Bigger Sign-Up Bonuses On the Bank of America Amtrak Cards (Worth ~$435 to ~$870 in Travel!)

Million Mile Secrets

8 years ago

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Via Reddit, there’s a better offer on the annual fee version of the Bank of America Amtrak credit card. And an increased sign-up bonus on the no-annual-fee Amtrak card too!

With the Bank of America Amtrak World MasterCard, you can earn 30,000 Amtrak points (worth up to ~$870 in Amtrak tickets) after meeting minimum spending requirements.

And with the Bank of America Amtrak Platinum MasterCard, you’ll earn 15,000 Amtrak points (worth up to ~$435 in Amtrak tickets) after completing minimum spending requirements.

These are the highest sign-up bonuses ever offered for these cards, so they could be worth considering if you enjoy traveling by train.

We don’t earn a commission for the Amtrak cards, but we’ll always tell you about the best deals.

If You’re Planning a Train Trip, You Might Consider the Better Sign-Up Bonus From the Bank of America Amtrak Cards

I’ll explain the details of these offers. And help you decide whether they make sense for you.

Increased Offers for the Bank of America Amtrak Cards

Link: Bank of America Amtrak World MasterCard

Link: Bank of America Amtrak Platinum MasterCard

Link: Amtrak Guest Rewards

Both the annual fee and no-annual-fee version of the Bank of America Amtrak cards are offering increased sign-up bonuses.

Amtrak points are worth ~2.9 cents each for most award tickets or ~2.56 cents each for travel on the high-speed Acela Express. So these cards could be a good choice if you’re planning an Amtrak trip or are over Chase’s 5/24 rule and have lots of other cards.

It’s Gotten Harder to Earn Amtrak Points Over the Years, but There Are Still Some Deals to Be Found!

That said, I do NOT recommend these cards if you’re new to miles & points. Because there are other cards that offer bigger sign-up bonuses and earn more flexible points.

And because you can no longer transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Amtrak, it’s harder to earn Amtrak points without spending a lot on Amtrak tickets.

You can read my full review of both of these cards here.

1. Bank of America Amtrak World MasterCard

With the Bank of America Amtrak World MasterCard, you can earn 30,000 Amtrak points after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

You’ll also get:

3X Amtrak points per $1 spent on Amtrak
2X Amtrak points per $1 spent on travel purchases including
1X Amtrak points per $1 spent on other purchases
5% of your points back when you redeem for award travel on Amtrak
1,000 Tier Qualifying Points toward Amtrak elite status per $5,000 spent on purchases (earn up to 4,000 Tier Qualifying Points per calendar year)
A one-day Acela Club, Metropolitan Club, or First Class lounge pass upon account opening valid for yourself and 1 companion or immediate family
A one-class upgrade certificate from coach to Business Class, or from Acela Business Class to Acela First Class, on a single travel segment or leg certificate (not valid on sleeper cars) upon account opening, and each year you renew your card
A companion certificate for Amtrak travel with the purchase of a regular round-trip or one-way full-fare ticket (not valid on Acela or long distance trains) upon account opening, and each year you renew your card. You and your
NO foreign transaction fees

The usual sign-up bonus for this card is 20,000 Amtrak points, so you’re earning 50% more points (10,000 Amtrak points) with this deal.

The $79 annual fee is NOT waived the first year. But 30,000 Amtrak points is worth ~$870 in regular Amtrak tickets (30,000 X ~2.9 cents per point) or ~$768 for travel on Acela Express (30,000 points X 2.56 cents per point).

Save Hundreds of Dollars on a Round-Trip Ticket Between Seattle and Whitefish, Montana, to Visit Glacier National Park With the Sign-Up Bonus From the Bank of America Amtrak World MasterCard

For example, perhaps you want to take a trip to beautiful Glacier National Park in Montana. I found tickets in June 2017 for a sleeper room from Seattle to Whitefish, Montana, for ~22,552 Amtrak points or ~$654.

So the sign-up bonus from the Bank of America Amtrak World MasterCard could certainly save you a lot of money!

2. Bank of America Amtrak Platinum MasterCard

You can earn 15,000 Amtrak points after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of opening a Bank of America Amtrak Platinum card.

You’ll also earn:

2X Amtrak points per $1 spent on Amtrak
1X Amtrak points per $1 spent on other purchases
5% of your points back when you redeem for award travel on Amtrak
NO foreign transaction fees

The 15,000 Amtrak point sign-up bonus is worth ~$435 in regular Amtrak tickets or ~$384 for travel on Acela Express.

There is NO annual fee on this version of the card. But you’ll earn a smaller sign-up bonus, fewer points on Amtrak purchases, and lose the ability to earn Tier Qualifying Points towards Amtrak elite status.

Bottom Line

With the increased offer on the Bank of America Amtrak World MasterCard, you can earn 30,000 Amtrak points after spending $1,000 on purchases within 90 days of opening your account.

And with the better offer for the Bank of America Amtrak Platinum MasterCard, you’ll earn 15,000 Amtrak points after completing similar minimum spending requirements.

Amtrak points are worth ~2.9 cents each for most award tickets, so the sign-up bonuses alone are worth ~$435 or ~$870 in regular Amtrak tickets. That’s a good deal, especially if you’re planning a trip on Amtrak.

But these are NOT the best cards for beginners. Because there are other cards with bigger sign-up bonuses that earn more flexible rewards.

Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)