SOME CARD INFO MAY BE OUTDATED
This page includes information about these cards, currently unavailable on NerdWallet. The information has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been provided or reviewed by the card issuer.
Loyalty programs aren't just for airlines and hotels. If you ride the rails, Amtrak has one too, and it's free and easy to join. Amtrak Guest Rewards lets you earn points on train travel and everyday spending, then cash them in for future rides, upgrades, lounge passes and more.
Whether you're commuting on the Northeast Regional or plotting a cross-country sleeper trip, signing up can pay off for years. Here's how the program works, how to squeeze the most value out of your points, and whether the co-branded credit cards are worth carrying.
How to earn Amtrak points
There are a handful of ways to rack up points with Amtrak, but train travel and credit card spending do most of the heavy lifting:
- Amtrak travel: Members earn 2 points per dollar spent on Amtrak tickets, according to Amtrak. Business class trips earn a 25% bonus on top of that, and Acela First class trips earn a 50% bonus. In other words, premium cabins are often the way to go if you're chasing elite status.
- Amtrak co-branded credit cards: The two Amtrak Guest Rewards credit cards, issued by First National Bank of Omaha, earn points on Amtrak travel and everyday spending.
- Retail and specialty partners: Amtrak partners with a handful of companies, including NRG, Rail Passengers Association, Survey Points Club and Teleflora, which come with various points offers.
- Buying or receiving points: Base members can buy or receive up to 50,000 points per calendar year. Select, Select Plus and Select Executive members have no cap. Note, however, that you can't earn elite status by purchasing points or receiving them as a gift.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Amtrak points expire after 24 months of inactivity. But if you have an Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card, your points stick around as long as your account stays open. » Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now
How to redeem Amtrak points
Amtrak doesn't publish a traditional award chart. Instead, award pricing is revenue-based, which just means the number of points you need scales with the cash fare. Generally, points are worth roughly 2.6 cents each when redeemed for train travel.
That means a ticket that costs $50 in cash runs about 1,925 points. A sleeper booking on a long-haul route like the Coast Starlight could run tens of thousands of points, but sleeper fares include meals, so the math often works out in your favor.
Reward travel starts at just 400 points for short trips. You can also use your points for:
- One-class upgrade coupons: 2,500 points for a one-class upgrade on trips up to 12 hours.
- Single-visit station lounge passes: 1,500 points.
- Gift cards: You can purchase gift cards for select retailers, such as UberEats, Hotels.com and Airbnb.
Amtrak credit cards
Amtrak offers two co-branded credit cards, both issued by First National Bank of Omaha. One charges an annual fee but earns more and comes with some useful perks; the other is free but more limited. Here's how they compare.
Amtrak Guest Rewards® Preferred Mastercard®
The Amtrak Guest Rewards® Preferred Mastercard® is the workhorse of the pair, and it can be worth the $99 annual fee if you ride Amtrak with any regularity. You'll earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first three billing cycles, then 3 points per dollar on Amtrak travel (onboard purchases included), 2 points per dollar on dining, travel, transit and rideshare, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
The perks do most of the heavy lifting, though. Benefits include:
- Round-trip companion coupon each year.
- One-class upgrade coupon each year.
- One single-visit station lounge pass annually.
- A 20% statement credit on onboard food and drinks.
- 1,000 Tier Qualifying Points for every $5,000 you spend.
- A 5% rebate when you redeem your points for Amtrak travel.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Amtrak Guest Rewards® Mastercard®
The no-annual-fee option, the Amtrak Guest Rewards® Mastercard® is a reasonable pick if you ride Amtrak occasionally but don't want to commit. The welcome offer is 12,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first three billing cycles, and you'll earn 2 points per dollar on Amtrak travel and dining and 1 point per dollar everywhere else.
The headline perk is a 10% statement credit on onboard food and beverage purchases, which is handy if café car snacks are part of your routine. The card also offers the same 5% point rebate on eligible Amtrak redemptions and no foreign transaction fees.
You won't get the companion coupon or upgrade benefits that make the Preferred card worthwhile.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Amtrak Guest Rewards isn't a transfer partner of any major flexible rewards program, so the co-branded cards and paid travel are really the only ways to build a meaningful balance. » Learn more: 5 things to know about the Amtrak credit card
Amtrak elite status
Amtrak Guest Rewards has three elite tiers, all earned by racking up Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) during the calendar year.
You can earn TQPs on Amtrak travel, with bonuses for business class and Acela First class. If you have the Preferred Mastercard, that'll also chip in 1,000 TQPs for every $5,000 you spend. Here's what you can expect from each tier of elite status.
Select: 5,000 TQPs
The entry-level tier comes with several perks, including:
- A 25% point bonus on Amtrak travel.
- Two single-visit passes to Amtrak lounges.
- Priority call handling.
- Two one-class upgrades.
- Two companion coupons.
- Two 10% discount coupons.
- Exclusive offers.
Select Plus: 10,000 TQPs
With this middle tier, you'll get everything Select members receive, plus the following:
- A 50% point bonus on Amtrak travel.
- Unlimited access to Amtrak lounges.
- Four one-class upgrades.
- Exclusive seat selection options.
Select Executive: 20,000 TQPs
As a top-tier elite member with Amtrak, you'll get the best of what the loyalty program has to offer. More specifically, you'll enjoy the following perks in addition to what Select Plus members receive:
- A 100% point bonus on Amtrak travel.
- Four one-class upgrades, plus an additional upgrade for every 3,000 TQPs earned.
- An Auto Train priority vehicle offloading coupon.
- Auto-registration for promotions.
- Unlimited point sharing.
» Learn more: How to get cheap Amtrak tickets
The bottom line
Amtrak Guest Rewards isn't going to rival a major airline program in flexibility. You can't transfer in from your Chase Ultimate Rewards® or American Express Membership Rewards stash, and the revenue-based pricing means you won't find hidden sweet spots in an award chart.
But for what it is, it's a pretty solid program. Points are valuable and easy to earn through travel and everyday credit card spending. Also, the elite perks are genuinely useful if you ride often, and the right redemption on a long-haul sleeper or a peak-fare Acela can turn an ordinary trip into a legitimately great deal. If you take Amtrak at all, there's really no reason not to sign up.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Explore more on
