Advertiser Disclosure
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. The offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Bankrate.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and the likelihood of applicants' credit approval also impact how and where products appear on this site. Bankrate.com does not include the entire universe of available financial or credit offers.
Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover.
On This Page
On This Page
- Pros and cons
- Current offer details
- Key cardholder benefits
- Understanding the fees
- Expert experience
- Amazon Prime Rewards vs. other rewards cards
- Is this card worth getting?
- Frequently asked questions
One of the best retail store card options for online shoppers, especially for people with Amazon Prime subscriptions.
Written by Garrett Yarbrough
Edited by Courtney Mihocik
Reviewed by Ashley Parks
/ 11 min
The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict,this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for .The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate, we have a mission to demystify the credit cards industry — regardless or where you are in your journey — and make it one you can navigate with confidence. Our team is full of a diverse range of experts from credit card pros to data analysts and, most importantly, people who shop for credit cards just like you. With this combination of expertise and perspectives, we keep close tabs on the credit card industry year-round to:
- Meet you wherever you are in your credit card journey to guide your information search and help you understand your options.
- Consistently provide up-to-date, reliable market information so you're well-equipped to make confident decisions.
- Reduce industry jargon so you get the clearest form of information possible, so you can make the right decision for you.
At Bankrate, we focus on the points consumers care about most: rewards, welcome offers and bonuses, APR, and overall customer experience. Any issuers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide to consumers at each of these levels. At each step of the way, we fact-check ourselves to prioritize accuracy so we can continue to be here for your every next.
Editorial integrity
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.
Key Principles
We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.
Editorial Independence
Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information.
How we make money
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey.
Bankrate follows a stricteditorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.
We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.
Snapshot
4.2
Bankrate rating
Bottom line
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is a must-have for frequent Prime shoppers and offers impressive reward categories and benefits for a store-branded credit card. However, you may consider looking elsewhere if you favor retail stores outside of Amazon and you want more versatility.
Prime Visa
Rewards rate
1% - 5% Earn 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership. Earn 2% back at gas stations, restaurants and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare). 1% back on all other purchases
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn up to $275 with this limited-time offer. Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval and earn 5% back everywhere on up to $2,500 in spending for the first 3 months after account opening ($125 value). Eligible Prime membership required.
Pay over time APR
Regular APR
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card Overview
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is one of the best online shopping credit cards due to its high reward rates on Amazon purchases with no spending caps and Visa Signature benefits. This card is worth it if you spend around $2,800 or more at Amazon and Whole Foods. If used to its full potential, you can easily recoup the cost of your Amazon Prime membership while enjoying other key perks, including surprisingly rich travel and purchase protections.
However, the cost of an Amazon Prime membership, being limited to Amazon brands for your best reward tiers and a few missing purchase protections are the biggest drawbacks — but these are minor nitpicks compared to what many other store cards don't offer.
What are the pros and cons?
Pros
A high earning rate at Amazon.com and Whole Foods make everyday miscellaneous and grocery store purchases more rewarding.
No foreign transaction fees make this card a cost-saving travel companion.
Rewards can be redeemed at an equal rate toward cash back, travel and Amazon purchases, which provides cardholders plenty of flexibility with their rewards.
Travelers can roam with peace of mind with the substantial Chase travel and purchase protections, plus Visa Signature benefits, including Luxury Hotel Collection perks and concierge services.
Cons
The $139 required Amazon Prime membership ups the cost of carrying this card considerably.
There is no option to transfer rewards points to other programs, so cardholders are limited in where they redeem their points.
Although it’s a Chase credit card, it doesn’t have access to the Chase Offers or Chase Ultimate Rewards portals.
A deeper look into the current card offer
Quick highlights
- Rewards rate: 5 percent back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market; 2 percent back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores; 1 percent back on all other purchases
- Welcome offer: Up to $150 Amazon gift card upon approval
- Annual fee: $0 ($139 Amazon Prime subscription required)
- Purchase intro APR: N/A
- Balance transfer intro APR: N/A
- Regular APR: 18.49 percent to 26.49 percent (variable)
Current welcome offer
You can currently receive an Amazon gift card worth up to $150 just by being approved for the Prime Rewards Visa card, which is equal to the card’s highest-value promotion we saw in 2021 — and a good step up from the previous $100 gift card offer. However, it’s important to note that the value of this gift card may vary depending on the page you apply from.
The previous $100 promotion wasn’t a bad offer by any means — as the bonus gift card was once worth $70 — but seeing the much more competitive up to $150 gift card return makes for a much more enticing hook. The $100 value was below the low end of many of the best credit card sign-up bonuses. However, there is no spending requirement for the standard Amazon credit offer (you receive the bonus instantly) and many store cards don’t offer a sign-up bonus at all. As far as retail cards go, the bonus is a nice plus since it can cover the annual $139 cost of Amazon Prime membership for the first year.
Rewards rate
Regular Amazon shoppers will have no problem earning a slew of rewards with the Prime Rewards card. With one of the highest-earning rates available for Amazon purchases, you’ll only need to spend $2,780 each year to recoup your Prime membership — or about $232 per month.
How you earn
Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market purchases will earn you unlimited 5 percent rewards. Plus, you’ll earn 2 percent at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores, along with 1 percent back on all other purchases.
Since the 5 percent category also applies to Whole Foods Market, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature is also one of the best cards for grocery rewards rates if you do your grocery shopping there.
Amazon and Chase occasionally offer additional ways to earn rewards. For example, Amazon regularly posts limited-time “Exclusive Prime cardmember” offers that provide anywhere from 10 to 25 percent back on select items.
How to redeem
Although the reward terms make it sound like you’re earning cash back, you’re actually earning points. You can redeem your points at a 1:1 value toward cash back, travel, gift cards or Amazon purchases upon checkout.
There is no minimum rewards balance to redeem for cash back or for Amazon purchases, but there’s a disappointingly long list of what you can’t buy with points. Many of these items are small purchases that you would probably use points on more often, such as music, Kindle eBooks and video downloads. Depending on what you may spend points on, cash back might be the most flexible option.
How much are the rewards worth?
Each point earned on the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is worth 1 cent no matter how you redeem it. For example, 50,000 Amazon points are valued at roughly $50. There is no minimum redemption requirement when you redeem your points for Amazon.com purchases. You can maximize your cash back on Amazon by taking advantage of the site’s “subscribe and save deals” and other retailers’ Amazon gift card promotions for extra discounts and rewards.
Other cardholder perks
The Amazon Prime Rewards card carries a surprising number of benefits for a retail card, such as Luxury Hotel Collection benefits, concierge service and premium travel perks.
Since it’s a Visa Signature credit card, it comes with a handful of travel and shopping protections that are standard to many rewards cards. But even these “standard” Visa benefits outweigh those of rival networks, like Discover.
Travel protections
Considering how light co-branded store cards are on perks, the Amazon Prime Rewards card’s depth of travel protection coverage is remarkable.
Your card’s travel accident insurance (coverage up to $500,000), lost luggage reimbursem*nt (up to $3,000 per passenger) and baggage delay insurance (reimburses up to $100 per day for three days) do a little to smooth the rough edges of airport travel. Or, if you’re on the road, the auto rental collision damage waiver and roadside dispatch service can be a big help in a pinch.
Purchase protections
Credit cards that offer purchase protection provide peace of mind when you come across a good deal but are worried about shady merchants or shipping damage. Your Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature offers purchase protection that covers damage or theft up to $500 per claim ($50,000 per account).
As an online shopping card with Visa Signature benefits, it’s surprising that the Amazon Prime Rewards card doesn’t come with price and return protection too. It’s a bit disappointing that you can’t get your money back if a sketchy seller doesn’t offer returns, but return protection is a rarer perk nowadays.
Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection and Concierge Service
The Visa Signature level of the Luxury Hotel Collection grants cardholders seven “VIP Guest status” amenities, including automatic room upgrades when available and other complimentary privileges.
When you need to save time planning your travel or even at home, the free Visa Signature Concierge Service is like a 24-hour personal assistant that can book reservations, tickets and more.
Rates and fees
The rates and fees for the Amazon Prime Rewards card are standard, but the “no annual fee” comes with an important footnote. You must have an Amazon Prime membership to get the card, which is currently $14.99 per month or $139 each year (if you opt to pay for a whole year at once).
On Feb. 18, 2022, Amazon’s Prime yearly membership price increased from $119 (previously $12.99 if you pay monthly), making it tougher to spend the extra $400 you need to spend each year (about $34 more per month) at Amazon or Whole Foods to recoup your membership cost, but leaning on your other categories can help fill the gap.
Amazon comes with a variety of valuable benefits, but the cost of Amazon Prime just for this card might not be worth it for shoppers who don’t regularly shop at Amazon or won’t take advantage of other Amazon services like Prime Video. It takes spending at least $232 each month across Amazon.com and Whole Foods to break even on a Prime membership.
Otherwise, you have to spend almost $580 per month across your 2 percent categories with the card to break even. The no-annual-fee Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card might be a more reasonable alternative if you don’t spend a good deal more than that. The standard Amazon Rewards Visa card doesn’t require a Prime subscription but carries a slightly lower rewards rate in exchange.
Other than offsetting Amazon Prime, the only other potential rates to be aware of are the ongoing interest and foreign transaction fees.Fortunately, the 18.49 percent to 26.49 percent variable APR can be well below the current average credit card interest rate. What’s more, there are no foreign transaction fees to worry about if you frequently travel.
Bankrate staff experience
Several members of the Bankrate staff love the Amazon Prime Rewards card and dedicate a regular slot in their wallets to it. Bankrate editor Nouri Zarrugh enjoys the versatility Amazon.com online shopping rewards adds to his credit card rotation:
The Amazon Prime Rewards card has given a nice boost to my cash back strategy. Considering the variety of items available on Amazon, this card gets you 5 percent back on almost anything you can think of — from streaming subscriptions via Amazon Channels to grocery deliveries via Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods to tools and home goods — making this easily one of the most versatile cards in my wallet.
— Nouri Zarrugh, Senior Editor at Bankrate
How the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature compares to other rewards cards
Although they may not reward you as lucratively for your Amazon.com purchases as some of the best cards for shopping on Amazon.com, there are credit cards dedicated to rewarding you for your online and in-person store purchases. Retailers like Walmart and financial institutions like Bank of America are helping consumers earn more on their purchases. Depending on your shopping habits and preferences, either one of these cards could work for you.
Prime Visa
Bankrate Score
Annual fee
$0
Intro offer
Earn up to $275
Earn up to $275 with this limited-time offer. Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval and earn 5% back everywhere on up to $2,500 in spending for the first 3 months after account opening ($125 value). Eligible Prime membership required.
Rewards rate
1% - 5%
Earn 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership. Earn 2% back at gas stations, restaurants and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare). 1% back on all other purchases
Recommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent(670–850)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®
Bankrate Score
Annual fee
$0
Intro offer
5%
Introductory offer: Earn 5% cash back on purchases in Walmart® stores for the first 12 months when you use your card with Walmart Pay
Rewards rate
1% - 5%
Earn 5% cash back on Walmart.com purchases, including pickup and delivery Earn 2% cash back on purchases in Walmart® stores, Murphy USA and Walmart® fuel stations 2% cash back on restaurants and travel purchases 1% cash back on all other purchases everywhere else Mastercard® is accepted
Recommended Credit Score
Fair to Good(580–740)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Bankrate Score
on Bank of America's secure site
Annual fee
$0
Intro offer
$200
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Rewards rate
1% - 3%
Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases). Earn automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases). Earn unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent(670–850)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card vs. the Capital One® Walmart Rewards® Card
Ultimately, whether the Amazon Prime Rewards card or the Capital One® Walmart Rewards® Card is the better choice depends on which retailer you shop with online more often. They have comparable reward programs, except the Amazon card offers 2 percent rewards at drugstores while the Walmart card offers 2 percent cash back on travel. While the Walmart card’s travel category would likely have more rewards potential, its gas category only covers Walmart and Murphy USA gas stations, while the Amazon card’s gas category is much more flexible.
You may be able to get more first-year value from the Walmart card since its 12-month 5 percent cash back rate on in-store purchases when using Walmart Pay only takes spending over $3,000 that year (about $250 per month) to eclipse the Amazon card’s up to $150 bonus gift card. However, factors like better benefits, a slightly lower potential ongoing APR and a more popular online shopping platform can make the Amazon Prime Rewards card a slightly better option overall.
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card vs. the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
If you’re a big online shopper, but you want as much rewards flexibility as you can get month-to-month, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card is one of the most versatile cash back cards. Granted, its online shopping category rewards rate is lower than the Amazon Prime Rewards’, but you can swap out your highest-earning rate category each month for five other choices that include dining, gas, travel and other everyday expenses. You’ll also benefit from a decent fixed cash back rate on categories that cover grocery stores and wholesale clubs. More interestingly, Bank of America’s online shopping category is one of the most comprehensive available, covering major retailers like Amazon.com and Walmart.com on top of a myriad of retailers and specialty sites like Etsy.com.
The downside is that the Bank of America Customized Cash card’s bonus categories share a $2,500 quarterly spending limit, which will drop all your spending to 1 percent cash back after you exceed it. The Bank of America card’s better welcome offer, intro APR period, and similar ongoing APR may offset this hurdle, but the Amazon Prime card offers unlimited rewards. It’s worth noting that, aside from rewards, the Prime card also has meatier benefits.
Although the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature could be more rewarding if most of your online shopping is through Amazon, the better-rounded Bank of America Customized Cash card could be a more valuable day-to-day option if your online spending is varied enough that you can’t justify a Prime membership.
Best cards to pair with this card
Since the Amazon Prime Rewards card is focused on rewarding Amazon purchases, a general-purpose cash back credit card is a great partner for broader rewards. Flat-rate cards like the Citi® Double Cash Card are solid picks to earn cash back on every other purchase you make.
The Citi Double Cash has one of the best flat-rate cash back programs on the market. This card offers up to 2 percent cash back (1 percent when you buy and 1 percent when you pay your credit card balance) and its earn-as-you-pay rewards structure helps you track your spending habits — so you can not only earn more than 1 percent cash back on all purchases, but you can also maximize your spending while building credit.
Bankrate’s Take — Is the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature worth it?
The Amazon Prime Rewards card is undoubtedly worth it if you frequently order from Amazon — especially if you spend over $2,780 each year on the site or spend big during the holidays or on Amazon Prime Day.
With the Prime Rewards card, you can easily reimburse your Prime membership, better protect your purchases and enjoy a few travel perks to boot. The unlimited 5 percent rewards easily outperform other credit cards’ online shopping categories.
On the flip side, a general-purpose rewards card may earn you more if you prefer higher rewards rates on more variable bonus categories or other online retailers. (Note: business owners may save even more with the Amazon Business Prime American Express Credit Card‘s extra reward categories.) Still, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature offers better rates and more versatile rewards than many store cards.
All information about the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, Capital One® Walmart Rewards® Card, and Amazon Business Prime American Express Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Written by
Garrett Yarbrough
Credit Cards Writer
Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, credit monitoring and identity theft analysis on NextAdvisor.com, he joined the CreditCards.com and Bankrate teams as a staff writer to develop product reviews and comprehensive credit card guides focused on cash back, credit scores and card offers.
Edited by Courtney Mihocik
Reviewed by Ashley Parks
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.
)
