Update 7/2/26: Offer has increased, but only to 30,000 points and requires an authorized user this time. I’d hold for 40,000 points.
Update 11/5/25: 40k offer is back through 12/16/25.
The Offer
- FNBO Amtrak Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred card is offering a signup bonus of 30,000 points. Earn 25K points after spending $1,500, plus 5K points after adding an authorized user.
- The no-fee card also bumped the bonus to 12,000.
Card Details
- Annual fee of $99 is not waived
- Complimentary Companion Coupon, One-Class Upgrade and a single-day
- ClubAcela pass for access to ClubAcela, Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge or First class
- Card earns at the following rates:
- 3 points per $1 spent with Amtrak
- 2 points per $1 spent on all other qualifying travel and dining purchases
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
No foreign transaction fees
- 5% Amtrak Guest Rewards point rebate when you book your Amtrak redemption
- Possibly can’t open card if you opened a card within 18 months
Our Verdict
Nice bonus for Amtrak users. The card launched with FNBO last October with a 30,000 bonus, and this is a nice bump to 40,000. There’s some speculation that dummy bookings – which historically have been throwing in $100 – will show 40,000 + $100 soon. Dummy booking has never shown another $100 statement credit so not worth waiting if interested. You can view more about Amtrak points and their value here.
Post history:
- Extended to 8/13/25 via link
- Update 6/18/25: Deal is back until July 30, 2025
- Update 3/19/25: Deal is back until 4/30/25
- Update 8/19/24: Deal is back until Sep 25th. Hat tip to reader David
- Update 4/2/24: According to our contact at Amtrak, this deal will end tomorrow.
- Originally posted 3/15/23. Reposting 2/19/24 as this deal is back (Minor details have been updated below – spend is $2,000 this time instead of $1,000 last time, and no-fee card bonus is 12,000 instead of 20,000 last time.)
Is there a way to pre-qualify for this? I really want it but I got a lot of recent inquiries so I don’t wanna waste another.
Thanks for your insight
Exact DPs from my spreadsheet. Sorry, I don’t have the data bonus was received, but since this card has no anti-churn language not sure that it matters. It was usually 2 billing cycles. Signed up 4/1/23, received 40k points, closed 9/17/24 (paid second annual fee) Signed up 4/1/25 (not intentionally waiting 2 years, just how it worked out), received 40k points, closed 5/31/26, getting a refund for second AF.
what you said is very fair. Maybe I shouldn’t have said what I said 🙊
The card hit 40k multiple springs in a row. I personally signed up for it Spring 2023 and Spring 2025. It is possible this is a permanent reduction in the standard elevated SUB. I will personally be waiting to churn it as I closed it pretty recently, but I don’t feel confident advising people to wait for a higher SUB.
😭😂
like the post mentions, I’d hold out for the 40K offer closer toward the end of year holidays
This version has never hit 50k afaik. It used to hit 40k pretty reliably, so I don’t think anyone can predict.
Any chance of when this could hit 50k again this year?
This is the way that pigs travel…on Hamtrak.
I’m seeing an elevated offer live as of today. 30k points total (was 25k). Have to spend $1500 and add an authorized user. Was hoping for higher but this may be it for a while. William Charles
any successful retention offers?
elevated SUBs for the Amtrak credit cards, looks like it expires 6/30 https://www.amtrak.com/guestrewards/apply
That would be extremely unhelpful and confusing for readers. Annual fees never count towards SUBs, unless the bank makes an error. It’s an unfortunate way of learning this, but now you have valuable information for the next SUB you chase. Also that really does suck, I’m sorry that happened.
Confirmed after calling customer service this morning … they do NOT count the $99 annual fee that I paid the first statement, saying it had to be $2000 in “purchases.” I argued a bit on this because the language of the offer (at least in the graphic from the email) reads “after spending $2000 in the first 3 billing cycles.” While the word “purchases” would seem fairly obvious, the term “spend” (or “spendiing”) feels a bit more ambiguous to me — I certainly feel like I “spent” $99 on the annual fee just as I “spent” $1969 on other goods and services.” Since they refused to make an exception (I was $21 short of the $2000 “purchase” requirement), I asked for a refund of the $99 annual fee and for them to close my account. The rep complied and closed my account, then refunded the $99 annual fee (which will be deducted from the balance due to be paid to settle statement #3 in a couple of weeks). I’m certainly feeling like this was my mistake but one that anyone could make if you’re only paying attention to the balance due over the 3 month period or self-counting your spend, as I did in Quicken. Just an idea but I wonder if it would be helpful in the DoC posts for such offers if the spend requirement is either bumped up by the annual fee amount, or a note is made indicating the annual fee won’t count towards spend. Just an idea to help others avoid my fate of losing out on 40,000 points, worth about $500-$700 in value.
Well I think I messed up … Spent $2067.93 in the first 3 billing cycles and no 40,000 bonus points. My error was that the total I just stated included the $99.00 annual fee that was charged and paid in the first billing cycle. When you back that out, I only spent $1968.93. FML.
You can v iew more about Amtrak points and their value here . This post is expired though so won’t be updating further
Thank you, though I’m not seeing where it was added?
I also got this.
Does FNBO have a secure message feature? I got my card with this bonus attached recently and wanted to confirm the details of the sign-up bonus with them. Thanks!
likewise, already seen the annual fee posted and similar amount credited, but didn’t understand why, now we know
I heard about this from a rep on Tuesday Dec. 16 as well—I’ve churned this card 4 times in the last 2.5 years (most recently April) and tried to apply again on Tuesday and was auto-declined with no hard pull.
Correct
Will add a note about the 18 month rule. You sure they said opening date and not closing? Interesting either way
The 40,000 point offer ended last night. Also, bad news: In Sept, they changed their policy: you can’t open a card within 18 months of opening your last card. I got rejected and called and learned about this. Two friends tried to open cards for me and got rejected. So, free Amtrak travel is getting harder to come by.
I’ve had MANY Amtrak Guest Rewards cards, sometimes 2 at once (when Citi offered them) and never paid for a train. Bad news: In Sept, they changed their policy: you can’t open a card within 18 months of opening your last card. I got rejected and called and learned about this. Two friends tried to open cards for me and got rejected. So, free Amtrak travel is getting harder to come by.
I received a notice in the mail today from FNBO saying that my $99 annual fee (for the 40,000 points bonus card) would be waived for this year, and the credit already appeared in my account. The notice said the fee was incorrect on the Rates and Terms schedule, so they are waiving the fee for the first year “as a courtesy.” I had opened my account in August 2025.
Sure, added
He, I just wanted to make a suggestion to add to this review. I had overlooked this card in the past because I had no idea that Amtrak points were worth 2.67 cents each. I was wondering if this information could be added to the review so folks can more easily know that the 40K SUB is worth more than $1k?
No free alcohol though i will note