Amtrak Mastercard on Chase site seemed to disappear.

[Gunnie]

A post about the Chase Amtrak card, apologies if this has already been posted.

http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/2015/03/10/chase-kills-the-amtrak-card-why-you-might-care/

 

[JATX]

A post about the Chase Amtrak card, apologies if this has already been posted.

http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/2015/03/10/chase-kills-the-amtrak-card-why-you-might-care/

Maybe it is a good thing I just got my card and booked a trip. Otherwise I would have missed out on a lot of miles.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If you want to transfer CUR to AGR you might want to do so quickly. Chase has ended UR transfer partners suddenly and without warning in the past. At the moment the link is probably only good until the next AGR credit contract is signed (if any).

 

[printman2000]

Do transfer points into AGR expire?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Do transfer points into AGR expire?

To my knowledge all AGR points expire unless you have paid travel credited to your AGR account on a recurring basis. The perpetual longevity that the Chase AGR card previously provided is probably on the way out at this point.

 

[jis]

When Continental terminated their relationship with Amex and moved to Chase, they pretty much moved over the non-expiry feature as is. Perhaps AGR will do the same with whoever they move the affinity card over to. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[neutralist]

If you want to transfer CUR to AGR you might want to do so quickly. Chase has ended UR transfer partners suddenly and without warning in the past. At the moment the link is probably only good until the next AGR credit contract is signed (if any).

Just transferred 50000 UR points into AGR as a matter of precaution.

 

[me_little_me]

Anyone contact AGR Insider on FlyerTalk? I could do it but don't want to burden Anthony with lots of messages. If nobody has, I'll do it.

 

[me_little_me]

I chose to keep my present card as instead of singing my card, I write in the signature box "SEE FRONT OF CARD FOR SIGNATURE AND PICTURE". Attempting to modify either would effectively destroy the card.
Now if only banks would use their collective head and provide a customer-selectable pin instead of 3 digit code and NOT have that number on the card itself as is presently done with the 3-digit code. It is amazing how stupid banks can be.

Found this on the web --

'See ID' against Visa, MasterCard rules

Chris Monteiro, spokesman for MasterCard, says, "Technically, a MasterCard is not valid unless signed by the authorized cardholder. If a person has not signed his card, the merchant technically should not complete the transaction." The merchant can only complete the transaction on an unsigned card if the cardholder signs the card in front of the employee and then produces valid identification proving their identity, Monteiro says. The cardholder then has nothing to gain by refusing to write anything but his signature on the signature panel.

Visa's policy is nearly identical to MasterCard's. Visa covers this topic in its "Rules for Merchants" handbook. There is a section entitled "See ID," which says: "See ID or Check for ID is not a valid substitute for a signature. The customer must sign the card, in your presence." And if the customer refuses? "A refusal to sign means the card is still invalid and cannot be accepted." The handbook then reminds merchants that if they ignore this mandate and accept an unsigned card anyway, they risk financial liability should the cardholder later dispute the charge.

Read more: http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/sign-or-write-see-ID-1282.php#ixzz3TwhlRUql

Remember, THE CARD IS SIGNED. My signature is imbedded into the front of the card along with my picture. So it IS "signed by the authorized cardholder". More than that, the signature will not rub off or get washed away/become unreadable as what happens when the card gets wet.

 

[newlatidude]

me_little_me: It doesn't look like anyone has - or if so, they haven't posted in the FT thread about it.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Anyone contact AGR Insider on FlyerTalk? I could do it but don't want to burden Anthony with lots of messages. If nobody has, I'll do it.

I would imagine he can't say anything while things are "in the works".

 

[amamba]

I chose to keep my present card as instead of singing my card, I write in the signature box "SEE FRONT OF CARD FOR SIGNATURE AND PICTURE". Attempting to modify either would effectively destroy the card.
Now if only banks would use their collective head and provide a customer-selectable pin instead of 3 digit code and NOT have that number on the card itself as is presently done with the 3-digit code. It is amazing how stupid banks can be.

Found this on the web --

'See ID' against Visa, MasterCard rules

Chris Monteiro, spokesman for MasterCard, says, "Technically, a MasterCard is not valid unless signed by the authorized cardholder. If a person has not signed his card, the merchant technically should not complete the transaction." The merchant can only complete the transaction on an unsigned card if the cardholder signs the card in front of the employee and then produces valid identification proving their identity, Monteiro says. The cardholder then has nothing to gain by refusing to write anything but his signature on the signature panel.

Visa's policy is nearly identical to MasterCard's. Visa covers this topic in its "Rules for Merchants" handbook. There is a section entitled "See ID," which says: "See ID or Check for ID is not a valid substitute for a signature. The customer must sign the card, in your presence." And if the customer refuses? "A refusal to sign means the card is still invalid and cannot be accepted." The handbook then reminds merchants that if they ignore this mandate and accept an unsigned card anyway, they risk financial liability should the cardholder later dispute the charge.

Read more: http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/sign-or-write-see-ID-1282.php#ixzz3TwhlRUql

Remember, THE CARD IS SIGNED. My signature is imbedded into the front of the card along with my picture. So it IS "signed by the authorized cardholder". More than that, the signature will not rub off or get washed away/become unreadable as what happens when the card gets wet.

That's not what they mean by signed. Your card is invalid without a signature in the signature pane on the back.

 

[Ryan]

Anyone contact AGR Insider on FlyerTalk? I could do it but don't want to burden Anthony with lots of messages. If nobody has, I'll do it.

I would imagine he can't say anything while things are "in the works".

Agreed.

And reading FT is his job - if he hasn't commented on the thread that he certainly has read, it means he has nothing to say at this point. Pestering him with private messages isn't going to change that. When he has something to announce, I'm sure that he will.

 

[jis]

Anyone contact AGR Insider on FlyerTalk? I could do it but don't want to burden Anthony with lots of messages. If nobody has, I'll do it.

I would imagine he can't say anything while things are "in the works".

Agreed.

And reading FT is his job - if he hasn't commented on the thread that he certainly has read, it means he has nothing to say at this point. Pestering him with private messages isn't going to change that. When he has something to announce, I'm sure that he will.

Wait! What? You mean people from AU are not extraordinarily entitled to know everything before they happen at Amtrak?

 

[Ryan]

Perhaps if we send him enough PM's he'll answer just to shut us up...

 

[me_little_me]

While I would not expect him to tell use "We are negotiating with ...", there is a lot that could be said:

• Confirm/deny the info regarding the Chase card no longer earning AGR points at some [near] future point.
• State whether Amtrak plans to try and find a replacement for Chase or intends to not have a rewards credit card.
• State whether, given that the "rumor" of termination is true, what will be the effect on waiving the 3 year rule on losing points when there is no travel for current Chase AGR cardholders.

None of these should be detrimental to ongoing negotiations with a possible future vendor.

PS: I asked him these questions. While I don't expect a personal reply, perhaps it might trigger the idea that a little openness may not hurt.

 

[the_traveler]

Do transfer points into AGR expire?

They do not expire per se. As long as you travel on Amtrak once every 36 months or hold the AGR credit card, they will not expire.

 

[printman2000]

Since we have no plans to pay for travel anytime soon and since the agr credit card status is in limbo, me transferring a bunch of chase points now has me worried. I unusually only transfer them to agr as needed.

 

[Ryan]

None of these should be detrimental to ongoing negotiations with a possible future vendor.

PS: I asked him these questions. While I don't expect a personal reply, perhaps it might trigger the idea that a little openness may not hurt.

What makes you think that any of that information is actually available right now, or that we're somehow entitled to it?

When there is something that they can share, I have complete faith that Anthony will share it, but not before. The idea he has information e is at liberty to share, but isn't because he doesn't realize that we're interested is pretty disrespectful to him.

 

[Rail Freak]

Let's all lighten up , hold our breath, & wait a while!!!!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Having met Anthony I see no reason to be concerned over his ability to handle customer concerns in an efficient and professional manner. The ability to transfer points from CUR (or lack thereof) is a detail that may seem minor to some but is worth thousands of dollars to me and presumably many other travelers. Anthony is under no obligation to answer our inquiries but neither are we under any obligation to avoid asking for fear of annoying or distracting him.

 

[Slayer Essence]

I don't know if these links still work, but supposedly you can still apply for the Credit Card. It doesn't appear to come with a signup bonus, and a chase twitter quote confirms no new applications are taking place. But if you really want the card, these might be working for now.

http://theforwardcabin.boardingarea.com/2015/03/10/the-amtrak-credit-card-is-not-dead-hurry-and-apply-before-it-is/

 

[William W.]

Losing the ability to transfer from the CSP would be crippling. I'd probably have to stop taking Amtrak LD trains, for the most part. I've banked most of my points with Chase, and I'm not in a position to switch to another issuer at this point.

I love taking LD trains, but I can't justify spending large amounts of money for the pleasure.

 

[pennyk]

AGR Insider has responded on FlyerTalk:

No new applications for the Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard from Chase are being accepted at this time. More information regarding the AGR credit card will be shared in the near future.

If you have the Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard from Chase, you can continue to use your card and will continue to earn AGR points. Nothing will change without notification from Amtrak and Chase.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks Penny, looks like a New Agreement is being negotiated between AGR and the Card issuers! AUers will probably be among the first to know when new info is forthcoming!