement. So a straight transfer is out.

4) ???

 

[dballing]

I'm trying to understand why we need to go through this process of having to apply for a new AGR card instead of just being transferred over to the bank from North Carolina. There logically is going to be a significant loss in card membership resulting from having to reapply that the Amtrak budget department has to have modeled.

The potential reasons that come to mind so far:

1) Amtrak negotiated a rather bad contract with Chase that allows the bank to keep the customers, and not even promote a new competing card until a certain deadline.

2) Amtrak wants to get rid of the low volume customers who rarely use their cards. Perhaps there is a per customer charge from Chase, which makes Amtrak want to see those users churn off.

3) Amtrak wants to establish a lower value card as the no fee card and a card similar in value to the present one as the annual fee card, maybe with a bone thrown in for easier status achievement. So a straight transfer is out.

4) ???

4.) It's phenomenally uncommon for Bank A to simply trust Bank B's credit-decisions and be willing to accept the risk of a given batch of customers en masse.

I can't think of a single loyalty credit card I've ever had that simply transitioned my entire account from one bank to another. It's basically unheard-of.

 

[Ryan]

5) given that there are two cards to choose from, it would be presumptuous and a pain for customers to choose one on their behalf.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Not quite true dballing!

When the Continental/United merger took place, lots of people were able to transfer from an Affinity VISA Platinum Card to AMEX Platinum.( a very prudent financial institution) automatically!

Some are AU members and this has been discussed before on here!

 

[George K]

It would be nice if there were a sign-on bonus for the new BoA loyalty card - you know, to compensate for the hassle and credit score hit.

#dreamingfortheimpossible

 

[chrsjrcj]

If I had to guess we will see a sign up bonus, and hopefully a decent one too considering the points devaluation and the possible annual fee.

 

[TinCan782]

Thanks Sarah!

I haven't received my letter, but I see it's going to be a VISA with a Chip and a New Account # and Security Code!

I already have a Chase Freedom Card but it's the old style Swipe and Sign Master Card with a higher Credit Line than the Chase AGR MC, so I'll have to see once everything shakes out!

I do wonder, since it takes to long to receive the next Card, and with your Points goiung to Chase Rewards after Sept 30 what will happen with AGR Points till the new BOA Card is rolled out??

In other words, just in time for the Gathering in WAS, we have no AGR Card for AGR Amtrak pionts! Bummer! Chase Freedom points aren't worth much,1% Cash back mostly!

Haven't received my letter either (nor my wife). I too already have a "Freedom" card that has been unused for many years. It was originally another card before it became "Slate" and eventually "Freedom". It has a lower credit limit and higher interest rate than my AGR World card. I guess both will sit unused now after receipt of the new AGR card. If there is a gap in AGR points earnings between the old and new, I'll go back to my debit card until the new AGR CC kicks in.

Thanks Sarah for posting the copy of your letter.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If I had to guess we will see a sign up bonus, and hopefully a decent one too considering the points devaluation and the possible annual fee.

I signed up for the previous card when the bonus was a bit over 30,000 points with earning rates of 1-2 points per dollar. Now that the value of each point is roughly half what it was previously I'd need something on the order of 50,000 - 60,000 points to start and 2-4 points per dollar thereafter. I seriously doubt Bank of Amtrak will be offering anywhere near that amount but that's honestly what it would take to counter this latest devaluation.

 

[Bob Dylan]

BOA= Barely Offering Anything!

Beware! Lots of horror stories out there about this bunch!

 

[alben]

As far as I know Chase AGR customers will NOT be automatically sent nor given the BOA card. They will have to apply for it separately.

With 2 different cards available, that is the only logical answer.

I would actually like if they did not give us either card automatically. That way when applying for a new card you can get the sign up bonus. The game is all about credit card sign up bonuses...