How does SwipeCaddy pick the best card at Amtrak?

We rank each card by its reward rate times a conservative cash value of its points or miles — no inflated transfer valuations — and apply Amtrak's card-acceptance rules, so the "best" card is one you can actually use at the register.

Does the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card always pay 5% on Amtrak?

No. It pays 5% only if ground transportation is one of the two 5% categories you chose for the quarter, and only on the first $2,000 of combined spend across both choices; after that, and on everything if you skip re-enrolling, it earns 1%. If you picked other categories, swipe a card that pays its rate every day of the year, such as Wells Fargo Autograph Card at 3x on transit.

Is the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard worth $99?

Judge it on benefits, not on the 3x. We value Amtrak Guest Rewards points at the 1 cent the program itself publishes for gift cards, which puts the earn rate near 3% and below the leaders on this page. What justifies the $99 is the card's benefits and the tier-qualifying points it earns toward status for frequent riders. If you take a handful of trips a year, the fee is unlikely to pay for itself on rewards alone.

Best cards at Amtrak

U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card earns the most at Amtrak right now at 5%.

Rankings use issuer rates verified as of October 2, 2026.

In store

1
#15%
U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card
U.S. Bank · Visa · No annual fee · Choose this category · up to $2,000/qtr (combined)
5%
2
#24%
Gemini Credit Card
WebBank · Mastercard · No annual fee · up to $300/mo (combined)
4%
3
#33x
Aeroplan Card
Chase · Mastercard · $195/yr
3x
4
#43x
Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard
Fnbo · Mastercard · $99/yr
3x
5
#53x
Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card
Navy Federal · Amex · No annual fee
3x
6
#63x
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
Wells Fargo · Visa · No annual fee
3x
7
#73%
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
American Express · Amex · $95/yr
3%
8
#83x
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
Chase · Visa · Business · $95/yr · up to $150,000/anniversary yr (combined)
3x
9
#92x
World of Hyatt Credit Card
Chase · Visa · $95/yr
2x
10
#104x
Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier Card
Barclays · Visa · $395/yr
4x

Online

Good to know at Amtrak

Amtrak is a page whose answer depends on a choice you make each quarter. The U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card sits at the top with 5%, but only if you picked ground transportation, such as buses, rail, taxis and rideshare, as one of your two 5% categories. The 5% covers the first $2,000 of combined spend across both picks each quarter, then drops to 1%, and you must re-enroll every quarter or everything earns 1%. The rotating 5% transit categories on Chase Freedom Flex and Discover it Cash Back ended September 30, 2026, and neither card has transit among its 5% categories this quarter (Oct–Dec 2026).

Behind Cash+, the Gemini Credit Card pays 4% back in crypto, but only on the first $300 a month across gas, EV charging and transit combined, then 1%. The Aeroplan Card earns 3x and ranks third because we value Aeroplan points above a cent, though it costs $195 a year. The Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard earns 3x on Amtrak and lands fourth on its own page, level on rate with no-fee cards like Wells Fargo Autograph Card, which pays 3x on transit with no cap and nothing to choose.

There is also a valuation caveat you should see plainly. We price Amtrak Guest Rewards points at the conservative 1 cent the program publishes for gift cards, so the co-brand's 3x reads as roughly 3% here. Redeem for travel and skilled riders often do better than that, which is the honest counterweight. The real case for the $99 card was never the raw rate anyway — it is the benefits: a 20% statement credit on onboard food and drinks, a companion coupon, station lounge passes and points toward status. If you ride Amtrak often enough for those to matter, run the fee against them rather than against a quarterly 5%.

The math

Spend $150 a month at Amtrak and U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card returns about $90 a year at our valuations — a flat 2% card returns $36.

Common questions

What is the best credit card at Amtrak?: U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card earns the most at Amtrak right now at 5%.
How does SwipeCaddy pick the best card at Amtrak?: We rank each card by its reward rate times a conservative cash value of its points or miles — no inflated transfer valuations — and apply Amtrak's card-acceptance rules, so the "best" card is one you can actually use at the register.
Does the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card always pay 5% on Amtrak?: No. It pays 5% only if ground transportation is one of the two 5% categories you chose for the quarter, and only on the first $2,000 of combined spend across both choices; after that, and on everything if you skip re-enrolling, it earns 1%. If you picked other categories, swipe a card that pays its rate every day of the year, such as Wells Fargo Autograph Card at 3x on transit.
Is the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard worth $99?: Judge it on benefits, not on the 3x. We value Amtrak Guest Rewards points at the 1 cent the program itself publishes for gift cards, which puts the earn rate near 3% and below the leaders on this page. What justifies the $99 is the card's benefits and the tier-qualifying points it earns toward status for frequent riders. If you take a handful of trips a year, the fee is unlikely to pay for itself on rewards alone.

Rates reflect each card's best case at this merchant and can change; check the issuer's terms before applying.