Amtrak GR Mastercard from Chase

[Dangerous Johnny O'D]

The other week, i responded to an email solicitation from Amtrak Guest Rewards.. Te original offer was 25,000 points for the first purchase using an Amtrak GuestRewards Mastercard from Chase - which sounded too good to be true. And it WAS too good to be true. After the card arrived, it turned out that the relationship is one point per dollar purchase.. Noting about 25,000 points. Okay, I got suckered - chalk it up to a learning experience

However, the second (and mind more disturbing) revelation was learning that a late payment would incurr a 30% Penalty APR (Annual Percentage Rate). With inflation below five percent, and the federal funds rate below one percent, this strikes me as simply usurious, This is not about me.. - thankfully my financial house is in order However, for folks who might makes a mistake they can ill afford, this represents predatory lending

Of course, I am not going to use the card , any more than i would establish a business relationship with the Mafia. But i am honestly surprised that Amtrak would allow its good name to be sullied by an alliance with such a sketchy organizations.

 

[Texan Eagle]

I don't know what did you click on but the actual Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card from Chase does give upto 32,000 bonus AGR points after first purchase, if you enroll for it when the offer is on. I did it and as a proof of it, I can tell you my AGR score- 33,297 points without making a single Amtrak train journey after applying for AGR MasterCard. Also, the APR I have on the card is 15.24%, not 30% as you claim.

 

[Steve4031]

I don't know what did you click on but the actual Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card from Chase does give upto 32,000 bonus AGR points after first purchase, if you enroll for it when the offer is on. I did it and as a proof of it, I can tell you my AGR score- 33,297 points without making a single Amtrak train journey after applying for AGR MasterCard. Also, the APR I have on the card is 15.24%, not 30% as you claim.

I got the bonus too. And was not even expecting it. I think I got another bonus for spending a certain amount. But I have 3 roomette rides courtesy of that bad boy.

 

[sechs]

The other week, i responded to an email solicitation from Amtrak Guest Rewards.. Te original offer was 25,000 points for the first purchase using an Amtrak GuestRewards Mastercard from Chase - which sounded too good to be true. And it WAS too good to be true. After the card arrived, it turned out that the relationship is one point per dollar purchase.. Noting about 25,000 points. Okay, I got suckered - chalk it up to a learning experience

It doesn't say anything about the bonus points, no matter how many are due.

However, the second (and mind more disturbing) revelation was learning that a late payment would incurr a 30% Penalty APR (Annual Percentage Rate). With inflation below five percent, and the federal funds rate below one percent, this strikes me as simply usurious, This is not about me.. - thankfully my financial house is in order However, for folks who might makes a mistake they can ill afford, this represents predatory lending

Welcome to the seventies, when the ability of a state to export it's interest rate rules made the lowest common denominator the national standard. You do have to admit, however, that a penalty rate should penalize, rather than follow, say, the prime rate.

Of course, I am not going to use the card , any more than i would establish a business relationship with the Mafia.

Since, you already established a business relationship with Chase, I don't see how this furthurs your cause. Wouldn't it really sock it to them if you used the card and had to give you all of points?

But i am honestly surprised that Amtrak would allow its good name to be sullied by an alliance with such a sketchy organizations.

I'm pretty sure that's just your personal opinion. Chase is hardly sketchy, since they're largely going with industry practices. If your problem is with how credit cards work, then cancel all of your cards and go back to cash and checks.

 

[Blackwolf]

Out of interest, I opened up my filing cabinet and took a peak at all my Credit Card agreements. For all of my cards. Every single one of them has draconian "Penalty APR" policies that automatically go into effect if you miss a payment or otherwise go afoul of the agreement: Chase AGR is 30.99%; Chase Sapphire Preferred is 28.99%; Capital One Venture Visa is 31.99%.

The reality is, these are the automatic rates. If something happened where, say, an honest mistake occurred and the penalty APR became tripped you can talk with the credit card company and negotiate. They are not completely made of brick and mortar and do understand to a degree. But the best policy in all cases is to simply pay the card off as soon as you get the statement. Don't over exert yourself and don't let your account "manage itself" with the available Nanny software the companies offer. Those are the pitfalls where a Credit Card becomes a Bankruptcy Machine. Avoid them and you'll do well.

As far as not getting the bonus? I'd be having a serious *** discussion with Chase!!

 

[Railroad Bill]

As stated by Mr. Blackwolf, be responsible with the card and it will pay great dividends.

Pay your Chase bill off each month to avoid any interest penalties-- "like borrowing money for free".

Get all those AGR points on everything you buy. You will get occasional offers to spend money in a given category which will afford even more AGR points. Double points for Amtrak train ticket purchases. Bonus offers throughout the year. And no fees involved there.

Don't put yourself in a position to owe those large fees and it will be you and not the bank who will have the last laugh. :giggle:

 

[Oldsmoboi]

Pay your Chase bill off each month to avoid any interest penalties-- "like borrowing money for free".

You're not borrowing money for free. You are getting paid to borrow money!

 

[lmctrouble]

I don't know what did you click on but the actual Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card from Chase does give upto 32,000 bonus AGR points after first purchase, if you enroll for it when the offer is on. I did it and as a proof of it, I can tell you my AGR score- 33,297 points without making a single Amtrak train journey after applying for AGR MasterCard. Also, the APR I have on the card is 15.24%, not 30% as you claim.

How long did it take for the bonus points to show up? I got mine several weeks ago and have been using it but I haven't seen any points yet. Of course, I haven't had to make a payment yet either .

 

[Texan Eagle]

I don't know what did you click on but the actual Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card from Chase does give upto 32,000 bonus AGR points after first purchase, if you enroll for it when the offer is on. I did it and as a proof of it, I can tell you my AGR score- 33,297 points without making a single Amtrak train journey after applying for AGR MasterCard. Also, the APR I have on the card is 15.24%, not 30% as you claim.

How long did it take for the bonus points to show up? I got mine several weeks ago and have been using it but I haven't seen any points yet. Of course, I haven't had to make a payment yet either .

A few days after the first statement is posted. I got them posted to my account in two parts- 16,000 from Chase and 16,000 from Amtrak. Who cares who is contributing them, as long as I am getting the full 32,000 points

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Pay your Chase bill off each month to avoid any interest penalties-- "like borrowing money for free".

You're not borrowing money for free. You are getting paid to borrow money!

Or maybe more accurately, one gets taken for a ride (on Amtrak) for borrowing money.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The other week, i responded to an email solicitation from Amtrak Guest Rewards.. Te original offer was 25,000 points for the first purchase using an Amtrak GuestRewards Mastercard from Chase - which sounded too good to be true. And it WAS too good to be true. After the card arrived, it turned out that the relationship is one point per dollar purchase.. Noting about 25,000 points. Okay, I got suckered - chalk it up to a learning experience

However, the second (and mind more disturbing) revelation was learning that a late payment would incurr a 30% Penalty APR (Annual Percentage Rate). With inflation below five percent, and the federal funds rate below one percent, this strikes me as simply usurious, This is not about me.. - thankfully my financial house is in order However, for folks who might makes a mistake they can ill afford, this represents predatory lending

Of course, I am not going to use the card , any more than i would establish a business relationship with the Mafia. But i am honestly surprised that Amtrak would allow its good name to be sullied by an alliance with such a sketchy organizations.

Go buy a candy bar with the card, and when you get your bill, the 25,000 points should post to your AGR (12,500 from Chase & 12,500 from Amtrak). Pay the bill then decide if you want to keep it or not.

 

[Shortline]

Is Chase shady? You bet. So is Bank of America, and most of the other Mega Banks. I know and understand their game, but I play it by MY rules. I got 32,000 points for getting the card. I use it for about $1500 in charges a month, which get paid off monthly. No interest, no worry. Between that Chase card, and my other travel (points from Hilton, and Hertz/Enterprise), referring people to AGR, shopping (just scored over 4000 in points for buying Mothers Day flowers I was going to buy anyway) etc, I think I'll probably earn about 50,000-60,000 points a year or so at this rate. Enough for a 2 zone BR trip. Not bad. So, yeah, I hate Chase, BoA, et all, but they're betting I'm going to use the card to rack up debt and pay interest on it for years. Unfortunately for them, I ain't gonna pay them a dime, but, I WILL get a couple thousand dollars worth in free travel a year, in part from them! Got the card and 32,000 points in Dec. Already redeemed 20,000 for a 1 zone 2 night BR trip in June, and still have nearly 40,000 points in the bank. (and counting)

And, you didn't get suckered-You just need to use the card once, to get the sign up bonus from the offer. After that, THEN you get 1 point/$. As to the interest, dont be late, pay in full, and rack up the points. I think my card is at around 13%, but frankly don't care if it's 40%, I'm not charging anything I can't write a check for, period!

 

[dlagrua]

Name just one bank that has morals, integrity and compassion for its customers? They are in business to make as much money as possible. I have no problem with capitalism when it allows all Americans to participate in it, but when it becomes predatory and greedy, it becomes an unfair system. Today's capitalism no longer operates with any oversight and allows those in the financial world to profit handsomely at the expense of the taxpayer. Until we put the oversight factor back; that's the way it will be.

Use your Chase AGR card to earn points and don't run up a balance or you will pay dearly for it.

 

[the_traveler]

If you pay the bill off in full each month, the interest rate is -0-%! I do, and earn over 1,000 AGR points each month and I pay -0-% interest. I really don't care if the rate is 3%, 30% or 300% - I pay -0-%!

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I signed up for the Card a few years ago and enjoyed a nice sign-on Bonus and even a 5 or 10% Redemption Rebate when I cashed in for a couple of Meaty multi-day trips in Roomette. Pay off monthly and you don't have to worry about interest to boot! No problems here

 

[saxman]

The other week, i responded to an email solicitation from Amtrak Guest Rewards.. Te original offer was 25,000 points for the first purchase using an Amtrak GuestRewards Mastercard from Chase - which sounded too good to be true. And it WAS too good to be true. After the card arrived, it turned out that the relationship is one point per dollar purchase.. Nothing about 25,000 points. Okay, I got suckered - chalk it up to a learning experience

Umm, I got 25,000 points for the card or something similar. Just about every airline card offers similar miles for getting their card, including through Chase. You'll get the 25,000 AGR points, I'm betting. Then you can use the card for other purchases as well.

However, the second (and mind more disturbing) revelation was learning that a late payment would incurr a 30% Penalty APR (Annual Percentage Rate). With inflation below five percent, and the federal funds rate below one percent, this strikes me as simply usurious, This is not about me.. - thankfully my financial house is in order However, for folks who might makes a mistake they can ill afford, this represents predatory lending

As others said, I don't know of any card agreement that doesn't jack up the APR when you get a late payment. They all do that. Whether it's predatory lending can be up for debate.

Of course, I am not going to use the card, any more than i would establish a business relationship with the Mafia. But i am honestly surprised that Amtrak would allow its good name to be sullied by an alliance with such a sketchy organizations.

Chase Bank is the Mafia? I use the same card all the time for my large purchases, and enjoy a few extra thousand extra AGR points each month for purchases I make anyway. Quite similar to any other credit card.

 

[Ispolkom]

Here's one data point with penalty fees. I always pay off my credit cards in full, at the end of each statement period. Or at least I intend to. Alas, every year or two I forget to make a payment on a particular credit card. I know, it's stupid, but it's happened. In every case a quick call to the credit card company (Chase, Citibank, American Express) has gotten the late payment penalty and interest waived. I grovel, to be sure, but that costs nothing but a little of my self-respect.

I'm happy to use Chase to get free travel. In the past four years Mrs. Ispolkom and I have gone through 4 Continental Airlines cards (never flew the airline), 4 Chase Sapphire Preferred cards, 2 Chase Freedom cards, two Chase AGR cards and three Chase Continental Airlines checking accounts (never lived within 400 miles of a Chase branch). In every case Chase has honored the terms of their offers, even though they've not gotten a dime of interest out of us. That's as much integrity as I can hope for in a large corporation.

I might feel a little guilty for the ride I've taken them for, but given Chase's propensity for losing billions of dollars on bad speculations, I imagine that my gains aren't even a rounding error for them.

 

[Ryan]

Name just one bank that has morals, integrity and compassion for its customers?

USAA is pretty darn good, although I've noticed even them slipping as they have opened up membership to even more people.

Agreed on the rest of your post, though. Local Credit Unions are another decent place to do business.

That said, I've had no issues with Chase and the AGR card. I occasionally end up in a position where I have to pay some interest from time to time (the most recent just last month when our 2 cats managed to run up over $2500 in vet bills in a week), but I don't see anything unfair about that.

On the flip side, it lets me build up a healthy "war chest" of points, which is darn useful. For example, we're leaving on the Crescent tonight to go to ATL to see Amy's grandmother. We found out late last month that her breast cancer was back, and Amy wanted to get down there and see her before the baby comes. Rooms on the Crescent were predictably expensive (somewhere between $1500 and $2000 for the round trip), but I had enough points to do the whole thing for free. Another time (and I think I've told this story here before too), my sister and her (brand new at the time) husband got stranded by Continental at EWR on the way home from their honeymoon (they live down here in DC). I called her up and said "I got this!" and put the two of them on a train back to DC on points.

We're far from rich, but the ability to do things like that on points really simplifies things sometimes.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Name just one bank that has morals, integrity and compassion for its customers?

USAA is pretty darn good, although I've noticed even them slipping as they have opened up membership to even more people.

Agreed on the rest of your post, though. Local Credit Unions are another decent place to do business.

That said, I've had no issues with Chase and the AGR card. I occasionally end up in a position where I have to pay some interest from time to time (the most recent just last month when our 2 cats managed to run up over $2500 in vet bills in a week), but I don't see anything unfair about that.

On the flip side, it lets me build up a healthy "war chest" of points, which is darn useful. For example, we're leaving on the Crescent tonight to go to ATL to see Amy's grandmother. We found out late last month that her breast cancer was back, and Amy wanted to get down there and see her before the baby comes. Rooms on the Crescent were predictably expensive (somewhere between $1500 and $2000 for the round trip), but I had enough points to do the whole thing for free. Another time (and I think I've told this story here before too), my sister and her (brand new at the time) husband got stranded by Continental at EWR on the way home from their honeymoon (they live down here in DC). I called her up and said "I got this!" and put the two of them on a train back to DC on points.

We're far from rich, but the ability to do things like that on points really simplifies things sometimes.

Does your Vet accept CareCredit? If so, you get a certain amount of months to pay off the charge w/o interest (but the interest does accrue, so you'll pay it if you don't pay off the charge by the end of the promotion period). I think each doctor, vet, etc determines the number of months to pay off the charge.

 

[alben]

Here's one data point with penalty fees. I always pay off my credit cards in full, at the end of each statement period. Or at least I intend to. Alas, every year or two I forget to make a payment on a particular credit card. I know, it's stupid, but it's happened. In every case a quick call to the credit card company (Chase, Citibank, American Express) has gotten the late payment penalty and interest waived. I grovel, to be sure, but that costs nothing but a little of my self-respect.

I'm happy to use Chase to get free travel. In the past four years Mrs. Ispolkom and I have gone through 4 Continental Airlines cards (never flew the airline), 4 Chase Sapphire Preferred cards, 2 Chase Freedom cards, two Chase AGR cards and three Chase Continental Airlines checking accounts (never lived within 400 miles of a Chase branch). In every case Chase has honored the terms of their offers, even though they've not gotten a dime of interest out of us. That's as much integrity as I can hope for in a large corporation.

I might feel a little guilty for the ride I've taken them for, but given Chase's propensity for losing billions of dollars on bad speculations, I imagine that my gains aren't even a rounding error for them.

Ha! Must be a fellow FlyerTalk member. I, too, am using the various Chase cards to rack up the points and move them over to Amtrak. Just hoping that we can one day transfer Chase United MileagePlus points over to Amtrak.

 

[winterskigirl]

I just joined AGR and saw the Chase credit card connection........................my response? Chase = Run for the hills!

 

[PRR 60]

I just joined AGR and saw the Chase credit card connection........................my response? Chase = Run for the hills!

I've been a Chase credit card customer for 24 years and have never had a single issue. I just this week had a need to contact customer service. My card had literally cracked in half (right down the mag stripe). The phone menu got me to a live rep with one touch. The rep processed the issue in 30 seconds. I made the call mid-day Wednesday. The replacement card arrived at my door yesterday (Thursday) afternoon. For quick response to a problem, that can't be beat.

As far as I'm concerned, Chase is as good as any firm I deal with, and better than most.

 

[MrFSS]

I just joined AGR and saw the Chase credit card connection........................my response? Chase = Run for the hills!

I've been a Chase credit card customer for 24 years and have never had a single issue. I just this week had a need to contact customer service. My card had literally cracked in half (right down the mag stripe). The phone menu got me to a live rep with one touch. The rep processed the issue in 30 seconds. I made the call mid-day Wednesday. The replacement card arrived at my door yesterday (Thursday) afternoon. For quick response to a problem, that can't be beat.

As far as I'm concerned, Chase is as good as any firm I deal with, and better than most.

I agree - I don't have a Chase AGR, but another brand (hotel) with Chase. Last year I received a call on a Sunday afternoon advising that a suspicious charge had been made on my card from somewhere in Spain. They asked if I was there. When I said no, they removed the charge, gave me a new card number and I had the new card in two days. Great service!

 

[me_little_me]

Here's another Chase gotcha. I always pay my bills off each month but I guess when you get old, you make mistakes. So when I paid my Chase bill a few months ago, I accidentally underpaid the sub $100 bill by $5. Next month there were fees and interest. OK, I made a mistake. I owe the fees and interest. So I paid the next bill of about $70 with fees and interest from the previous error IN FULL and WHEN DUE.

The next month's statement? More interest! Why? Apparently they continue to charge interest until that payment is made so even though I paid the second bill on time, the $5 underpayment accrued interest for the additional month. What nerve!

Anyway I called Chase to get the above explanation and they offered to waive the interest because "I was a good customer".

No matter, I will never use them for more than Amtrak travel (unless of course they have another bonus points offer like last November). USAA is so much more ethical and I get cash back.

why do I always feel I have to take shower or two after dealing with banks?

 

[Ryan]

That's how credit cards work. You pay interest until they get their payment.

You call them up and they do you a favor, and you feel like you "have to take a shower"?