My new AGR card arrived yesterday - but it does not have my AGR number on it like the old one did - so now I have to write that number somewhere to keep it with the card - maybe on the signature space on the back. What a pain! Posted by CoastStarlight99 (Member # 2734) on :
This must be Amtrak trying to cut back on costs. Now, I imagine the # is embedded in the magnetic stripe so when an agents gets your card they just swipe it instead of manually entering the number. This however is inconvenient for entering your # on the phone, or online when you have to look it up... I wonder if my Select card this Spring will look like this as well...
Posted by chile2 (Member # 3110) on :
My guess is that it may be the overall increased data security that has been happening with the credit card industry recently. By not putting the number on the card, it means that if someone finds a lost card, or steals it, there's less information for them to use. But, less convenient for us, I'd agree.
Good to hear you have your card, so hopefully (knock on wood) mine should be here soon......my daughter has great plans for burning a hole in it!
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
I just spent a couple of hundred dollars on Amtrak tickets on another card a couple of days ago. The trip is coming up next weekend and I didn't think that my new card would be in my hands quickly enough to use.
At least I can start acculating Amtrak points again at my BWI area hotel.
Just out of curiousity, I applied for the new AGR card on-line the first day they were available September 10th. Is that how you did it?
David
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Just got mine too! Activation was simple (no sales pitch from Indian customer service this time), and I've already made an online purchase with it........here come the 8,000 AGR bonus points!
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Thanks for bringing this up. I pre-registered for the card some time ago but forgot how many bonus points that early registration got me. I thought it was more than 8000?? We've been gone a lot this summer so I guess I need to apply - is the best way through Amtrak guest rewards or directly with Chase? thanks.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Well.......mine did not arrive today.
Maybe tomorrow. We do live in a small town which the post office considers 'remote'.
Posted by Judy McFarland (Member # 4435) on :
To reply to earlier post by "notelvis" - yes, I did apply online as soon as I got that email. I had also "pre-registered" in late April (I think) in response to an email invitation to do so.
I haven't used mine yet, but I have to pay the balance of my room reservation for Christmas at the Izaak Walton Inn & that will be the cardI use.
Posted by Jerome Nicholson (Member # 3116) on :
I just joined two weeks ago, and no card yet. I was told that I get bonus rewards if I take a train trip within 30 days of joining. Does the distance of the trip matter?
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Distance probably doesn't matter.....you could probably do a Richmond - DC rountrip.....or Ashland, VA to Alexandria.....and it would only take a few hours.
Do be aware that they are really good at tracking whether or not you actually take the trip. The points don't accumulate until after the trip and then only if your ticket was properly collected.
Thanks for your reply Judy. I too had pre-registered and I did apply on-line when I got home September 10th......but it was after normal business hours.
Posted by Trainut (Member # 4052) on :
I pre-registered months ago, and have not received an application or anything. I tried to apply again on line, but it said you already have applied. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? You people that already have your card make me envious.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
You can give Chase a call to see what's up. Here is their phone number:
800-432-3117
You should have received an email a few weeks ago. Since you've heard nothing, it might be lost in "the system" somewhere. Everyone else I've talked to who signed up for it a few months ago has already received the sign-up email, and most have received the card already. Good luck---I hope that phone number doesn't go to India!
Posted by City of Miami (Member # 2922) on :
Yeeeaaa! Mine came today too. I have already made an activation purchase. As a matter of fact I just made my first Amtrak reservation. With the 8K points plus double points for that one, I'm well on my way to my next complimentary trip!
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
I got my card today and just activated it. I didn't speak to a "live" person in India or elsewhere during the whole process of activation and PIN selection.
I'm a little confused about the language on the 8,000 points. It says 4,000 will be in the Chase account and 4,000 in the Amtrak account. Can the 4,000 in Chase be transferred to Amtrak?
Frank in cloudy SBA
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Frank,
I noticed the same thing recently in the fine print. I asked about this on another railfan website, and was told that 4,000 points will go directly into your AGR account as "bonus points", and 4,000 points will go on your Chase statement, which then transfer over to your AGR account as "credit card points". I'm still scratching my head and don't really understand it, other than we will get 8,000 points in our AGR accounts either way. Maybe this is a bookeeping issue, or a rules thing? I haven't really figured it out.
Andy (PS: Is it 4,000 and 4,000? I'm trying to recall, but I thought it was 5,000 and 3,000. Hmmm...either way, it's still 8,000)
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
I haven't received mine yet, but I was a little late in applying. I'm just guessing, but perhaps the reason for the points being divided could have to do with who is giving the bonus, Chase or Amtrak, with some of the points coming from Amtrak, others coming from Chase. Chase must give Amtrak something for our transactions on the card (since it makes money when we use the card), so if Chase gives a bonus, it must give Amtrak something for that too. If this is the case, the points division doesn't affect the card holder but just has to do with the business arrangements between Chase and Amtrak.
Posted by chile2 (Member # 3110) on :
It was driving me nuts to read about everyone getting their AGR cards already and mine hasn't come yet. So, I got on Amtrak's website, followed the link to the Guest Rewards card, and called the number they gave (1-800-385-4995).
After calling, follow the prompts, and the automated answers will tell you if you've been approved and if the card is on its way. I went ahead and also talked to an agent, just to be sure they had my correct mailing address as I'm never sure with filling out online forms. The agent said the card was mailed yesterday and would take 7-10 days to arrive. Golly, I hope the US Post Office isn't that slow, but they could be . The agent also said to call them if the card did not arrive by the end of the first week in Oct. Anyway, it makes me feel a bit better to check up on it and I thought I'd mention it in case others wanted to do the same.
Also, for those who missed out on any emailing about the new card, you can use the Amtrak link and number above to phone in your application.
Posted by moxeetwo (Member # 3326) on :
I applied on Sept. 17th, I just called to check the status of my application, it said they would respond within 30days. Just wanted to know why some of you have received your card so soon after applying.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
Good thing trainweb is here for us to find out about the glitches. I tried the phone number chili2 mentioned, and they never recieved my application. Back when I thought I was applying, I was surprised they asked for so little info. I thought they might have my data pre-loaded from AGR. I do have a nasty habit of not reading everything on a page so I could have messed up. When I completed my application this time I got an e-mail confirmation back immediately.
Another glitch is that I always have to log into the AGR site twice to get on. ?
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
Jerry - If you live in California you only have to log on once to the AGR site. I am sure Zephyr would say it has something to do with 5xxxx zip codes.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
Yes, we have to work twice as hard as Californians to get to a website, and then swat misquitos and shovel snow too. No wonder we turned out this way.
Posted by zephyr (Member # 1651) on :
Dag nab it, Vicki. You beat me to the punch.
Actually, I think Mr. Rocket's difficulties may be due to recent AGR and Chase computer software upgrades that included enhanced spam filters. These new filters are very sophisticated (but apparently not perfect), and I think they are programmed to associate Minnesota with spam. A minor glitch, but I certainly understand how it happened.
And speaking of spam, is there like a special Food Guide Pyramid for Zip Code 5?
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
quote:Originally posted by TwinStarRocket: Yes, we have to work twice as hard as Californians to get to a website, and then swat misquitos and shovel snow too. No wonder we turned out this way.
But any true zip-fiver will tell you that it just keeps the riff-raff out, right?
For the record, my new Chase AGR MasterCard arrived today. Activated with just a phone call and no sales pitch. I'll be able to use it for the hotel on my northeastern Amtrak jaunt this weekend. Time to let the points roll in!
Posted by City of Miami (Member # 2922) on :
No bonus points on my account yet though.
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
You have "misquitos" there? Are those the special, large ones?
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
Vicki, a 'misquito' is what happens when a zip-fiver tries to spell mosquito. And Zephyr, the zip5 food pyramid would probably include lutefisk, lefse, hotdish and roadkill. When none of these are served on the Empire Builder, the chicken fried steak may be substituted if substantial portions of ketchup and mayo are added.
Posted by zephyr (Member # 1651) on :
When grocery shopping in Zip 5, is it true Hormel Spam and Velveeta Cheese are found in the deli sections of your local groceries?
Posted by MontanaJim (Member # 2323) on :
I got my card yesterday. Came in an envelope with only a street name and town as the return address. almost threw it away because i thought it was junk mail. They should put the company name on their or something.
At any rate, i got a "world" card. not sure if there are other kinds. Cant wait to start using it.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Montana Jim, credit cards are customarily sent as "low key" as possible; it has been that way since I had my first one, which was likely before you were on the planet.
Otherwise, Today's Wall Street Journal has an article suggesting how the (still) financially challenged airline industry could raise a bit of quick $$$$ by selling (spin off) of their frequent flyer plans. Could there be same for Amtrak if they were to "pull the pin" on Guest Rewards?
I know people who once signed up for an airline plan when they were both working and both had business travel requirements. Now they have retired, immediate family all resides in the same area, and travel is "not exactly on their to do list". Apparently, they have both earned AND redeemed points from and to sources other than air travel.
I realize anyone here earning points for either the Guest Reward or the affinity card plans wants to redeem them for one thing only - rail travel. But it would appear that there are persons out there who wish to redeem the points for other purposes, and as the article suggests, these reward plans are simply a business independent of the airline.
The article suggests that United's plan likely has a market value of some $5.7B; American's, the largest, likely has a market value even higher. While the "market value' of Amtrak's, if even any, likely is measured in the M's, might there be some quick $$$ from "pulling the pin"?
Of course, I make this suggestion with great trepidation; after all, the Warrington Gang started to wonder if there was some quick cash for "hocking" Amtrak's previously unencumbered rolling stock.
Brief passage from the article at Journal's subscription site (or newsstand for $1.50):
The latest head scratcher for airline executives: Is it possible to peel off one of your more profitable components -- your frequent-flier program...........the spin-off idea, one which is building steam across an industry grappling with soaring oil prices and declining stock values. Investors, analysts and consultants alike are coming to believe that frequent-flier programs -- which sell miles to partners, like credit-card companies, who offer them as rewards -- can be better moneymakers than the airlines they support. Splitting off a subsidiary makes it unavailable to subsidize a struggling airline. That, the theory goes, can lead to better decision making at both units.
Just received my new AGR Chase card and activated this morning. This card does have my AGR member number on the bottom of the credit card. I am a bit confused over the conversations here. Is there a new AGR membership card being sent out as well as credit cards to those who signed up for that? Also, how soon after you activated the Chase card were the points posted to the AGR account? I understand that one needs to make a purchase with this card before other points are awarded? Also I see that the Mastercard is only worth 5000 points now to those just signing up. Thanks for your help in all this.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Railroad Bill,
The Chase MasterCard through AGR is the new card. There is *no* new Amtrak Guest Rewards membership card being sent out. The one you have right now is the current card---there is not a new card coming until the normal time when your card expires.
The 5,000 points is for those who are signing up for the card now (or in recent months). The 8,000 points were for those who pre-registered for the card many months ago. You need to use the card once (make one purchase), and then you will get the 5,000 points. I don't know when those points will show up in your AGR account, but it shouldn't be too long. I'm trying to remember what the "fine print" said---I'm thinking it said something like 6 to 8 weeks before the points appear on your statment.
Since your MasterCard has your AGR number on it, I guess they worked out the bug in the system. The first batch of cards sent out (including mine) do NOT have the AGR number on it.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
Mine doesn't have the AGR # on it either. I'm wondering if they will send out replacements or just wait until it comes up for renewal.
Frank in gorgeous SBA
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
I was just looking through the info that came with the card so I could access the balance and make a payment online before I head to the Antipodes. I noticed that the sample card on the brochure DOES have the AGR # on it. I wonder why mine and others don't.
Frank in dark and cooling SBA
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
My cards arrived a couple days ago, less than two weeks after submitting the application on-line. My card has my membership number, but the secondary card with my wife's name on it does not.
I notice the Amtrak logo is quite a bit smaller than the old card.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Got my card yesterday. Had membership number on mine but not my wife's. After reading the fine print I plan on using it only for large purchases that I have budgeted (such as train/plane trips) and payoff within a few days. The 17.9% interest rate is far different than the MBNA/BofA card that I believe was 7.9%.
Posted by Amtrak207 (Member # 1307) on :
A friend of mine (also an AGR member) said his card arrived without the number (as did mine) but he got an e-mail message saying that they were going to reissue the cards sent out without that information. You mean all you folks don't have that ten-digit number memorized! You've got some work to do before being promoted to Uber-foamer status!
Posted by City of Miami (Member # 2922) on :
The 8K points have appeared on my AGR account so there's no problem about the number not being on the card.
Posted by OCL1 (Member # 4621) on :
Please be aware the bill payment date may be shorter than you expect. My first statement arrived today (October 18th) and payment is due November 1st. This means it probably has to arrive October 31st to be credited November 1st, and that I need to mail the payment within the next seven days just to be safe.
I'm happy with my AGR (and for the past trips it has provided), but I will be paying this account electronically every month.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
I had trouble with the old BofA Guest Rewards card not sending my bill on time, so it ended up late and I was charged $29. Since then I monitor all my credit cards online. I recommend it to everyone. It is so easy. If you don't recieve the bill in time, you just pay online or by phone.
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
TwinStar and others in the know - Can one set this card up for automatic payment from a bank account and get online statements, no paper stuff? I plan to apply soon but want these features.
Canadian and Starlight report soon, just got home.
Posted by City of Miami (Member # 2922) on :
Dear Hopeful - Yes, all that stuff is available from Chase.
Posted by Room Service (Member # 2405) on :
quote:Originally posted by HopefulRailUser: Can one set this card up for automatic payment from a bank account and get online statements, no paper stuff?
Yes. You can even set it up to automatically pay the current balance due. Something MBNA only offers now that Guest Rewards have ended!
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
Well, I have two denial letters from Chase and a Chase Amtrak master card... Apparently, I have sufficient credit with high balances, so I don't qualify for a card...
However, they sent me one...
Posted by Jerome Nicholson (Member # 3116) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mike Smith: Well, I have two denial letters from Chase and a Chase Amtrak master card... Apparently, I have sufficient credit with high balances, so I don't qualify for a card...
However, they sent me one...
What, a credit card or an AGR card?
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
An Amtrak guest rewards master card.
Posted by Jerome Nicholson (Member # 3116) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mike Smith: An Amtrak guest rewards master card.
So there's hope for me yet!
Posted by reich (Member # 2564) on :
I received a letter from Chase today saying, during a recent account review, the AGR member number was not reflected on the card. A replacement card with the same account number and AGR number printed on it will arrive in 7 to 10 business days. I had not contacted them about the missing number even after reading posts about the first Chase cards not showing the AGR number.
Posted by gregbkc (Member # 3726) on :
I also got that letter in the mail today. However, I checked my AGR account and noticed that my 8,000 points had hit the day before. So it will not effect your bonus points.
Posted by Railroad Bill (Member # 5097) on :
Are the Reward Points transferred from Chase to Amtrak after the statement amount is paid? Are the 5,000 points sent as one group or at two separate times? My Chase statement says it will transfer 2500 points + the value of my purchases (Amtrak and others). Thanks for the information.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Got my letter that a new card is on it's way with my AGR number on it just yesterday. Also checked the AGR website and noted that my bonus points have posted. Half came from Chase and the other half came a day or two later from Amtrak.
Life is good and I'm just a couple hundred points short of a roomette round-trip to the west coast now. Since my Silver Star - Piedmont trip from Winter Park to Charlotte hasn't posted yet, I should be over the top any day now! Hooray.
Posted by Judy McFarland (Member # 4435) on :
Since I began this topic, I'll officially put it to rest by saying that I now have a new AGR card with my Amtrak number on it and I see that my 8,000 miles have been posted to my account. Amen.
Now off to Montana on the EB in December!
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
It appears that the credit card industry is getting ready to "lay the hammer down" on the demographic that somehow I think more members here fall into than does the population at large - those who pay up in full every month, Today's New York Times reports;
Credit cards have long been a very good deal for people who pay their bills on time and in full. Even as card companies imposed punitive fees and penalties on those late with their payments, the best customers racked up cash-back rewards, frequent-flier miles and other perks in recent years.
Now Congress is moving to limit the penalties on riskier borrowers, who have become a prime source of billions of dollars in fee revenue for the industry. And to make up for lost income, the card companies are going after those people with sterling credit.
Banks are expected to look at reviving annual fees, curtailing cash-back and other rewards programs and charging interest immediately on a purchase instead of allowing a grace period of weeks, according to bank officials and trade groups
For Guest Rewards "point chasers', it appears that this perk will soon have a price tag. Even if not a point chaser, those such as myself who simply "hate cash' and as a result use cards to the fullest extent possible will find their free ride is over. If the card issuers start charging interest from date of transaction, and that a cardholder consistently "runs up' $1000 per month ratably through the month, i.e. by the 15th, $500 has been "run up', that holder would incur, assuming the industry's usual 18% APY rate, $75 of Finance Charges per year.
Apparently the "bad boys' have their lobby with "Banker-in-Chief" .
Posted by Railroad Bob (Member # 3508) on :
GBN, your post above, while slightly off-topic from Judy's thread, is important enough to deserve its own thread. Still, I've gotta comment on what you wrote:
I'm one of those "sterling-credit, pay off the entire balance every month" guys that the card companies have the love/hate relationship with. They keep hoping that eventually we will let the "balance" slide over to the next billing cycle and hit us with the 18%. All I want to say is if they eliminate the grace period (getting shorter all the time anyway) and start the Annual Fee again, I'll cut my cards and send them back to the issuers. And any credit I need will go on my 3% HELOC (home equity loan) which can be treated as deductible by the IRS just like a home mortgage. Well, just had to get that out-- sorry for going off-topic, but you fired me up!
Posted by Judy McFarland (Member # 4435) on :
I was a more than a little annoyed when I read that article on how credit card companies aren't making enough money off people who pay their bills each month. Least anyone forget, every time I use my card, the issuer gets a cut right up front from the merchant. Putting my new furnace & air conditioner on the card surely brought them a nice little chunk of change.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
It goes without saying, Ms. McFarland, if the soon to be enacted legislation will prohibit the credit card issuers from "punishing the bad boys", that revenue shortfall will be recovered from another base - and those "who do the right thing' (quite likely that means you; HVAC installation notwithstanding) are in the crosshairs.
True, the merchant's discount represents a revenue source, but it is trivial when compared with the Finance charges that the industry is reaping. Even those who finance responsibly, i.e. clear their balances from consumption once a year and treat needed (as distinct from wanted) durable goods financing as if such were an installment loan, are adding to the industry's profits.
Finally, David Brooks closed his column in Yesterday's Times with a stern warning that I hope Banker-in-Chief, Automaker-in-Chief, Insurance man-in-Chief, what's next-in-Chief, will read and HEED:
Of course, that’s changing. We now have an administration freely interposing itself in the management culture of industry after industry. It won’t be the regulations that will be costly, but the revolution in values. When Washington is a profit center, C.E.O.’s are forced to adopt the traits of politicians. That is the insidious way that other nations have lost their competitive edge.
disclaimer; author holds position in BAC
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Ms. McFarland, it appears that The New York Times personal finance columnist holds to your view:
At first glance, the sweeping credit card legislation that passed the Senate on Tuesday looks like a huge victory for consumers. The bill, after all, contains relief from penalty fees and certain interest rate spikes.
But for people who pay off their bills each month, and milk the card rewards programs for everything they’re worth, there is some cause for concern.
For months now, the card companies have been threatening to cut rewards programs sharply to make up for revenue lost because of the new restrictions.
My guess, however, is that this talk is just so much saber-rattling.
Card companies want to make money, and big spenders help them do it, even if those cardholders do not go into debt.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Again please accept my apology for continuing a topic that is clearly "off-rails", but with the constant interest in the Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card I note around here, the following material may prove of interest;
What the card companies realize — and what legislation most likely won’t change — is that no matter how much we say we dislike credit cards, they’ve become an essential part of our lives. It’s really hard to rent a car without a card. Or shop online. Or buy plane tickets. Often, executives say, we are just looking for an excuse to use our cards, and so companies are becoming experts in figuring out which excuses we each most want to hear. They’ve let me transform my card into an expression of love for my son. They’ll let you tell yourself that charging a meal gets you closer to a free flight to Tahiti.
Finally, allow me to note the TV ad that I believe is simply the epitome of irresponsibility when a message from a large financial institution should be to consume responsibly and definitely borrow responsibly. The culprit is JPMorgan Chase N.A.
The ad depicts a "thirtysomething Single Mom" sitting in the lobby of a mall with her two "tweenie' daughters. Lo and behold her cell phone rings and it is Chase texting her account balance or available credit. Mom then says "Ladies, let's go shopping'.
The message seems to be that if you have credit availability, let's go use it. Whatever happened to the three steps of personal financial management - plan, execute, account.
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
. The agent also said to call them if the card did not arrive by the end of the first week in Oct. Anyway, it makes me feel a bit better to check up on it and I thought I'd mention it in case others wanted to do the same.