I am looking to do the same thing and was planning to call, but have not yet called.
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
Dovecote
OBS Chief
My wife was unsuccessful in doing this scenario. She applied online a couple of months after canceling the fee card and was immediately approved for the no-fee card. She is also hoping to receive the 12k bonus points that is currently being offered.
I have been pleased with FNBO. They called me some months ago, to advise me of a charge for escort services in LA (I'm in Austin, and no it wasn't me). They had no choice but to replace the card. A bit of a pain to change my automatic payments, but it got done.
Fast forward 8 months. I'm in Toronto needing to access an ATM for Canadian currency for tips on the Canadian. ATM declined me. I realized I had not set up a PIN on the replacement card. The FNBO call gave me the option to create a PIN without having to be on hold. Voila! I am a happy customer.
Fast forward 8 months. I'm in Toronto needing to access an ATM for Canadian currency for tips on the Canadian. ATM declined me. I realized I had not set up a PIN on the replacement card. The FNBO call gave me the option to create a PIN without having to be on hold. Voila! I am a happy customer.
I had a somewhat similar experience last summer, where I was taken advantage of by a Facebook scammer (purporting to be a crochet hook company I trusted, and running a "giveaway"). Something seemed odd about the process to claim the "giveaway prize," so I checked my FNBO account the next morning, discovered the scammer was actually charging me big bucks for nutritional supplements, and called FNBO right away. They replaced my card, investigated the unauthorized transaction, and ultimately credited my account for the amount the scammer had attempted to charge to my FNBO account.
I received an email overnight stating that there was suspicious activity on my FNBO account and to call their automated number. I looked at my account online and there was a pending transction with a zero amount from a vendor I have used previously on a different credit card. I phoned the number on my card (not the number in the email) and spoke to a very nice agent. The agent stated it may be phishing and FNBO will cancel my card and send a new one. It just so happens that I have a balance because I recently purchased Amtrak tickets. (I only use the card for Amtrak and Brightline purchases). The balance will transfer to the new card. They could not tell me when I will receive the new card. I asked if they could substitute the "no fee" card for the preferred card. I was then transferred to another department and was told that because there are different terms on the cards, I could not substitute the preferred card for the no fee card. I would have to apply. I asked if I would have to cancel the fee card first and I was told no. I likely will cancel the fee card before applying for the no fee card.
I was pleased with the customer service I received.
I was pleased with the customer service I received.
Just had 2 interactions with FNBO Customer Service, both of which were very pleasant and professional.
I pay my Account each month on line after receiving a paper statement.( can't trust Snail Mail to deliver on time)
For some reason last month when I paid my account in full on the 2nd, ( payment due date is the 4th)the payment wasn't drafted until the 7th resulting in a Late Fee and Interest Charge being added to this months statement.
I called the number on my Card( I have the No Fee Card)and was promptly connected to an actual person quickly, who looked @ my account, told me the mistake was theirs and credited the Late Fee and Interest to my account!
Later that week I received an email and a paper notice via Snail Mail that the New Interest Rate on my Account was going up to 24%.( Variable based on the Prime Rate+)
I once again called and was assured by another pleasant agent that this was only for Unpaid Account Balances and Cash advances and that the policy of No interest on Paid in Full Balances continues.
I have twice been hacked and had unauthorized charges on my Card and the Fraud department was very helpful in sending me a New Card and in getting them removed and blocking the scammers involved!
I pay my Account each month on line after receiving a paper statement.( can't trust Snail Mail to deliver on time)
For some reason last month when I paid my account in full on the 2nd, ( payment due date is the 4th)the payment wasn't drafted until the 7th resulting in a Late Fee and Interest Charge being added to this months statement.
I called the number on my Card( I have the No Fee Card)and was promptly connected to an actual person quickly, who looked @ my account, told me the mistake was theirs and credited the Late Fee and Interest to my account!
Later that week I received an email and a paper notice via Snail Mail that the New Interest Rate on my Account was going up to 24%.( Variable based on the Prime Rate+)
I once again called and was assured by another pleasant agent that this was only for Unpaid Account Balances and Cash advances and that the policy of No interest on Paid in Full Balances continues.
I have twice been hacked and had unauthorized charges on my Card and the Fraud department was very helpful in sending me a New Card and in getting them removed and blocking the scammers involved!
I think in my state the APR is around 29%. I always pay in full but yikes that is some loan sharking there for those that can't pay in full each month. I received the USPS mail notice as well but I am pretty sure it is 28.45% or 29.45%.
I think it depends on your Credit Rating, ( perhaps State Law also applies?) Mine says 24.4%.
I got a 24.4% notice yesterday. My last statement (April 05) stated 18.24% for purchases.
Last edited:
Ive been satisfied with the service from FNBO. The people at Omaha seem very nice and caring. That pretty much agrees with our experience with all the people when we visited a few years ago. The interest on all credit card balances is through the roof right now. We always pay promptly.
Dovecote
OBS Chief
Update - The first billing cycle concluded on my wife’s new “no fee” card. She spent over $1k and received the 12k bonus points. That was a nice surprise considering a year ago she received 30k bonus points with the “fee card”.
Can we buy FNBO an atlas? Image from a robomail thanking me for having had an Amtrak Rewards Mastercard for another year. Besides the top 6 (really?) "destinations," I'm struggling to find Chicago. Please help.
Last edited:
Septa9739
Lead Service Attendant
Clearly the sort of people who just pop an address into the GPS and blindly hope it gets them there.
NorthShore
Conductor
Oh, clearly, Chicago is the complicated switching and transfer district indicated by the large circle with stops that don't necessarily connect directly: just like it was, historically, and the remains so via various Metra terminals.
I think Chicago is the circle in the middle.
Maybe Chicago is in the middle somewhere but not labeled. ;-) From the map, it appears that you can take a circle trip from Chicago. 
According to that map I can ride a through train from Philadelphia to Bakersfield. I'll have to give that a try 
Looks like an earthquake moved LA North of Bakersfield and Sacramento South!
In anticipation of purchasing a high dollar Amtrak trip in October I over paid my FNBO account last month. Their response was to freeze my credit card for 10 days, with no notice. My subscriptions have all been frozen; thankfully I had no medical prescriptions coming. Their reason? They didn't have one. Their algorithm did it. My bank offered to talk to FNBO and assure them my payment was covered. FNBO refused to communicate them. After being treated this way I won't ever use anything associated with FNBO again.
My questions are this:
How do I retain my points?
Is AGR looking to find a more customer friendly bank?
My questions are this:
How do I retain my points?
Is AGR looking to find a more customer friendly bank?
Once FNBO has posted points to AGR (at statement closing), the bank no longer has the points. Once points are posted to AGR they are yours to use.
FNBO has only been in place for a couple of years. I doubt another change is in the works right now.
Sorry to hear about this problem. I've had nothing but good service with FNBO.
I had a high dollar purchase recently shortly before the billing cycle closed and I did not want that balance to hit my statement, as the statement balance is reported to credit reporting agencies. That balance would have shown high utilization, which is a ding. I always pay FNBO electronically, using their website (I haven't written a check in years). The high dollar purchase was showing as pending but not posted and I tried to pay it. The website wouldn't accept the payment because it exceeded my outstanding balance at that moment. The attempt did not trigger any other action, though.
I spoke to customer service and they explained the website does not accept payments over the posted balance and to just wait until it posted. It posted the next day, which was the closing date, and I paid it. The large amount never appeared as an outstanding balance on my statement, which was my objective.
My experience with FNBO, which included disputing a mis-charge from a restaurant (vastly inflated tip), and relatively high dollar foreign transactions (VIA ticket purchases), is their customer service is outstanding. Much better than BoA, whose agents seemed to stick very tightly to their scripts. FNBO agents all seem to be "Midwest nice" and seem not to be or are very lightly scripted. They all have seemed to have a genuine desire to help.
I have no idea why they do not want to accept "advance" payment, but it is clear they do not. Perhaps it fits into a known suspicious activity pattern.
Once the AGR points are posted into your AGR account at statement close, they're yours. The bank cannot claw them back.
I doubt Amtrak will be changing affinity card partners soon. The switch from BoA to FNBO was just a couple years ago. I was initially suspicious of FNBO (which I had never heard of) but I like them better now than I did BoA.
Finally, most security holds, suspensions, etc are done algorithmically at all banks. No human is involved in the initial examination of patterns and initial security action. You are not going to get away from that by changing banks. I am a bit surprised an agent wasn't able to lift it, or transfer you to the security/fraud department, which has more latitude to act, though. Perhaps the pattern it fits is a very serious one and they locked that action down against human intervention for some reason.
I spoke to customer service and they explained the website does not accept payments over the posted balance and to just wait until it posted. It posted the next day, which was the closing date, and I paid it. The large amount never appeared as an outstanding balance on my statement, which was my objective.
My experience with FNBO, which included disputing a mis-charge from a restaurant (vastly inflated tip), and relatively high dollar foreign transactions (VIA ticket purchases), is their customer service is outstanding. Much better than BoA, whose agents seemed to stick very tightly to their scripts. FNBO agents all seem to be "Midwest nice" and seem not to be or are very lightly scripted. They all have seemed to have a genuine desire to help.
I have no idea why they do not want to accept "advance" payment, but it is clear they do not. Perhaps it fits into a known suspicious activity pattern.
Once the AGR points are posted into your AGR account at statement close, they're yours. The bank cannot claw them back.
I doubt Amtrak will be changing affinity card partners soon. The switch from BoA to FNBO was just a couple years ago. I was initially suspicious of FNBO (which I had never heard of) but I like them better now than I did BoA.
Finally, most security holds, suspensions, etc are done algorithmically at all banks. No human is involved in the initial examination of patterns and initial security action. You are not going to get away from that by changing banks. I am a bit surprised an agent wasn't able to lift it, or transfer you to the security/fraud department, which has more latitude to act, though. Perhaps the pattern it fits is a very serious one and they locked that action down against human intervention for some reason.
Last edited:
"In anticipation of purchasing a high dollar Amtrak trip in October I over paid my FNBO account last month. Their response was to freeze my credit card for 10 days, with no notice." I had a similar problem a few months ago with the Pentagon Federal Credit Union, which is usually excellent. I had a balance of, I think, $19 and change, but the minimum payment was $20, so I paid $20 and the computer had a fit. I got someone on the phone to straighten it out. I also usually pay more than the balance due with FNBO, but it's because I've always spent more since the billing date, and it's easier for me to increase the payment to a round number.
Credit card companies really don't like you trying to evade the credit limit by overpaying. That may not be your intention but it's how they view it. The credit limit is the maximum they're willing to risk on you. Overpaying increases that risk. How, if you've paid?
A common scam is to overpay the card using a stolen account, then buy something expensive. Then the bank is holding the bag when the money goes back. That's why overpaying is considered very suspicious activity.
A common scam is to overpay the card using a stolen account, then buy something expensive. Then the bank is holding the bag when the money goes back. That's why overpaying is considered very suspicious activity.
I had a similar conversation with BoA, a few years back. I was buying cruise tickets for a family group, and had hit my credit limit. I could pay the current balance in advance, but my limit was still held until the next statement settled. I split some of it with another card. and fortunately I was near the end of the period.
As long as the payment isn't more than the total, posted card balance on the day you pay it, they're fine with that. A payment more than the statement balance is fine as long as it doesn't exceed the current balance.
Latest posts
-
France's rail network hobbled for Olympic Opening Ceremonies
- Latest: Metra Electric Rider
-
-
-
-
New Gulf Coast service (New Orleans - Mobile and Baton Rouge)
- Latest: George Harris
