Amtrak is a passenger railroad company in the United States that provides rail service to 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. It's loyalty program is called Amtrak Guest Rewards.
Earning Amtrak Guest Rewards points
There are several ways to earn Amtrak Guest Rewards points:
- Traveling on Amtrak.
- Using Amtrak credit cards.
- Booking hotels and car rentals through Amtrak's Hotels and Cars portal.
- Spending with Amtrak partners.
- Shopping online through Amtrak's e-shopping portal.
- Referring friends to Amtrak Guest Rewards.
- Buy points from Amtrak.com.
Traveling on Amtrak
The most straightforward way to earn Amtrak Guest Rewards points is through Amtrak travel. You will earn 2 points per $1 spent on Amtrak travel along with a point bonus of 25% for all Business class travel and 50% for Acela First class travel.
You can also earn up to a 100% point bonus on Amtrak travel based on your status in the Amtrak Guest Rewards program.
Using Amtrak credit cards
Amtrak offers two co-branded credit cards held by FNBO. Both of these credit cards are great options if you're looking to build your balance of Amtrak Guest Rewards points on everyday spending.
Use our Amtrak Credit Card Value calculators to estimate how much value you can get out of Amtrak credit cards. Simply enter your estimated spend and our calculator will determine how many Amtrak Guest Rewards points you can earn annually as well as output the overall value of the card.
- Earn 3X points on Amtrak travel, included onboard purchases, 2X points on dining, travel, transit, and rideshare, and 1X points on everything else.
- 20% rebate on onboard food and beverage purchases
- Round-trip companion coupon upon account opening and card anniversary
- One-class upgrade upon account opening and card anniversary
- Station lounge pass upon account opening and card anniversary
- Earns 2X points on Amtrak travel and on dining, and 1X points on everything else.
- 10% rebate on onboard food and beverage purchases
- No annual fee.
Booking cars and hotels
Amtrak Guest Rewards points can be earned booking cars and hotels through the Amtrak Hotels and Cars portal. This gives you over 350,000 hotels worldwide to choose from as well as access to all of the major car rental companies.
Do note that this is considered as booking through a third party, so if you book a stay at a hotel in which you have elite status or credit card benefits, you may not receive them since you aren't booking directly through the hotel.
Learn More: Best Hotel Credit Cards (+ Rewards Calculator)
Spending with Amtrak partners
Amtrak has a handful of retail and specialty partners that you can use to earn additional points. These partners include:
- SurveyPointsClub
- 1800Flowers.com
- Telefora
- Apple
- The Home Depot
- QVC
- eBags
- Audience Rewards
- nrg
- Vinesse Wines
- Rail Passengers Association
You can check out the Amtrak - Ways To Earn page to get the most up-to-date partners and to find out how much you can earn with each of these partners.
Amtrak e-shopping portal
Amtrak has their own online shopping portal that can earn you Amtrak Guest Rewards points with thousands of online retailers. The amount of points you can earn will vary depending on partner.
Here's how it works:
- Visit shop.amtrakguestrewards.com and find the retailer you wish to shop with.
- Click on the retailer and click Shop Now to be taken to that retailer's website.
- Shop like you would normally. Be sure to log into your rewards account if you have one with that retailer!
- Checkout and make your purchase.
- Amtrak will be notified that you made a purchase through their portal and you will receive Amtrak Guest Rewards points.
If you frequently shop online, this is a great way to double and triple dip on rewards. At most, you'll earn Amtrak Guest Rewards points, points with the retailer if you're logged into your loyalty account, and rewards for using a credit card that earns rewards.
Learn More: Online Shopping Portals: How They Work, Payouts, & Reviews
Referring friends
You can earn 500 Amtrak Guest Rewards points for every friend that you refer to Amtrak. You'll receive your bonus if your friend enrolls in the Amtrak Guest Rewards program and then takes a paid trip within 90 days of signing up.
Buy Amtrak points
If you're a few points shy of a redemption and you need points sooner rather than later, you can buy points Amtrak points. They can be purchased in 500-point increments and you can buy up to 50,000 points in a calendar year.
This can be done through the Amtrak Buy, Share, and Transfer Points portal.
Redeeming Amtrak Guest Rewards points
There three ways to redeem Amtrak Guest Rewards points:
- Redeem for Amtrak travel.
- Use points for hotels and car rentals.
- Redeem points for gift cards.
Redeeming points for Amtrak Travel
Amtrak points can be redeemed for Amtrak travel which includes standard rail travel, the Auto Train, and Acela. The Auto Train provides transportation for you and your vehicle to your destination and Acela is Amtrak's fastest service and is America's only high-speed rail.
Use points for hotels and car rentals
Amtrak Points can be redeemed for car rentals and hotel bookings through the Amtrak Hotels & Cars portal. This gives you over 350,000 hotels worldwide to pick from and access to all major car rental companies.
Redeem points for gift cards
Amtrak Guest Rewards points can be redeemed for dining and entertainment gift cards. Redemptions start at 6,000 points for a $50 gift card. Options include Applebee's, AMC theaters, Starbucks, Disney, and more.
Share points with other members
As an Amtrak Guest Rewards member, you can share points with other members. This allows you to pool your points so that you can book award travel faster. This can be done through the Amtrak Buy, Share, and Transfer Points portal.
How much are Amtrak points worth?
Amtrak points are worth about 2.5 cents each on average when redeemed for rail travel. This means that 1,000 Amtrak Points are equal to about $25 in travel value.
| Redemption option | Redemption value in cents |
|---|---|
| Redeeming points for Amtrak Travel | 2.5 - 2.8 |
| Redeeming points for gift cards | 0.83 - 1 |
Learn More: Amtrak Points To Dollar Value Calculator
FAQ
How do you earn Amtrak Guest Rewards points?
Amtrak Guest Rewards points can be traveling on Amtrak, using Amtrak credit cards, booking cars and hotels through Amtrak, spending with partners, and shopping online.
What can you redeem Amtrak points for?
Amtrak points can be redeemed for rail travel and gift cards.
How much are Amtrak points worth?
The Point Calculator values Amtrak Guest Rewards points at 2.5 cents each on average when redeemed for rail travel.
Amtrak points calculators
Use our Amtrak points calculators to calculate credit card earnings, the cost to buy points, and the cash value of points based on redemption. You can also check out our short and simple guide on Amtrak Guest Rewards points.
Use our Amtrak credit card calculators to estimate how many points you can earn and the cash value of the card based on the spend amounts you enter, how much you value benefits, and annual fees.
Our calculators allow you to compare up to two additional credit cards side by side based on same or different spend. Plus, all spend amounts you enter in the Primary card's column rolls over to all credit card rewards calculators on the site!
Want to know how much your Amtrak points are worth on average? Check out our calculators and guides for determining point value.
If you're short on points, you can buy Amtrak points directly.
Maximize your rewards
Looking for the best travel credit cards? Check out a few of our top picks below and use our calculators to find out how much you can earn!
- Best for flexible travel rewards: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
- Best for unlimited miles on purchases: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
- Best travel card for foodies: American Express® Gold Card.
- Best for luxury travel: The Platinum Card® from American Express.
- Best for rewards on travel and everyday spending: Citi Premier® Card.
- Best for small business travel: Capital One Spark Miles for Business.
Our Credit Card Rewards calculator can help you find the perfect card and offers based on your monthly and yearly spending habits. Simply enter your spend amounts into our tool and let us do the work for you!
