Best CC for VIA Rail
Oct 28, 2025 | 1:09 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (SE), Virgin America Elevate, Hyatt Gold Passport (Platinum), VIA Preference
Posts: 3,642
Best CC for VIA Rail
Bit of a niche question. For the last decade, basically, CSR was the winner here - three points/dollar on travel, redeemable at 1.5 cents/point for future travel.
Well, Chase dropped a turd on that with re-farting the card, and I do use VIA a good bit (basically making YUL, YOW, and YYZ mostly-interchangeable). The fancy Alaska card would be a replacement, but BofA has temporarily put the kibosh on that (apparently because I stopped using a card that they gutted, they dropped the credit limit and wouldn't reconsider), so...what's the next-best option here? I'm not sure if the Hyatt card would get 2 points/dollar, there's Amtrak, or isn't there...some other issuer with 3 points/dollar on a broad-based "all travel" category?
Well, Chase dropped a turd on that with re-farting the card, and I do use VIA a good bit (basically making YUL, YOW, and YYZ mostly-interchangeable). The fancy Alaska card would be a replacement, but BofA has temporarily put the kibosh on that (apparently because I stopped using a card that they gutted, they dropped the credit limit and wouldn't reconsider), so...what's the next-best option here? I'm not sure if the Hyatt card would get 2 points/dollar, there's Amtrak, or isn't there...some other issuer with 3 points/dollar on a broad-based "all travel" category?
Oct 28, 2025 | 6:58 pm
#2
Flyertalk Posting Legend Moderator: Credit Card Programs, American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Diners Club, Eco Travel, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Oct 28, 2025 | 8:52 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (SE), Virgin America Elevate, Hyatt Gold Passport (Platinum), VIA Preference
Posts: 3,642
You asked the same question in this thread, and there are several helpful suggestions: Where to Shift Devalued CSR Spend
"Transit" is a slippery category. As far as I can tell:
-The no-fee Autograph card includes passenger railways as part of "transit" (or perhaps "other travel", but advertising-wise the phrasing is slippery) at 3x but the $95 version doesn't.
-The fancy Atmos card covers it as a "foreign purchase" at 3x.
-The Amtrak card covers it at 2x (which is perhaps ironic in Florida these days).
-Venture X comes in at 2x because everything is at 2x.
-The Chase Hyatt card(s) don't.
-Chase Sapphire Preferred simply doesn't define "travel" in their offer, so I'd be playing roulette.
-I don't think any Amex cards offer a bonus here (not DL/Marriott, for sure).
I'm mostly ignoring straight cash-back cards.
Am I missing anything big?
Oct 28, 2025 | 10:28 pm
#4
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 34,988
90% of the discussion there was dining-related (the "transit" bit was more "bus pass" than "intercity train"), and dining isn't at issue here.
"Transit" is a slippery category. As far as I can tell:
-The no-fee Autograph card includes passenger railways as part of "transit" (or perhaps "other travel", but advertising-wise the phrasing is slippery) at 3x but the $95 version doesn't.
-The fancy Atmos card covers it as a "foreign purchase" at 3x.
-The Amtrak card covers it at 2x (which is perhaps ironic in Florida these days).
-Venture X comes in at 2x because everything is at 2x.
-The Chase Hyatt card(s) don't.
-Chase Sapphire Preferred simply doesn't define "travel" in their offer, so I'd be playing roulette.
-I don't think any Amex cards offer a bonus here (not DL/Marriott, for sure).
I'm mostly ignoring straight cash-back cards.
Am I missing anything big?
"Transit" is a slippery category. As far as I can tell:
-The no-fee Autograph card includes passenger railways as part of "transit" (or perhaps "other travel", but advertising-wise the phrasing is slippery) at 3x but the $95 version doesn't.
-The fancy Atmos card covers it as a "foreign purchase" at 3x.
-The Amtrak card covers it at 2x (which is perhaps ironic in Florida these days).
-Venture X comes in at 2x because everything is at 2x.
-The Chase Hyatt card(s) don't.
-Chase Sapphire Preferred simply doesn't define "travel" in their offer, so I'd be playing roulette.
-I don't think any Amex cards offer a bonus here (not DL/Marriott, for sure).
I'm mostly ignoring straight cash-back cards.
Am I missing anything big?
https://thepointsguy.com/credit-card...rve-preferred/
Oct 29, 2025 | 5:28 am
#5
Flyertalk Posting Legend Moderator: Credit Card Programs, American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Diners Club, Eco Travel, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
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Posts: 51,863
American Express Green, 3X on Travel, Transit and Dining: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...ds/card/green/
eligible transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
Last edited by mia; Oct 29, 2025 at 5:36 am
Oct 29, 2025 | 7:22 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2024
Posts: 1,752
Oct 30, 2025 | 8:21 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: SEA/NYC/IAD
Programs: UA 1K, DL DM, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 2,368
If you're okay with business cards, the Amex Business Gold has 4xTransit as an eligible category:
Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways