Amtrak on Tuesday announced that it's rolling out a new benefit for Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card holders, where new and existing cardmembers will get 20% back on onboard food and beverage purchases.
Here's how it works. Eligible cardholders will receive a statement credit within seven days of the purchase. The cards included are the Amtrak Guest Rewards® World Mastercard® and the Amtrak Guest Rewards Platinum Mastercard.
World Mastercard members will receive a 20% rebate, while Platinum cardholders will get 10% back for onboard food and beverage purchases.
This new perk is similar to how select airline co-brand credit cards offer discounts on in-flight purchases. The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® gives 25% off food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights while the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express offers 20% back on food, beverages and headsets. The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Amtrak also announced that new Amtrak Guest Rewards World Mastercard members can receive a new sign up bonus of 40,000 points (worth up to $1,000 in Amtrak travel) and a $100 statement credit after spending $2,500 during the first three months. The regular sign-up bonus is typically 20,000 points.
TPG values Amtrak points at 2.5 cents each, which is the highest of any award currency. If you're interested, we wouldn't recommend waiting too long as this promotion ends September 27.
With the recent Amtrak news, including the new non-stop Acela route between New York and Washington and new train cars coming soon, now might be a good time to invest in an Amtrak card.
If you aren't familiar with Amtrak cards, World Mastercard members receive 3X points for every dollar spent on Amtrak, an annual Companion Coupon and Upgrade Coupon, a fast track to elite status and a single-visit lounge pass upon approval. The Platinum Mastercard has a welcome bonus of 12,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first three months with no annual fee. You'll receive 2X points on Amtrak purchases with the less-premium card.
