In March 2019, I traveled by Amtrak from Portland, Oregon, to Chicago, enjoying the comforts of a Roomette. During that trip, I accumulated some Amtrak Guest Rewards points, but I haven’t used Amtrak services since then. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising when AwardWallet alerted me that my Amtrak points were due to expire on April 6.
While I’m uncertain if I will ever utilize these points, I decided to investigate Amtrak’s expiration policy and determine if I could extend their validity. Here’s what I discovered.
Do Amtrak Points Expire?
Yes, Amtrak points expire after 24 months of inactivity.
According to Amtrak’s terms and conditions (Section D), “Points earned under the Program will not expire as long as the Program continues and the Member’s Program account is active. ‘Active’ means that the Member earns and/or redeems Program points using their Membership Number within a 24-month period. If no Member-initiated qualifying activity is recorded within 24 months, the Member’s points will expire.”
The primary factor in preventing your Amtrak points from expiring is maintaining account activity.
Related: The best credit cards for Amtrak and train travel
How to Check the Expiration Date of Your Amtrak Points
When you log into your Amtrak Guest Rewards account, you won’t find an expiration date listed for your points. To find out, you’ll need to follow a somewhat indirect method.
After logging in, click on your name in the top right corner and select “My Account.” From there, click on “My transactions” in the left sidebar to view your recent activity related to Amtrak Guest Rewards.
If you’re concerned about point expiration, your recent activity won’t suffice. Instead, change the “from” date to 24 months prior to today and click “Search.”
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My last account activity was the cancellation of an award booking on April 5, 2023. This means that if I take no action, my Amtrak points are set to expire on April 6 after 24 months of inactivity.
Related: The Jet vs. Amtrak: What is the best way to travel between New York City and Washington, DC?
How I Kept My Amtrak Account Active
According to Amtrak’s terms, any earning or redemption activity on my account will keep my points from expiring.
With nearly two months remaining before expiration, I have several options to maintain my points. As a rare Amtrak traveler, the most viable actions would be earning points through Amtrak travel, completing a Survey Points Club survey, purchasing Amtrak points, redeeming points for travel, or shopping with Amtrak’s retail partners.
Unfortunately, I currently lack any future plans for Amtrak travel, making it impractical to earn or redeem points through travel. Additionally, Amtrak no longer charges award cancellation fees, leaving me uncertain if this action would reset the expiration timeline.
I also don’t need to shop at any of Amtrak’s retail partners such as 1-800-Flowers.com, Teleflora, or Vinesse Wines.
Related: You can now search Amtrak routes on Google Flights
Purchasing Amtrak points comes at a minimum of 500 points for $18.85, equating to a purchase rate of 3.77 cents per point. Since I might never use my Amtrak points, I’m not inclined to spend $18.85 on additional points just to extend the expiration of my existing ones.
My most feasible solution was to earn some Amtrak points through the Survey Points Club. Completing surveys usually results in immediate posting of points, though it may take a week in some cases. I registered with the Survey Points Club, filled out some demographic questions, and began my first survey.
I began the survey but only made it through the first few pages. After mentioning that I had not received any prescription pain medication from a doctor in the past six months, I encountered a message stating I wasn’t the right fit for the survey. Nevertheless, I still received five points for initiating the survey.
Now, my Amtrak points have been extended to expire on January 12, 2027. Still, I wish Amtrak would clearly display the expiration date in my account.
Related: How to prevent your airline, hotel, and rental car points from expiring
Conclusion
While it can be frustrating that Amtrak points expire without activity for 24 months, I found that utilizing the Survey Points Club is an easy way to keep my account active. The points I earned were almost instantly credited to my account, making it a viable option even if your points are about to expire in a tight timeframe.
Keep in mind you’ll need to monitor your Amtrak points expiration manually or use a specialized tool to track expiration dates for points and miles, as Amtrak does not provide an expiration date on your account or notify you before your points expire.
