The best credit cards for Amazon purchases
From toothpaste to treadmills, you can find almost anything you need (and want) on Amazon — delivered in two days with your Prime membership.
If you’re planning to spend a lot of money this Prime Day (July 16-17), you’ll want to maximize your purchases by using the right credit card.
When deciding on the best credit card for Amazon purchases, consider things like points-earning rates, rewards currencies and benefits, such as purchase protection and extended warranties. You might even choose a card based on a specific purchase, whether you’re a Prime member or what other cards you already carry.
With that in mind, here are the best credit cards for shopping at Amazon.
The best credit cards for Amazon purchases
The information for the Discover it Cash Back card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Prime Visa
For many, the Amazon Prime Visa is the best option for Amazon purchases.
The card offers an impressive 5% cash back on all Amazon and Whole Foods purchases (with an eligible Prime membership); 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, local transit and commuting (including ride-hailing services); and 1% on all other purchases. Additionally, you’ll earn 10% or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com.
Currently, Prime members can also instantly receive a $200 Amazon gift card upon approval for a Prime Visa.
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The Prime Visa’s biggest disadvantage is that the high cash-back rate is its only real draw. It comes with purchase protection (it covers items up to $500 in value if damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase) and extended warranty protection.
However, it doesn’t include important purchase benefits like price protection and return protection, so it’s not ideal for large purchases.
The other drawback is that you must pay for a Prime membership ($139 per year) to qualify. However, since so many U.S. households already subscribe to Prime, that’s probably not much of an issue for the card’s target demographic.
For more details, check out our full review of the Prime Visa.
Apply here: Prime Visa with a $200 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval
Capital One Venture X and Venture Rewards cards
Consider the Capital One Venture X Rewards and Capital One Venture Rewards cards to earn transferable miles on your Amazon purchases. Both cards offer 2 miles per dollar spent on everyday purchases — including Amazon purchases.
Based on TPG’s July 2024 valuations, this equates to a respectable 3.7% return (valuations are estimates and not provided by the issuer).
Beyond that, both cards offer identical sign-up bonuses (75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening).
Check out our comparison of the two Venture cards for additional details.
Apply here: Capital One Venture X and Capital One Venture, each with 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in the first three months
Chase Freedom Unlimited and Freedom Flex
If you’re not a Prime subscriber and still want a solid return on your spending, your best bet may be to go with the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited.
The card provides 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ and 3% back on drugstore purchases and dining. All other purchases, including on Amazon, earn 1.5% back.
Meanwhile, the Chase Freedom Flex earns 5% on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. As you’ll notice in this guide, Amazon purchases are normally included as a second-quarter spending category each year.
While both cards earn a solid return, you could potentially double the value of your rewards by pairing one with a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
If you do, you can convert your cash-back points into full-fledged transferable Ultimate Rewards points, worth 2.05 cents each based on TPG’s July 2024 valuations.
The Freedom Unlimited also offers 120-day purchase and extended warranty protection, extending eligible manufacturers’ warranties by an additional year. Like the two Amazon cards, the Freedom Unlimited does not have an annual fee.
For more details, check out our full review of the Freedom Unlimited and Freedom Flex.
Related: The power of the Chase Trifecta: Sapphire Reserve, Ink Preferred and Freedom Unlimited
Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited with an additional 1.5% cash back on all purchases (on up to $20,000 in the first year) and Chase Freedom Flex with $200 cash back after you spend $500 in the first three months.
Discover it Cash Back
Amazon’s Prime Visa isn’t the only card to offer 5% cash back on purchases — the no-annual-fee Discover it Cash Back does too (on rotating categories and up to $1,500 each quarter you activate, and 1% cash back after that) — and this one doesn’t require you to be a Prime member.
Typically, the rotating categories include Amazon purchases at least one quarter per year.
Keep in mind that while this card is great for Amazon purchases when Amazon is included in the bonus earnings, it isn’t the best card to use year-round. When Amazon is not a part of the quarterly cash-back bonus category, your purchases will only receive 1% back.
However, what makes the card shine is that Discover will match your rewards at the end of your first cardmember year, so you could get up to 10% back on Amazon purchases during a quarter when it’s a bonus retailer.
Unfortunately, other benefits have been discontinued, including extended warranty, return, purchase and price protection.
For more details, check out our full review of the Discover it Cash Back.
American Express Gold Card
The American Express Gold Card is a good choice for those who make high-value purchases on Amazon.
You’ll earn 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar on Amazon purchases, yielding a return of 2% based on TPG’s July 2024 valuations. However, unless there’s an Amazon deal available through Amex Offers, this won’t be the best card from an earning perspective.
The biggest benefit of using the card is its generous purchase protection policy. While many cards include a similar perk, the Amex Gold Card provides an astounding $10,000 in protection per incident and up to $50,000 for all incidents in a calendar year.*
For more details, check out our full review of the Amex Gold.
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Related: Best credit cards for purchase protection
Apply here: American Express Gold Card with 60,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 in the first six months of card membership
How does an Amazon credit card work?
The only true Amazon credit card on our list is the cobranded Prime Visa, and it’s the best choice for many loyal Amazon shoppers. In addition to the Amazon-specific welcome offer, you’ll enjoy a high 5% cash-back earning rate on Amazon purchases. Aside from rotating spending categories, you can’t achieve the same rate with any other card.
With that said, if you’re looking for a more well-rounded card that works well for Amazon purchases and everywhere else you spend, one of the other cards on our list might be more suitable.
For example, both Chase credit cards have more generous welcome offers than the Prime Visa, allow you to earn bonus cash-back from a wider range of merchants, and come with more flexible rewards.
Pros and cons of Amazon credit cards
When shopping for a credit card that works well for Amazon purchases, consider the following pros and cons:
Pros
- No annual fee: The Amazon Prime Visa is an affordable card that doesn’t charge an annual fee or any foreign transaction fees.
- Amazon-specific welcome offer: The Prime Visa offers new cardholders a $200 Amazon gift card, allowing them to further maximize their Amazon savings.
- Higher earning rates for Amazon purchases: Amazon Prime Visa cardholders earn 5% cash back on their Amazon purchases. Other non-cobranded cards include Amazon in their rotating spending categories.
Cons
- Prime membership costs $139 annually: You must be a Prime member to maximize certain Amazon credit card rewards.
- Limited purchase protections: The Amazon Prime Visa doesn’t offer price or return protection.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply for an Amazon credit card?
You can apply through the Amazon website. After signing in to your Amazon account, you can see which cards you’re eligible for based on your Prime membership status. From there, you can apply for one or multiple cards and even get an Amazon gift card instantly upon approval.
Is an Amazon credit card worth it?
An Amazon credit card can make sense for those who shop frequently with Amazon and its family of businesses. But many other credit cards offer more general rewards that can be valuable everywhere, not just with Amazon.
How do I pay my Amazon credit card?
Like most other cards, Amazon credit cards will send you a monthly billing statement. If you link your Amazon and Chase accounts, you can manage your Amazon Visa card on the Amazon site and manage your card on the Chase website or app.
What credit score do you need for an Amazon credit card?
Amazon recommends a “good” or “excellent” credit score for the Prime Visa, which typically means a score of 680 or above. However, as with all credit cards, other factors may affect your eligibility.
If you get declined or don’t think you’ll qualify and are still interested in an Amazon credit card, consider something like the Amazon Store Card, Amazon Prime Store Card or the Amazon Prime Secured Card.
The information for the Amazon Store, Amazon Prime Store and Amazon Prime Secure cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Can you use Amazon credit cards anywhere?
Amazon credit cards can be used anywhere. However, their limited earning rates outside of Amazon purchases might mean you’ll want to look elsewhere for a general rewards or cash-back credit card.
Bottom line
While the Prime Visa offers a high return on Amazon purchases, it’s not everyone’s best option; it’s only available to Prime members and lacks key shopping protections, such as price and return protection, which you’ll want for larger purchases.
Additionally, if you’ve been saving up transferable points for a specific redemption, it may make sense to earn rewards in that currency rather than cash back. This way, you can top off your account and book that award trip you’ve been dreaming about sooner.
Related: The best rewards credit cards
