Physical AGR Card

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

My physical AGR card is showing signs of age so I asked about a replacement and was told they do not issue cards anymore. I am not surprised by this. I have never needed more than the number on the card and that can be issued via email.

So this raises the question, was there every a time there was an expectation to present the card and they would swipe the card like a credit card to unlock some mystery power or just used by Amtrak employees to avoid mistakes in typing in the information and speeding up the interaction?

 

[TinCan782]

My cards have always had a magnetic stripe on the back. The stripe (or card for that matter) have never been used in my experience

 

[jis]

These days a Member Card is available in the Amtrak App. The card image has a QR code that can be read by the standard ticket scanners, or any other QR code reader for that matter. So far I have never had to produce it for anything.

 

[PVD]

My cards have always had a magnetic stripe on the back. The stripe (or card for that matter) have never been used in my experience

I think at one time you could put it in a Quick Trak to pull your resv. Not sure.

 

[trimetbusfan]

My physical AGR card is showing signs of age so I asked about a replacement and was told they do not issue cards anymore. I am not surprised by this. I have never needed more than the number on the card and that can be issued via email.

So this raises the question, was there every a time there was an expectation to present the card and they would swipe the card like a credit card to unlock some mystery power or just used by Amtrak employees to avoid mistakes in typing in the information and speeding up the interaction?

One time when booking a reservation at the ticket desk, I saw an agent swipe my AGR card so they didn’t have to manually type in my AGR #

 

[Anderson]

I think upper-level cards were also swiped for lounge access.

 

[jis]

I think upper-level cards were also swiped for lounge access.

That’s right. Now they may scan the QR code off of your Smartphone copy of it, but often they’ll just look at it and wave you through.

Since almost always I had access due to First Class/Sleeper ticket I had forgotten about past such use of the card. After all it is already ten years that I have been away from NY/NJ.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Well at least I have confirmation that at one time it was used for something. I need to ask the station agents if they even have the capacity to do anything with the physical card now either at their work stations or at the kiosk machines.

 

[Anderson]

That’s right. Now they may scan the QR code off of your Smartphone copy of it, but often they’ll just look at it and wave you through.

Since almost always I had access due to First Class/Sleeper ticket I had forgotten about past such use of the card. After all it is already ten years that I have been away from NY/NJ.

I ran into it a lot because I'd end up on a Regional JUST often enough...

 

[ferroaficionada]

These days a Member Card is available in the Amtrak App. The card image has a QR code that can be read by the standard ticket scanners, or any other QR code reader for that matter. So far I have never had to produce it for anything.

I have not been able to find that in my Amtrak app although I can see my member #... my e-tickets themselves have QR codes but I don't find any actual electronic "member card" - would you mind telling me under which menu you found that? I'm using the Android app, fwiw.

 

[TinCan782]

I have not been able to find that in my Amtrak app although I can see my member #... my e-tickets themselves have QR codes but I don't find any actual electronic "member card" - would you mind telling me under which menu you found that? I'm using the Android app, fwiw.

I thought there was one. I've seen it there before in the Android app.
I guess when I dropped from Select Plus to Select it went away!

 

[trimetbusfan]

I have not been able to find that in my Amtrak app although I can see my member #... my e-tickets themselves have QR codes but I don't find any actual electronic "member card" - would you mind telling me under which menu you found that? I'm using the Android app, fwiw.

You need to be Select+ or above. A button will pop up at the top of the Home Screen.

 

[ferroaficionada]

You need to be Select+ or above. A button will pop up at the top of the Home Screen.

That makes sense, thank you and also thanks to TinCan782.

 

[SubwayNut]

I remember handing over my Select Plus cards many times. It was swiped for ClubAcela Access and even UnitedClub access!