I'LL STAY IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES

[ThayerATM]

You folks talked me into signing up for Amtrak Guest Rewards. I did, and got numbers for both my wife and myself.

Then I applied for an Amtrak CHASE Mastercard credit card, and I got that, but it came with a credit limit of $3,500. ???

At a credit limit of $3,500 the card would be of little use to me, since most of my long distance train trips involve a fare over $5,000, so I called Chase to have the credit limit increased, and they refused.

I'll just cancel that Amtrak minor league CHASE Mastercard, and stick with my Major League AMEX and AOL CHASE Visa cards. I've had the AMEX card since 1964, and the AOL CHASE Visa card since 1998. There's no credit limit on the AMEX card as long as I pay it off each month, and the AOL CHASE Visa card (credit limit $25,000) has never been stretched.

Are most Amtrak Guest Reward players Minor League Players? :huh:

 

[BeckysBarn]

Nope. I'm in my own league :lol:

 

[Bob Dylan]

You folks talked me into signing up for Amtrak Guest Rewards. I did, and got numbers for both my wife and myself.
Then I applied for an Amtrak CHASE Mastercard credit card, and I got that, but it came with a credit limit of $3,500. ???

At a credit limit of $3,500 the card would be of little use to me, since most of my long distance train trips involve a fare over $5,000, so I called Chase to have the credit limit increased, and they refused.

I'll just cancel that Amtrak minor league CHASE Mastercard, and stick with my Major League AMEX and AOL CHASE Visa cards. I've had the AMEX card since 1964, and the AOL CHASE Visa card since 1998. There's no credit limit on the AMEX card as long as I pay it off each month, and the AOL CHASE Visa card (credit limit $25,000) has never been stretched.

Are most Amtrak Guest Reward players Minor League Players? :huh:

I'm SHOCKED!SHOCKED! Sounds like someone messed up big time with a credit worthy new customer! I know Banks have been down grading customers left and right on credit limits etc. but anyone with a valid AMEX card and a High Limit CHASE Visa or MC shouldnt have been given such a low ball credit limit!Mine was $14,000 which is lower than the others but plenty for Amtrak trips! (Even High Bucket Bedrooms cant exceed that! :lol: )

I used to be in the Majors back in the day, still have a CHASE VISA and the AGR MC with fairly high credit limits and Low interest rates, Since retiring I dont run up business travel expenses and the major purchase days are pretty much over so guess I'm finishing out my career in Triple AAA! :lol:

Learned from the_traveler to charge such unecessary things as gas/food/utilities etc. to the AGR card, pay if off monthly as they say! In a year Ive had 3 AGR trips and plan 4 more this year so it's working for me! I woiuldnt think with your cards there's any need for anymore, @ one time I had 5 including an AMEX, the question is why? Wow, how many Major Leaugers and Rec-League Players do we have?

 

[Sue in KY]

You folks talked me into signing up for Amtrak Guest Rewards. I did, and got numbers for both my wife and myself.
Then I applied for an Amtrak CHASE Mastercard credit card, and I got that, but it came with a credit limit of $3,500. ???

At a credit limit of $3,500 the card would be of little use to me, since most of my long distance train trips involve a fare over $5,000, so I called Chase to have the credit limit increased, and they refused.

I'll just cancel that Amtrak minor league CHASE Mastercard, and stick with my Major League AMEX and AOL CHASE Visa cards. I've had the AMEX card since 1964, and the AOL CHASE Visa card since 1998. There's no credit limit on the AMEX card as long as I pay it off each month, and the AOL CHASE Visa card (credit limit $25,000) has never been stretched.

Are most Amtrak Guest Reward players Minor League Players? :huh:

Don't think so .... I wonder if maybe it's because banks are really tightening up on credit? When we got our Chase AGR World card, a couple of years ago (just before the Big Bailouts), they started our credit line at about $8000, but I figured that was because (a) we're retired, with no "fixed" income other than small pensions and Social Security (how are they to know how much 401(k) income we do or don't draw each month?), and (b) because we have several other credit cards -- one of them also with Chase -- with very high limits, which we very rarely use, and then just to keep them open.

But, even though perhaps only once have we NOT paid off our balance each month (the sort of customers credit-card issuers hate!), Chase has raised our credit limit fairly substantially a couple of times in the past two years on the AGR card, without our asking.

I have noticed that we no longer get handfuls of junk mail every day from every credit-card issuer imaginable, offering to open huge lines of credit if we'll just sign up!

Perhaps you should check your credit scores -- sometimes some sort of anomaly occurs that you'd want to know about and fix?

 

[RRrich]

@ThayerATM, I would call the jerks at chase and request that they more $10K from your AOL card to your AGR card.

 

[ThayerATM]

You folks talked me into signing up for Amtrak Guest Rewards. I did, and got numbers for both my wife and myself.
Then I applied for an Amtrak CHASE Mastercard credit card, and I got that, but it came with a credit limit of $3,500. ???

At a credit limit of $3,500 the card would be of little use to me, since most of my long distance train trips involve a fare over $5,000, so I called Chase to have the credit limit increased, and they refused.

I'll just cancel that Amtrak minor league CHASE Mastercard, and stick with my Major League AMEX and AOL CHASE Visa cards. I've had the AMEX card since 1964, and the AOL CHASE Visa card since 1998. There's no credit limit on the AMEX card as long as I pay it off each month, and the AOL CHASE Visa card (credit limit $25,000) has never been stretched.

Are most Amtrak Guest Reward players Minor League Players? :huh:

Don't think so .... I wonder if maybe it's because banks are really tightening up on credit? When we got our Chase AGR World card, a couple of years ago (just before the Big Bailouts), they started our credit line at about $8000, but I figured that was because (a) we're retired, with no "fixed" income other than small pensions and Social Security (how are they to know how much 401(k) income we do or don't draw each month?), and (b) because we have several other credit cards -- one of them also with Chase -- with very high limits, which we very rarely use, and then just to keep them open.

But, even though perhaps only once have we NOT paid off our balance each month (the sort of customers credit-card issuers hate!), Chase has raised our credit limit fairly substantially a couple of times in the past two years on the AGR card, without our asking.

I have noticed that we no longer get handfuls of junk mail every day from every credit-card issuer imaginable, offering to open huge lines of credit if we'll just sign up!

Perhaps you should check your credit scores -- sometimes some sort of anomaly occurs that you'd want to know about and fix?

I have Equifax checking for any inquiry as to my credit rating all the time. My credit scores have remained in the high 700's to low 800's for years. Any time there is a change, or even an inquiry, I get a notice. I was notified when Chase checked for my credit for the Guest Rewards Mastercard on Trans Union. I'm not worried about my credit rating.

My point is (and I guess it's about the new economy) that any new card issued has a low credit limit, and thus, this new Guest Reward Mastercard is of little use to me. I'll cancel it as soon as I've gotten the "first purchase" bonus. Other than that I'll use my AMEX, which also gives "bonus certificates" for Amtrak travel. Fewer points, but points none-the-less.

his whole gimmick is to get me to make purchases that I wouldn't otherwise have made. I was just looking for rewards for stuff that I would have done in the first place.

The Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard is just another gimmick.

 

[ThayerATM]

@ThayerATM, I would call the jerks at chase and request that they more $10K from your AOL card to your AGR card.

Back in the day (the 60's) I would have raised hell with Chase. Today I just make the formal requests, and if denied, I move on to a competitor. I no longer feel like fighting city hall. :lol: I'm spending most of my time waltzing with IRS, my 401K, and my IRA's. Just today I've been dancing with my tax accountant (CPA) and my financial advisor about how to arrange my manditory distributions from the IRA's to fit into my 2010 income. Life used to be simple, and I had the time to go over AGR points and fight the good fight.

Today I just want to take a train to wherever and enjoy the trip.

 

[the_traveler]

I can't understand some of the bank's practices, I had an AX BUSINESS card that had a $20,000 limit! But AX decided they were going to LOWER the limit (on my BUSINESS card) to $2,000! The VERY SAME month, Chase decided to RAISE my limit by a few thousand! :blink:

 

[ThayerATM]

I can't understand some of the bank's practices, I had an AX BUSINESS card that had a $20,000 limit! But AX decided they were going to LOWER the limit (on my BUSINESS card) to $2,000! The VERY SAME month, Chase decided to RAISE my limit by a few thousand! :blink:

I've been reading bits and pieces of new laws going into effect. I have to admit that I don't know any details, but I'm inclined to bet that the banks are trying to maximize their profits and minimize their liabilities before the new laws kick in, when ever that date might be. I'm thinking that is the reason I was held to a $3,500 credit limit on the Guest Rewards CHASE card. Frankly, I'd stick with AMEX entirely if everybody took it. Sadly, that isn't always the case. <_<

 

[Guest]

You folks talked me into signing up for Amtrak Guest Rewards. I did, and got numbers for both my wife and myself.
Then I applied for an Amtrak CHASE Mastercard credit card, and I got that, but it came with a credit limit of $3,500. ???

At a credit limit of $3,500 the card would be of little use to me, since most of my long distance train trips involve a fare over $5,000, so I called Chase to have the credit limit increased, and they refused.

I'll just cancel that Amtrak minor league CHASE Mastercard, and stick with my Major League AMEX and AOL CHASE Visa cards. I've had the AMEX card since 1964, and the AOL CHASE Visa card since 1998. There's no credit limit on the AMEX card as long as I pay it off each month, and the AOL CHASE Visa card (credit limit $25,000) has never been stretched.

Are most Amtrak Guest Reward players Minor League Players? :huh:

Spending $5K on domestic travel just seems silly.

 

[rrdude]

I've been bumped from the MAJORS, to the MINORS, to SEMI-PROS, to LITTLE LEAGUE, to BANNED FROM BASEBALL!

 

[AlanB]

Other than that I'll use my AMEX, which also gives "bonus certificates" for Amtrak travel. Fewer points, but points none-the-less.

If you're enrolled in Amex's Membership Rewards program, you may be better off by not taking those gift certificates that they offer. It's a bit more work but you would probably be better off by transferring those Membership Rewards miles to Continental's One Pass program. Then from Continental, you can transfer the points into your AGR account.

 

[ThayerATM]

You folks talked me into signing up for Amtrak Guest Rewards. I did, and got numbers for both my wife and myself.
Then I applied for an Amtrak CHASE Mastercard credit card, and I got that, but it came with a credit limit of $3,500. ???

At a credit limit of $3,500 the card would be of little use to me, since most of my long distance train trips involve a fare over $5,000, so I called Chase to have the credit limit increased, and they refused.

I'll just cancel that Amtrak minor league CHASE Mastercard, and stick with my Major League AMEX and AOL CHASE Visa cards. I've had the AMEX card since 1964, and the AOL CHASE Visa card since 1998. There's no credit limit on the AMEX card as long as I pay it off each month, and the AOL CHASE Visa card (credit limit $25,000) has never been stretched.

Are most Amtrak Guest Reward players Minor League Players? :huh:

Spending $5K on domestic travel just seems silly.

I sure agree with that.

It's sad that I just don't have the time to linger and smell the flowers in every town that Amtrak goes through. I would love to spend a week in Minot, or Winter Park. I just don't have enought time to do it.

 

[ThayerATM]

Other than that I'll use my AMEX, which also gives "bonus certificates" for Amtrak travel. Fewer points, but points none-the-less.

If you're enrolled in Amex's Membership Rewards program, you may be better off by not taking those gift certificates that they offer. It's a bit more work but you would probably be better off by transferring those Membership Rewards miles to Continental's One Pass program. Then from Continental, you can transfer the points into your AGR account.

All I want to do is ride the rails and visit places. I don't want to play CPA or stock broker.

 

[Guest]

Other than that I'll use my AMEX, which also gives "bonus certificates" for Amtrak travel. Fewer points, but points none-the-less.

If you're enrolled in Amex's Membership Rewards program, you may be better off by not taking those gift certificates that they offer. It's a bit more work but you would probably be better off by transferring those Membership Rewards miles to Continental's One Pass program. Then from Continental, you can transfer the points into your AGR account.

All I want to do is ride the rails and visit places. I don't want to play CPA or stock broker.

Come on now, it is not that bad. OnePass is much more reliable than AGR. You can either play the games or pay out the you know what.

 

[Ispolkom]

It's sad that I just don't have the time to linger and smell the flowers in every town that Amtrak goes through. I would love to spend a week in Minot, or Winter Park. I just don't have enought time to do it.

A week in Minot, that might be a bit too much. A week in Williston, visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park, though, would be a great trip. I remember a "Washington Post" travel writer mentioning that he was amazed at how beautiful the scenery of western North Dakota was, and how bad the food was. (The latter was his own fault. He ordered vegetables.)

All I want to do is ride the rails and visit places. I don't want to play CPA or stock broker.

To each his own. I hate leaving money on the table, though I'll grant you that some of my hare-brained schemes are more a symptom of OCD than a sensible use of my time.

 

[SCrails]

Devil's advocate here: even with only a $3,500 limit, a Chase cardholder can still charge (and pay off) $3,500 worth of AGR points every month. That adds up to $42,000 per year of gasoline and groceries and other goodies - and AGR points. It seems worthwhile to me.

Am I just missing something in the original post?

 

[ThayerATM]

Devil's advocate here: even with only a $3,500 limit, a Chase cardholder can still charge (and pay off) $3,500 worth of AGR points every month. That adds up to $42,000 per year of gasoline and groceries and other goodies - and AGR points. It seems worthwhile to me.
Am I just missing something in the original post?

I always pay off my credit cards each month. My disappointment is that with a $3,500 credit limit on my CHASE Guest Rewards card there's no way that I can charge my whole train fare (+/- $5,000) on it, as well as hotel charges during the two-day stopovers in LAX and SEA.

I'm going to take the trip anyway. I'll just miss lots of AGR points. After I get home the whole trip will be paid off. CHASE Card services logic has me scratching my head. Booking 11 months out, my train fare would be paid for way ahead of time, and already paid off.

 

[Ryan]

Chase's decision is based solely on their analysis of your credit. How much your trip is going to cost and when you book your tickets have nothing to do with the equation.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

Chase's decision is based solely on their analysis of your credit. How much your trip is going to cost and when you book your tickets have nothing to do with the equation.

hes got 2 cards with over 15,000 and 35,000 he only missed a payment once always paid if off in full and they refuse to increase the AGR MC....stupid.

 

[ThayerATM]

Chase's decision is based solely on their analysis of your credit. How much your trip is going to cost and when you book your tickets have nothing to do with the equation.

I can't really buy that CHASE bases their decision on my credit rating alone. As I've said before, I've had an AMEX card since 1963 with no credit limit, and a CHASE Visa card since 1998 with a $25,000 credit limit. Both of those cards are paid off each month. I'm 70 years old and have a credit history going back to 1963. My credit score has never been below 780, and currently hovers around (depending on the phase of the moon :lol: ) 812.

With that track record CHASE really surprised me, and this Amtrak Guest Reward Mastercard is of very little use to me. As I said, as soon as the "first purchase" points are posted to my AGR membership, I'll just cancel the minor league card. I just don't need it.

 

[AAARGH!]

Chase's decision is based solely on their analysis of your credit. How much your trip is going to cost and when you book your tickets have nothing to do with the equation.

hes got 2 cards with other 15,000 and 35,000 he only missed a payment once always paid if off in full and they refuse to increase the AGR MC....stupid.

I agree.

Unless there is something else hurting his credit rating, 3,500 is too low. Just by the fact he has $50K in credit on his other two cards (that are in good standing) should be enough. I would think Chase would want him to stop using the other cards and start using theirs.

Perhaps they are thinking $50K is near the max of what his credit situation will allow and thus won't give him more.

 

[DivMiler]

I'm not sure why the original poster (OP) did not follow RRich's advice to request a transfer of some of his AOL Chase credit card's credit limit to the AGR credit card.

I have a credit score in the low 800s. I haven't been alive as long as ThayerATM has had credit cards, but my experience with Chase credit cards is

1. I opened a United Mileage Plus Credit Card. I was accepted and got a credit card with an obscene credit limit of $25,000.
   
2. About six months later, I opened a Continental OnePass Credit Card. I was accepted and got a credit card with an almost obscene credit limit of $20,000.
   
3. I transferred the Mileage Plus credit limit to the OnePass credit card with a phone call.
   
4. I cancelled the Mileage Plus credit card.
   
5. About six months later, I applied for the AGR MasterCard. I got a phone call about my OnePass credit card with the $45,000 limit. I told them that I wanted the AGR card, and asked them to transfer all but $500 to the AGR credit card, which they did (approving me over the phone for the AGR credit card in the process).
   
6. After I received the AGR credit card and received the 16,000 first time bonus points, I cancelled the OnePass credit card, leaving me with a truly asinine $44,500 credit limit on my AGR credit card.
   

It was easy to transfer the balances.

I only kept the huge credit limit because I read that lowering the credit limit will increase the percentage of credit used and will lower my credit score. That doesn't mean too much to me, because I pay off my credit cards each month and almost never charge more than $500 in any given month, so my "percentage used" is close to zero anyway.

Because it is a free card, I keep it, and almost only use it for Amtrak purchases (and now it is even better with the 10% off AGR train trip redemptions).

I strongly suggest ThayerATM call Chase and ask to transfer $1500 (or more) from his AOL card to the AGR card, if it means so much to him to be able to charge the train trip.

If he doesn't, I'm pretty sure he can charge $3500 of an Amtrak purchase to the AGR card and the balance to another credit card. He lives in/near Rochester, New York; the Rochester station is a staffed station. He probably could even do it over the phone. It'd be worth 7000 AGR points for the purchase -- and that is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[ThayerATM]

Chase's decision is based solely on their analysis of your credit. How much your trip is going to cost and when you book your tickets have nothing to do with the equation.

hes got 2 cards with other 15,000 and 35,000 he only missed a payment once always paid if off in full and they refuse to increase the AGR MC....stupid.

I agree.

Unless there is something else hurting his credit rating, 3,500 is too low. Just by the fact he has $50K in credit on his other two cards (that are in good standing) should be enough. I would think Chase would want him to stop using the other cards and start using theirs.

Perhaps they are thinking $50K is near the max of what his credit situation will allow and thus won't give him more.

I might be able to shed some light on that.

There's no way I've ever approach that 25K credit limit on the CHASE Visa any month. I've never ever gotten anywhere close to that. My most recent check with Equifax indicates that my debt to asset ratio is way below national averages. I'm in the top 2%.

There's something else going on. I don't know what it is, and I'm really not interested in spending the time to find out. As I said, I don't need that CHASE Guest Rewards Mastercard. I'll just cancel it after I get the "first purchase" points and carry on with AMEX for another 47 years. :lol:

 

[ThayerATM]

I'm not sure why the original poster (OP) did not follow RRich's advice to request a transfer of some of his AOL Chase credit card's credit limit to the AGR credit card.
I have a credit score in the low 800s. I haven't been alive as long as ThayerATM has had credit cards, but my experience with Chase credit cards is

1. I opened a United Mileage Plus Credit Card. I was accepted and got a credit card with an obscene credit limit of $25,000.
   
2. About six months later, I opened a Continental OnePass Credit Card. I was accepted and got a credit card with an almost obscene credit limit of $20,000.
   
3. I transferred the Mileage Plus credit limit to the OnePass credit card with a phone call.
   
4. I cancelled the Mileage Plus credit card.
   
5. About six months later, I applied for the AGR MasterCard. I got a phone call about my OnePass credit card with the $45,000 limit. I told them that I wanted the AGR card, and asked them to transfer all but $500 to the AGR credit card, which they did (approving me over the phone for the AGR credit card in the process).
   
6. After I received the AGR credit card and received the 16,000 first time bonus points, I cancelled the OnePass credit card, leaving me with a truly asinine $44,500 credit limit on my AGR credit card.
   

It was easy to transfer the balances.

I only kept the huge credit limit because I read that lowering the credit limit will increase the percentage of credit used and will lower my credit score. That doesn't mean too much to me, because I pay off my credit cards each month and almost never charge more than $500 in any given month, so my "percentage used" is close to zero anyway.

Because it is a free card, I keep it, and almost only use it for Amtrak purchases (and now it is even better with the 10% off AGR train trip redemptions).

I strongly suggest ThayerATM call Chase and ask to transfer $1500 (or more) from his AOL card to the AGR card, if it means so much to him to be able to charge the train trip.

If he doesn't, I'm pretty sure he can charge $3500 of an Amtrak purchase to the AGR card and the balance to another credit card. He lives in/near Rochester, New York; the Rochester station is a staffed station. He probably could even do it over the phone. It'd be worth 7000 AGR points for the purchase -- and that is nothing to sneeze at.

DivMiler,

I'll tell you why I haven't followed the advice of RRich---

I got "dissed" by CHASE Mastercard. Certainly AGR points are nothing to sneeze at, but dealing with a card service that looks at (credit) numbers that I'm unaware of is not high on my list of things to do.

I think I'll be able to get the AGR points anyway. Maybe just not the bonus points.