Prime Members Earn Lucrative Rewards
As long as youre signed into your Amazon Prime account, you’ll get 5% back on all purchases made with your associated Amazon Store Card. Without a Prime membership, you wont earn any cash-back rewards. The 5% back will be especially valuable for Prime shoppers who purchase a majority of their household goods on the website, or who buy big-ticket items like televisions and video game consoles.
The rewards you earn can be applied to your account in the form of a statement credit or used toward eligible purchases when you check out. Cardholders also get access to an extra 5% to 15% in rewards on select promotional items.
Citi Custom Cash Card
With the Citi Custom Cash Card, the headline cash-back rate is 5% , and it automatically applies to your highest eligible spending category. If the 5% back at Whole Foods is the most appealing part of the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, this card can give you 5% back at grocery stores beyond just Whole Foods. This includes supermarkets, meat or seafood stores, dairy stores, bakeries and miscellaneous convenience stores.
Spending categories also include restaurants, gas stations, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment. You’ll get a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months , so you don’t have to choose between cash back and interest-free financing. Additionally, you can earn a $200 welcome bonus by spending $750 on the card within the first three months of account opening .
See our full review of the Citi Custom Cash Card for more details.
Skip Prime Membership But Still Get Free 2
If you arent interested in the music, kindle ebooks, and other services included in Amazon Prime you can always skip the membership entirely.
Instead, if you spend over $35 on eligible purchases you still receive free, 2-day shipping. Depending on the retailer you might have to spend $75 or even $100 to receive the free, 2-day shipping.
Also, if your item is under the limit but you dont want or need to buy anything else try this trick. Find an item that is pre-order and not yet available on Amazon.
Add this item to your cart to get past your threshold but you wont be charged for this item until it actually ships.
If you dont want the item simply cancel that part of the order to make sure you arent charged.
I wouldnt recommend doing this too frequently but its a great option if you need the 2-day shipping without spending any more money.
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No Access To The Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card is actually issued by Chase bank. Unfortunately, however, cardholders wont get access to the benefits included in the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal. Rewards earned with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature cant be transferred to the Chase Ultimate Rewards program either.
The Amex Everyday Preferred Credit Card From American Express
The Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card earns 3 Membership Rewards points on U.S. supermarket purchases . It also accrues 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar at U.S. gas stations and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. Plus, when you use the card to make 30 transactions or more per billing period, you get a 50% points bonus, which can really improve your earning potential.
Whats more, this card earns Membership Rewards points that you can transfer to the programs various airline and hotel partners, making it a strong choice for folks who want to rack up rewards for travel, specifically, rather than just cash back.
The annual fee is $95.
The information for the Amex EveryDay Preferred 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.
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How To Apply For An Amazon Credit Card
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Hannah Madden is a writer, editor, and artist currently living in Portland, Oregon. In 2018, she graduated from Portland State University with a B.S. in Environmental Studies. Hannah enjoys writing articles about conservation, sustainability, and eco-friendly products. When she isnt writing, you can find Hannah working on hand embroidery projects and listening to music.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 44,710 times.Learn more…
If you are fond of shopping at Amazon.com, you might be excited to know that you can actually get credit cards through Amazon to use exclusively on their site. Amazon offers 4 different credit cards for its members to use when shopping on their website, so you can pick the card that seems most beneficial to you. You must be a US resident with a US SSN or individual TIN to apply, so make sure you have your information on hand when you fill out the application.
Amazon Cards’ Elevated Welcome Offer And Bonus Rewards
Amazon currently offers two unsecured rewards credit cards: the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card and the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card.
The former option requires cardholders to have an Amazon Prime account, while the latter doesn’t. However, each card offers benefits like cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods among other perks.
Through Nov. 30, new card applicants will receive the following welcome bonuses immediately upon approval with no minimum spending requirement:
- Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card: $200 Amazon gift card
- Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card: $100 Amazon gift card
In addition, cardholders can take advantage of 10% back when purchasing items from a variety of categories, including: toys, smart home devices, computers, home, kitchen, TVs, office products, and more. For example you can get 10% back on Select Beats headphones, Kindle e-readers, cameras and more. You can find all eligible products here and you’ll have to make your purchases by Nov. 30 to earn the increased rewards.
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High Rewards Rate For Whole Foods And Amazoncom Purchases
The unlimited 5% return on Amazon purchase is perhaps the best thing the card has to offer. While there are competing cards that also offer a 5% rewards rate on Amazon purchases, they come with seasonal restrictions and limit the 5% rate to the first $1,500 in purchases. This card also offers 2% back on restaurants, gas stations and drug store purchases , adding up to a high earning rate overall.
Cardholders who frequent Whole Foods will also see a substantial 5% percent cash back on their grocery store visits both online and at the register, making the Amazon Prime Rewards card a shoo-in as one of the best rewards card for groceries. Frequent shoppers with Whole Foods can earn a substantial amount of rewards with the Amazon Prime Rewards card. In fact, if you spend at least $2,780 at Whole Foods each year, your earnings with the card will cancel out the cost of your Prime Membership.
Select rotating categories on Amazon will also earn extra rewards up to 20% on top of the default 5% bonus. However, while the 20% number may seem enticing, these bonus categories wont make up the bulk of your purchases and can be somewhat niche.
How Can I Get Free Cash Back
Using any cash-back card to shop on Amazon will result in getting money back. Some cards earn greater rewards than others. Currently the card that earns the highest cash back when shopping at Amazon is the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card which earns 5% when shopping with Amazon or other companies under its umbrella like Whole Foods.
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How To Earn Points
The main perk of this card is its spending structure. It offers a 5% return on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases. However, it only earns 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores, which is similar to other no-annual-fee credit cards.
Purchases made anywhere else earn a flat 1% back. This adds up to a fairly generous return on spending, but those who dont already have Amazon Prime will need to consider whether the $119 annual cost for the subscription is worth it, especially if they dont shop with Amazon often.
You Can Earn A Lot Of Rewards
The number of points you can earn with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card depends on where you shop.
- 5% back on purchases at Amazon.com and Whole Foods
- 2% back on purchases at gas stations, restaurants and drugstores
- 1% back on all other purchases
You can then redeem those rewards toward an eligible purchase on Amazon.com. But its worth noting that you have other options for redemption, like cash back, gift cards and travel. In these cases, $1 of rewards is equal to 100 rewards points, and vice-versa.
In other words, you can get the same value out of this card with cash back as you could with eligible Amazon.com purchases. That makes this card more versatile than many store-branded credit cards, which usually require that you use your rewards only at the store and its affiliates.
Similarly, while other cards offer 5% cash back on purchases, they may switch which stores or categories youll earn with throughout the year and limit how much you can earn.
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card offers unlimited earning potential. Plus Amazon sells a wide variety of products theres a reason its sometimes called The Everything Store. And though its not called out specifically on Amazon, you may even be able to get 5% back when purchasing gift cards for businesses other than Amazon or Whole Foods through Amazon.com.
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How Many Amazon Credit Cards Are There
The family of Amazon credit cards can get a little confusing, and not everyone’s online experience will look the same. There are two different cards, each with its own version for Prime members and non-Prime members.
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is the matriarch of the family, with the best benefits available to those taking full advantage of Amazon Prime already.
If you don’t have a Prime account and don’t want one, you can apply for the Amazon Rewards VisaCard*. You’ll get a smaller welcome bonus and only 3% cash back at Whole Foods and Amazon, but the other major specs of this card are the same. Plus, there’s no annual fee.
The Amazon Prime StoreCard* is a good option if you’re a Prime member and want longer interest-free financing on larger purchases made at Amazon. However, it can only be used within the Amazon ecosystem. You’ll earn a small welcome bonus in the form of a $60 Amazon gift card upon approval and can finance a purchase for up to 24 months . If you don’t choose to use the financing, you’ll earn 5% cash back on Amazon purchases.
The non-Prime equivalent is the Amazon.com StoreCard*. It maintains the same specs as the Prime version, except you don’t have the option to earn cash back on Amazon purchases, even if you don’t use the financing option.
Other Amazon Financing Options
While Amazon Monthly Payments or an Amazon credit card will likely offer the most flexibility, a number of other flexible payment tools may be a better fit for you. Keep in mind, however, that a few of these methods will require you to pay at least some interest.
Tip: Unfortunately, many shoppers have had trouble using popular installment payment services for Amazon purchases. Quadpay is one notable exception, allowing you to shop on Amazon via the Quadpay app. However, only six-week payment plans are available.
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New 0% Intro Apr Card
A new credit card that offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases will allow you to carry a balance for several months and save on interest on all new purchases.
Two of your best options at the moment are the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.
Thats because not only do both cards come with a 0% introductory APR on new purchases , they also offer rewards on Amazon purchases as part of their welcome offer.
The Blue Cash Everyday and Blue Cash Preferred cards offer 20% back on Amazon.com purchases for your first six months as a cardholder, with a $150 and $200 cash back cap, respectively.
The Discover it® Cash Back card is another great choice. It comes with a 0% introductory APR on purchases for the first 15 months and the Discover cash back calendar for 2021 lists Amazon.com purchases as eligible for 5% cash back from October through December .
Tip: You can check if you prequalify for a new credit card at many issuers sites or use a tool like CardMatch to search across multiple issuers for prequalified offers that fit your credit profile. Prequalification will help you get a better sense of your odds of approval before you apply.
Use Specific Shopping Apps
If you dont have time to complete surveys or play games, you can get free Amazon gift cards for something youre already doing using online shopping apps.
ShopkickDropRakutenHoneyMobee
Shopkick offers users eight ways to earn rewards, also known as kicks.
For example, you can automatically earn kicks when you purely walk into select stores and earn additional kicks when you scan barcodes of specific products in those stores.
As long as you allow the app to use your location as you would with dozens of other apps it will automatically record if and when youre near an eligible store.
Furthermore, youll earn kicks every time you make a purchase with a linked card.
Bonus:DOLLARSPROUT
With Drop, users earn rewards by shopping through the app or with a linked debit or credit card. When you download the free app, youll choose which stores you want to earn cashback with. Options include Starbucks, Target, Sephora, and other major retailers.
When you shop at one of your chosen sites, Drop rewards you with points for every dollar spent. Youll also receive 5,000 points for the first 10 friends you refer to the app. Every 1,000 points is worth $1. Once you reach 5,000 points, you can cash out for a free gift card to Amazon, Uber, Lululemon, American Airlines, and more.
Note:
For more details on how to get cashback with this app, visit our Rakuten review.
Learn more about this money-saving browser extension in our Honey review.
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How To Redeem Your Amazon Rewards
Now that youve earned all of these rewards, how can you use them?
Your cash back is simply added to your Amazon.com account.
Youll see your rewards balance during checkout, and you can use your rewards to pay for part or all of your purchase. And there is no minimum balance required to redeem.
Alternatively, you can redeem your rewards for cash back, gift cards, and travel at Chase.com.
Since Amazon Rewards are always worth 1 cent per point, this would actually be the best way to redeem your rewards. If you use them at the Amazon checkout, youre cutting into your high Amazon earn rates.
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How To Get The Amazoncom Credit Card Or The Amazoncom Store Card With No Credit
If the Amazon.com Secured Credit Card is not what you were hoping for, you will have to start building your credit to have access to the Amazon.com Store Card or the Amazon.com Credit Card. You can open a and make sure to keep your account in good standing by paying your bills on time and preferably in full. Secured credit cards will be the closest thing you can get to guaranteed approval. Also, youll want to to keep your below 30%. You can also become an on someone elses credit card account. But be aware that any irresponsible use of the account will reflect on your credit report.
You can also check out WalletHubs guide on how to build credit. After several months of responsible use of credit, review your and if you have fair credit or better, consider applying for the Amazon.com Store Card. Further down the road, when you reach good credit or better, youll also have a shot at Amazon.com Credit Card.
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Amazon Rewards Visa Card Credit Score
You have a solid chance of a successful application for the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card if your credit score is in the fair-to-good range, and the suggested FICO® Score to apply is 670 or above. It’s possible to get approved with a lower score, but it makes more sense to work on your credit first and give yourself a better shot. Note that because Chase is the card issuer on the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card, Chase’s 5/24 rule could lead to a declined application for consumers who have opened too many credit cards in the past two years.
How To Redeem Points
When youre ready to redeem the points youve earned with the Amazon Prime Visa, there are a number of different tracks you can take. No matter what you do, youll receive a flat value of 1 cent per point for your redemptions. The easiest method is simply redeeming your rewards for Amazon purchases. There is no minimum amount of points required, and you can use them for all or part of your purchase.
If youd prefer cash back, you can deposit your rewards straight to your Chase account. You can also redeem for gift cards with a minimum of 2,500 points.
Perhaps the most intriguing and least-talked-about option is the ability to redeem your points for travel through Chase, although youll have to call in to use your points. Here you get a value of 1 cent per point, so its not as much as if you had the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which lets you redeem points at 1.5 cents each through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
But youre not missing out on value with this card in particular by redeeming points for travel versus Amazon purchases. And airfare purchased through a third-party site will still accrue bonus miles and elite credit, in addition to granting elite status perks youve earned on the airline. The same cant be said for hotels, which will often disqualify bookings made via online travel agencies from any kind of earning.
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