Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard
- Best for: Amtrak riders who will use a yearly companion coupon, upgrade, and lounge pass
- What Sets It Apart: Round-trip companion coupon, one-class upgrade, and station lounge pass at opening and each anniversary; 3 points per $1 on Amtrak
- Cost: $99 annual fee; 26.49% variable APR; no foreign transaction fee
- Features: 25,000 bonus points after $1,500 in purchases plus 5,000 for an authorized user, within 3 billing cycles; 2x points on dining, travel, transit, and rideshare; 20% back on onboard food and drink; 1,000 TQPs per $5,000 spent, up to 4,000 TQPs a year
- Pros: 5 points per $1 on Amtrak fares counting member points; points worth about 2.6 cents each toward fares, by NerdWallet’s estimate; 5% of points back on Amtrak redemptions
- Cons: $99 fee, while the standard Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard charges none; about 1 cent a point on gift cards; lounge pass usable at only seven stations
Open the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard if you’ll use its yearly upgrade, lounge pass, and companion coupon, because those perks are worth more than its $99 annual fee. If you won’t use them, the no-fee Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard still earns points on every Amtrak fare.
The Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard, a $99 First National Bank of Omaha card for Amtrak riders, replaced Bank of America’s Amtrak Guest Rewards World Mastercard in October 2022. Its points go into your Amtrak Guest Rewards account and redeem for train travel, upgrades, lounge passes, and gift cards.
Key Features
- $99 annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and a 26.49% variable interest rate (APR) on balances you carry
- 25,000 bonus points after $1,500 in purchases, plus 5,000 for adding an authorized user, both within the first three billing cycles (apply by Nov. 4, 2026)
- 3 points per $1 at Amtrak, onboard purchases included; 2 on dining, travel, transit, and rideshare purchases; and 1 on everything else
- A round-trip companion coupon, a one-class upgrade, and a station lounge pass at account opening and every card anniversary
- 1,000 tier qualifying points (TQPs), which count toward Amtrak elite status, for every $5,000 you spend, up to 4,000 TQPs a year
Pros
- 5 points per $1 on Amtrak fares, counting the 2 points per $1 every Amtrak Guest Rewards member earns
- Points worth about 2.6 cents each toward fares, by NerdWallet’s estimate
- 5% of your points back when you redeem them for Amtrak travel
- 20% back on onboard food and drink as a statement credit
Cons
- $99 annual fee, while the Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard charges none
- About 1 cent a point on gift cards, at 2,500 points for $25, against about 2.6 cents on fares
- Lounge pass works only at Amtrak lounges in seven stations, among them New York, Chicago, and Washington
At 2.6 cents a point, buying the upgrade and lounge pass with points would take at least 4,000 points, about $104, which is $5 more than the $99 fee. Get the Preferred card if you’ll use both every year, and choose the no-fee Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard if you won’t.
Editorial & Advertiser Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser. Opinions expressed here are ours alone, not those of any advertiser. The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. That compensation may influence which products we cover and where and how they appear on a page – including the order in which they appear – but it does not influence our evaluations, ratings, or opinions. We do not include every company or offer available in the marketplace.
Related:
