Giving points to another member

[none]

Scenario:

My friend joins AGR, on my referral. She then makes a trip to complete the membership process. We both get 500 points.

She then purchases 10,000 points. Can she transfer those points to my account so we can redeem for a trip we take together? Is there a maximum number of points she can give me?

 

[jersey42]

Here is the info from the AGR site. The fee is $10 per 1000 points.

Share your points with family and friendsGive the gift of points when you share points in increments of 1,000, up to a total of 100,000 points per account, in a calendar year. Select Executive members have unlimited annual buy and share points limits. There is a transaction fee to Share Points.

In order to Share Points, you must have the following:

• Your Amtrak Guest Rewards member number and the recipient's Amtrak Guest Rewards member number
• A valid credit card with a billing address in the U.S., Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands

 

[the_traveler]

I believe the maximum to be transferred is something like 100K per year. But unless necessary, why pay the transfer fees? An AGR award gan be awarded to anyone.

So assuming she purchases the 10K, she would have 10,500 points. Let her accumulate 4,500 more points (for a total of 15K), and then SHE can redeem an award in BOTH your names! And there will be NO transfer fees! :excl:

 

[none]

OK thanks for the replies. I guess The Traveler is right, there's no sense in paying that transfer fee, adding considerable to the cost of buying points.

I was hoping to add her points to mine to accumlate enough to combine for a good LD trip for us both. Perhaps it is better to let her book one leg, and me the rest of it.

As has been noted elsewhere recently, planning possible routes and combinations is fun even though most of them will never be realized.

 

[KrazyKoala]

Yes the maximum is 100,000 unless you're select exec. in which it is unlimited.

-SHE can also by the 10,000 for you as a "gift." If she is going to buy 10k, and then transfer the full 10k, she can just send them directly to you without having to pay the $10 per 1000 fee.

BUY POINTSPerfect if you are just a few points short of your next free trip. Just sign in to your account and purchase the points you need to help you or someone else reach the next reward. You can purchase up to 10,000 points per calendar year for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Select Executive members have unlimited annual buy points limits.

 

[the_traveler]

Also remember that a 3 zone sleeper award "costs" the same as a 1 zone award plus a 2 zone award. So if you have enough points, let her redeem a 1 zone award (say POR-TOL) and you redeem a 2 zone award (say TOL-LAX), and it would not cost any more than a 3 zone award! :excl:

 

[none]

Yes the maximum is 100,000 unless you're select exec. in which it is unlimited.

-SHE can also by the 10,000 for you as a "gift." If she is going to buy 10k, and then transfer the full 10k, she can just send them directly to you without having to pay the $10 per 1000 fee.

BUY POINTSPerfect if you are just a few points short of your next free trip. Just sign in to your account and purchase the points you need to help you or someone else reach the next reward. You can purchase up to 10,000 points per calendar year for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Select Executive members have unlimited annual buy points limits.

Ahh! Now, I wonder, can she do that if I have already bought my own annual maximum? And, if she bought those points as a gift to me during the special 30% bonus, would those be giftable as well?

 

[SarahZ]

She can purchase 10,000 points (13,000 with the bonus) for your account since she hasn't reached the 10,000 purchase max. You cannot purchase anymore since you're at the max, but that won't prevent her from buying them for you. Once she buys them for you, though, she can't buy any for her own account. The 10,000 max is points for you OR someone else, so they can only be purchased once on each account, whether it's for the account holder or their friend.

Brent and I do this every year. We both purchase 10,000 with the 30% bonus on our own accounts. We usually get the other 2000 we need for a one-zone roomette through traveling to Chicago and the Points for Shopping. I book our roomette one way, and then I book the roomette under his name on the way back. AGR will let you book a trip under another person's account as long as that person is listed on the reservation. I didn't need him to give them permission; I just needed his AGR number. Since you and your friend are traveling together, you could make all of the arrangements in one phone call.

 

[KrazyKoala]

Does this mean I cannot buy 10k for me and 10k for a friend? (In the same year)

 

[the_traveler]

No because you can only purchase 10K (before bonuses) per calendar year.

 

[AlanB]

Yes the maximum is 100,000 unless you're select exec. in which it is unlimited.

-SHE can also by the 10,000 for you as a "gift." If she is going to buy 10k, and then transfer the full 10k, she can just send them directly to you without having to pay the $10 per 1000 fee.

BUY POINTS

Perfect if you are just a few points short of your next free trip. Just sign in to your account and purchase the points you need to help you or someone else reach the next reward. You can purchase up to 10,000 points per calendar year for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Select Executive members have unlimited annual buy points limits.

Ahh! Now, I wonder, can she do that if I have already bought my own annual maximum? And, if she bought those points as a gift to me during the special 30% bonus, would those be giftable as well?

NO!

She cannot buy you any points if you've already purchased your max for the year. I quote from the T&C:

and each Member may buy or receive up to a total of 10,000 points in a calendar year.

She could only buy for herself, and then either transfer them or hope that she has enough points via other methods to reach the magic number needed.

 

[AlanB]

Does this mean I cannot buy 10k for me and 10k for a friend? (In the same year)

You can buy 10K for a friend, assuming that friend has not already purchased points on his own or had another friend gift him some points.

 

[benjibear]

So I am confused because there seems to be two different answers. Each member is allowed to buy 10,000 (+ bonus points) per calander year. You can buy those points for yourself or a friend. So my wife can buy me 10,000 points (+ bonus) and then I can buy myself 10,000 points. Then later, somebody else can buy me points. Is this correct?

 

[AlanB]

So I am confused because there seems to be two different answers. Each member is allowed to buy 10,000 (+ bonus points) per calander year. You can buy those points for yourself or a friend. So my wife can buy me 10,000 points (+ bonus) and then I can buy myself 10,000 points. Then later, somebody else can buy me points. Is this correct?

No!

Unless you are a Select Exec member, your account can only receive 10,000 purchased points per year. It doesn't matter who brought those points, you or someone else. But once 10,000 purchased points are deposited in your account, you are done for the year. No additional points can be purchased for that account, without regard to who is paying.

It's not about who is buying the points, it's about the account. The limit is 10,000 purchased points for a particular account for the year, period.

You personally could buy 100,000 points in a year if you had 10 friends and were feeling generous; provided that they hadn't already hit their 10K limits for the year.

 

[KrazyKoala]

I suppose this is to prevent people from opening 10 neew accounts and buying 10,000 in each one and transfering to their real account. Though, if someone wants to do all that work, more power to them.

 

[AlanB]

I suppose this is to prevent people from opening 10 neew accounts and buying 10,000 in each one and transfering to their real account. Though, if someone wants to do all that work, more power to them.

While opening multiple accounts in one's name is forbidden and cause for termination & loss of points, there is nothing that stops you from buying 10K for each of 10 friends and then having them transfer those points into your account. Of course they'd better be good friends since it will cost them money to transfer those points.

 

[the_traveler]

Alan is my GOOD friend! :giggle:

 

[winterskigirl]

I'm following this thread and want to sum up my understanding.

As Alan B stated above:

"It's not about who is buying the points, it's about the account. The limit is 10,000 purchased points for a particular account for the year, period."

So, to avoid any fees, one needs to buy points for oneself or gift points to another AGR member. I have the same situation with a friend as described at the opening of this question. It is buy or gift only to avoid fees. If one transfers then a fee of 1% is levied. Is this correct?

 

[Marcy]

Ok so dose this mean if I buy 10,000 points + 3000 bonus that my husband can buy the other 2000 and pay to have them transfered to me so that I wouldl have the required 15,000 for a one zone roomette?

Thanks

 

[June the Coach Rider]

Ok so dose this mean if I buy 10,000 points + 3000 bonus that my husband can buy the other 2000 and pay to have them transfered to me so that I wouldl have the required 15,000 for a one zone roomette?
Thanks

No, if you buy 10,000 points, that is all you can receive on your account for the year. At least that is how I understand it. One member can purchase or receive a maximum of 10,000 points annually.

 

[the_traveler]

Not quite right June. An AGR account can only buy or be gifted 10,000 points per calendar year, but you can TRANSFER up to 100,000 points per calendar year also. But the transferred points also have a transfer fee.

In the above example, if the account has 13,000 points, it can also receive a transfer of 2,000 points. But there will be a $20 fee for the transfer.

 

[AlanB]

Not quite right June. An AGR account can only buy or be gifted 10,000 points per calendar year, but you can TRANSFER up to 100,000 points per calendar year also. But the transferred points also have a transfer fee.
In the above example, if the account has 13,000 points, it can also receive a transfer of 2,000 points. But there will be a $20 fee for the transfer.

Correct!

 

[Marcy]

Ok so dose this mean if I buy 10,000 points + 3000 bonus that my husband can buy the other 2000 and pay to have them transfered to me so that I wouldl have the required 15,000 for a one zone roomette?
Thanks

No, if you buy 10,000 points, that is all you can receive on your account for the year. At least that is how I understand it. One member can purchase or receive a maximum of 10,000 points annually.

What does the transfer up to 100,000 points per year mean?

 

[Marcy]

Not quite right June. An AGR account can only buy or be gifted 10,000 points per calendar year, but you can TRANSFER up to 100,000 points per calendar year also. But the transferred points also have a transfer fee.
In the above example, if the account has 13,000 points, it can also receive a transfer of 2,000 points. But there will be a $20 fee for the transfer.

Can these 2000 transfer points be purchased points?

 

[AlanB]

Ok so dose this mean if I buy 10,000 points + 3000 bonus that my husband can buy the other 2000 and pay to have them transfered to me so that I wouldl have the required 15,000 for a one zone roomette?

Thanks

No, if you buy 10,000 points, that is all you can receive on your account for the year. At least that is how I understand it. One member can purchase or receive a maximum of 10,000 points annually.

What does the transfer up to 100,000 points per year mean?

It means that you can receive up to 100,000 points from friends & family who are willing to pay the required fees to transfer their points to your account. Can't really imagine why anyone would want to transfer that many, as in most cases it would be cheaper to simply have them buy you a ticket using their points. But nonetheless it is an option to transfer that many points.

Not quite right June. An AGR account can only buy or be gifted 10,000 points per calendar year, but you can TRANSFER up to 100,000 points per calendar year also. But the transferred points also have a transfer fee.

In the above example, if the account has 13,000 points, it can also receive a transfer of 2,000 points. But there will be a $20 fee for the transfer.

Can these 2000 transfer points be purchased points?

Yes.