St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, but before you start buying leprechaun-themed merchandise from Amazon, make sure you have the right credit card on hand so you can maximize your rewards.
What are the Best Credit Cards for Amazon Purchases?
Unsurprisingly, the best credit cards for Amazon purchases are those offered by Amazon. Here are the best credit cards that provide the most rewards for Amazon purchases:
1. Prime Visa
Best Features:
- $100 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval
- 10% back on a rotating selection of items on Amazon
- 5% back on Amazon.com purchases
- 5% back on Amazon Fresh purchases
- 5% back Whole Foods Market purchases
- 5% back on Chase Travel purchases
- No Annual Credit Card Fee
The Prime Visa credit card is exclusive to those who are subscribed to Amazon Prime. So even though there’s no annual fee for this card, you’ll need to pay for an Amazon Prime subscription which will cost you $14.99 monthly or $139 annually.
With the average annual fee for credit cards from large financial institutions being $157, the Prime Visa card is still a pretty good deal, especially if you’re interested in or already subscribed to Amazon Prime.
Keep in mind that if you drop your Prime subscription, your card rewards will be downgraded to Amazon Visa’s percentages.
2. Amazon Visa
Best Features:
- $50 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval
- 3% back on Amazon.com purchases
- 3% back on Amazon Fresh purchases
- 3% back Whole Foods Market purchases
- 3% back on Chase Travel purchases
- No Annual Credit Card Fee
The Amazon Visa credit card is what you’ll get if you apply for an Amazon customer credit card without an eligible Prime subscription. The rewards for this credit card may be lower than its Prime Visa counterpart, but the upside is that you don’t have to pay any monthly or annual fees in order to use this card.
What Happens to My Amazon Visa If I Subscribe to Amazon Prime?
Even if you have an Amazon Visa credit card, your rewards should be bumped up to Prime Visa’s percentages when you are actively subscribed to Prime.
If you’re not receiving 5% back despite being subscribed to Prime, you can do the following steps:
- Go to https://www.amazon.com/your-account
- Select ‘Your Payments’
- Expand the details of your card
- Select ‘Learn how’ if it says that your card could be earning 5% back,
- Select which card to link to your eligible Prime membership.
3. Amazon Store Card
Best Features:
- $10 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval (for Prime Subscribers)
- 5% back on Amazon.com purchases (for Prime Subscribers)
- 0% APR financing (6 months, 12 months, & 24 months)
- Zero Fraud Liability
The Amazon Store Card is a credit card that can only be used on Amazon purchases unlike the Prime Visa and the Amazon Visa. However, it offers the same 5% back on Amazon purchases if you’re currently subscribed to Amazon Prime.
This card’s main draw, however, is its 0% APR financing. So, if you’re someone who uses Buy Now, Pay Later often, this is the Amazon card for you.
4. U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards
Best Features:
- 6% cash back for up to $1,500 in combined eligible purchases each quarter with two retailers
- 3% cash back for up to $1,500 in eligible purchases each quarter on a chosen everyday category
- 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases
- $0 Intro Annual Fee for 1 year, $95 annually after the intro period
The US Bank Shopper Cash Rewards card offers 6% cash back on Amazon purchases (if selected as one of the two retailers) for up to $1,500 each quarter. This card also has a $0 annual fee introductory period, making it an amazing alternative to Amazon cards for those who don’t want to subscribe to Amazon Prime.
If you plan to spend more than $1,500 each quarter on Amazon, however, then an Amazon credit card would be better for you.
Recommended article: 4 Best Credit Cards to Pay Bills & Utilities
Summary
If you’re looking for a general-purpose credit card with great rewards on Amazon purchases, then the Prime Visa or the Amazon Visa is the card for you. Which one you get depends on whether or not you’re subscribed to Prime.
If you’re subscribed to Prime and you’re looking for a credit card with great rewards on Amazon and 0% APR financing options, then the Amazon Store Card is what you’re looking for.
If you don’t want to become a Prime member but you want to enjoy 6% cash back on your Amazon purchases then you’re going to want the US Bank Shopper Cash Rewards card.
