Amtrak Guest Rewards points can be redeemed for travel on Amtrak and for gift cards. Redeeming points for travel will give you the best value.
What's the value of Amtrak points?
Based on our valuations, Amtrak Guest Rewards points are worth about 2.5 cents each on average when redeemed for rail travel with Amtrak. This means that 1,000 Amtrak are worth about $25 in travel value.
Here's our breakdown of Amtrak Points value based on redemption:
| Redemption option | Amtrak points value (in cents) |
|---|---|
| Redeeming points for Amtrak Travel | 2.5 - 2.8 |
| Redeeming points for gift cards | 0.83 - 1 |
Amtrak Travel
Amtrak Guest Rewards points will have the best value when redeemed for award travel with Amtrak. This will give your points about 2.5 cents in value (or higher).
During testing for multiple itineraries with for standard rail, Auto Train, and Acela travel, all redemptions offered between 2.5 and 2.8 cents in value except for one which offered 1.5 cents in value.
You can use our Use Points or Pay Cash? calculator if you need to determine the cash value of a redemption you're looking at.
Gift Cards
You can redeem your Amtrak Guest Rewards Points for gift cards will give you up to 1 cent in value per point. $50 gift cards offers a value of 0.83 cents per Amtrak Point while $100+ gift cards offer up to 1 cent in value.
Obviously this isn't the best redemption since you can get more than double the value when redeeming points for award rail travel, but it's still a decent redemption as long as you get at least a $100 denomination gift card.
Calculator: Convert Amtrak points to dollars
Use our Amtrak Point Value Calculator to estimate how much your points are worth in cash, whether you decide to redeem those points for rail travel or gift cards. This will give you an idea of the average value for all the redemption options available with your Amtrak Guest Rewards points.
Amtrak Points Value Calculator
| Redemption | Average Dollar Value |
|---|---|
| Amtrak Rail Travel | $0 - $0 |
| Gift Cards | $0 - $0 |
Calculator: Use Amtrak points or pay cash?
Use our Amtrak Points or Cash Calculator to determine the cash value of a redemption based on the cost in cash versus the cost in Amtrak Guest Rewards points. This tool is useful when trying to decide whether a redemption is worth it or not.
Best credit cards for Amtrak
If you frequently travel on Amtrak and you're looking to redeem your rewards for high value towards rail travel, the best credit card hands down will be the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard.
But if you're looking for a little bit more flexibility and want to be able to use rewards for more than just travel with Amtrak, there's one programs that I recommend: Capital One Venture Rewards & Spark Rewards.
Capital One Miles credit cards
Capital One Venture miles and Spark miles can be redeemed for 1 cent each towards any kind of travel booked to an eligible Venture Rewards or Spark Rewards credit card. This includes not only travel booked with Amtrak, but also airfare, hotels, car rentals, parking, tolls, and more — giving you the ultimate in flexibility.
On top of that, you can also convert Capital One miles into airline miles and hotel points with partner programs which give you the chance to squeeze much more than 1 cent in value out of your miles.
Here are the travel credit cards that Capital One offers:
- Earn 10X Miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn 5X Miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn an unlimited 2X Miles on all other purchases
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus miles annually starting on your first anniversary (worth $100 towards travel)
- Access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass Lounges
- Up to $120 towards a Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee
- $395 annual fee
- Card Value & Venture X Miles Calculator
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn an unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Two complimentary lounge visits per year to Capital One Lounges or Plaza Premium Lounges
- Up to $120 towards a Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee
- $95 annual fee
- Card Value & Venture Miles Calculator
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn an unlimited 1.25X miles on all other purchases
- No annual fee
- Card Value & VentureOne Miles Calculator
- Earn 10X Miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn 5X Miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn an unlimited 2X Miles on all other purchases
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus miles annually starting on your first anniversary (worth $100 towards travel)
- Access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass Lounges
- Up to $120 towards a Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee
- $395 annual fee
- Card Value & Venture X Business Miles Calculator
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every card purchase
- Up to $120 towards a Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee
- $0 the first year, then $95
- Card Value & Spark Miles Calculator
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 1.5X miles on every card purchase
- No annual fee
- Card Value & Rewards Calculator
FAQs
How much are Amtrak Points worth?
The Point Calculator values Amtrak points at 2.5 cents each on average meaning that 1,000 points is equal to about $25 in rail travel.
How much is 1,000 Amtrak points worth?
Based on our valuations, 1,000 Amtrak points are worth $25 in rail travel with Amtrak.
How much is 250 Amtrak points worth?
Based on our valuations, 250 Amtrak points are worth $7 in rail travel with Amtrak.
How much is 20,000 Amtrak points worth?
Based on our valuations, 20,000 Amtrak points are worth $500 in rail travel with Amtrak.
How many Amtrak points do you need for a free train ride?
Reward travel for Amtrak begins at just 800 points.
We've run the calculations and checked them twice — here are the credit cards that consistently provide outstanding value to our users:
- Best flexible travel card: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Best overall value year after year: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Best for high cash back: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Best for foodies: American Express® Gold Card
- Best for business travel rewards: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Best for heavy business spenders: Capital One Spark Cash Plus
