If you’re a frequent shopper on Amazon.com or at Whole Foods Markets, you might want to take a closer look at the Chase Amazon Visa cards. Not only will you earn great and flexible rewards, you’ll even get an Amazon gift card as a welcome bonus. Let’s take a closer look at what these cards have to offer.
- Chase Amazon Visa cards compared
- Extra cash back for Prime members
- Solid money back at Amazon and Whole Foods
- How to redeem your Amazon Rewards
- Alternative cash back credit cards
- Chase Amazon Rewards Visa FAQ
Chase Amazon Visa cards compared
There are 2 Chase Amazon Visa Signature cards for you to pick between – the first is designed for people who have a Prime membership, and the other is for people who do not.
Despite this, they’re actually quite similar.
| Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature | Amazon Rewards Visa Signature | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Welcome bonus | Get a $70 Amazon gift card upon approval | Get a $50 Amazon gift card upon approval |
| Rewards | * 5% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market if you also have a Prime membership * 2% back on gas, drugstore purchases, and restaurants * 1% back on all other purchases |
* 3% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market * 2% back on gas, drugstore purchases, and restaurants * 1% back on all other purchases |
| Interest rates | * Purchase: 14.24% * Cash advance: 24.99% * Balance transfer: 14.24% |
* Purchase: 14.24% * Cash advance: 24.99% * Balance transfer: 14.24% |
| Insurance coverages | 6 types | 6 types |
| Special features | None | None |
| Foreign exchange fees | 0% | 0% |
Extra cash back for Prime members
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, the
First off, you’ll get a $70 Amazon gift card as a welcome bonus as soon as your application is approved, giving you a fun little shopping spree right off the bat. Then you’ll earn:
- 5% back on purchases made at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market,
- 2% back on purchases at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores, and
- 1% back on all other purchases.
So, for every $100 you spend at Amazon.com, you’ll earn $5 back. Not bad. Every single purchase you make with the card earns you some money back.
Solid money back at Amazon and Whole Foods
If you’re NOT an Amazon Prime member and you don’t want to become one, the
This card is almost exactly the same as the Amazon Prime Rewards Signature Visa, except for two small differences.
First, you only get a $50 Amazon gift card as a welcome bonus, and the cash back earn rates are:
- 3% back on purchases made at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market,
- 2% back on purchases at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores, and
- 1% back on all other purchases.
Given that neither card has an annual fee, and are otherwise exactly the same, if you do a lot of shopping at Amazon.com, the extra 2% cash back may offset the cost of a Prime membership, and then some.
To offset the cost of a Prime Membership (which is $119 annually), you would need to spend $5,950 per year (or $496 a month) at Amazon. That’s quite a bit to spend at Amazon, but then you’re getting that speedy shipping and access to Prime Videos for no extra cost to you.
Both cards also offer the same 6 types of insurance coverage, no foreign transaction fees, and the same interest rates on purchases, cash advances, and balance transfers.
How to redeem your Amazon Rewards
Now that you’ve earned all of these rewards, how can you use them?
Your cash back is simply added to your Amazon.com account.
You’ll 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, you’re cutting into your high Amazon earn rates.
Related: Best Instant Approval Credit Cards
Alternative cash back credit cards
While these cards offer some great rewards and benefits for people who make a lot of purchases at Amazon.com and Whole Foods, there are other credit cards that have better perks and better overall cash back earn rates.
Here are a few of our top picks.
| Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express | PayPal Cashback Mastercard | Citi Double Cash Card | HSBC Cash Rewards Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Welcome bonus | $250 statement credit after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months | None | None | Earn 3% cash back in the first 12 months (up to $10,000 spent) |
| Rewards | * 6% cash back on groceries (up to $6,000 spent annually) * 6% cash back on select streaming services * 3% cash back at gas stations and transit * 1% cash back on all other purchases |
* 2% unlimited cash back on all purchases | * 1% unlimited cash back on all spending * An additional 1% cash back when you pay your bill on time |
* 1.5% unlimited cash back on all purchases |
| Interest rates | * Purchase: 12.99% * Cash advance: 25.24% * Balance transfer: 12.99% |
* Purchase: 19.99% * Cash advance: 26.99% * Balance transfer: N/A |
* Purchase: 13.99% * Cash advance: 25.24% * Balance transfer: 13.99% |
* Purchase: 12.99% * Cash advance: 24.99% * Balance transfer: 12.99% |
| Insurance coverages | 4 types | 0 types | 2 types | 3 types |
| Special features | * 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months * Access to American Express ticket presales * Complimentary membership with Shoprunner |
Access to Mastercard Priceless Cities and Golf Experiences | * 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 18 months * Access to Citi Private Pass |
* 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months * Access to Mastercard Priceless Cities and Golf Experiences * $5 food deliveries of $25 with Postmates |
| Foreign exchange fees | 2.7% | 0% | 3% | 0% |
Super boosted 6% cash back on groceries
While the
AND you can get 6% cash back on all groceries, not just purchases at Whole Foods.
Your cash back rate does drop to 1% on most other purchases, however, so you’d really be getting this card to use when buying groceries and gas.
Unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases
If you have a PayPal account, the
While it’s lacking a lot of perks offered by other credit cards, you’ll get 2% unlimited cash back on all purchases for no annual fee. That’s basically free money, and you’ll get the same earn rate everywhere you shop.
Plus it also has no foreign transaction fees.
Unlimited 2% cash back, but with a twist
The
First, you can earn up to 2% unlimited cash back on all of your purchases, but there’s a slight catch. You’ll earn:
- 1% cash back on all purchases, and then
- another 1% cash back when you pay your bill on time.
It’s a small thing, but you have to be pretty diligent with your payments to take full advantage of this card. Our recommendation? Set up some sort of autopay system so you can just set it and forget it.
This card also has no annual fee, although you will pay a 3% fee on foreign transactions.
1.5% cash back with a nice welcome bonus
And finally, the
An added bonus is that you’ll earn a stellar 3% cash back in your first year, up to $10,000 spent.
The cherry on top? This card offers the rare mobile device insurance coverage, as well as travel accident coverage, and rental car theft and damage. Some added peace of mind that can potentially save you a bundle of money.
Final verdict?
The Chase Amazon Visa Signature cards offer some solid cash back earn rates if you make a lot of purchases at Amazon and Whole Foods, but they’re a little bit limited in that you can only use your rewards at Amazon.com or go through the process of trying to get your money back through Chase.com.
If you’re already an Amazon Prime member, there’s little reason NOT to get the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature. It has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and will earn you an excellent 5% cash back on all Amazon and Whole Foods purchases.
If you aren’t an Amazon Prime member, you may be better off picking an alternative card that will earn you similar or better cash back rewards with significantly more flexibility. Or, if you’re into maximizing your rewards, maybe mix and match a combination of 2?
Either way, there’s lots of ways to save money with cash back cards, whether you shop online or off.
What do you think?
Do you have one of the Chase Amazon Rewards Visas? Do you find it’s worthwhile?
What’s your BEST cash back credit card success story?
Let us know in the comments!
Chase Amazon Rewards Visa FAQ
What’s the difference between the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature and the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature?
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature is designed, perhaps obviously, for people who have an Amazon Prime membership. If you have a Prime membership, this card will get you 5% cash back on all purchases at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Markets. The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature earns 3% at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Markets, but you don’t have to have a Prime Membership.
What’s the annual fee for the Chase Amazon Rewards credit cards?
Both the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature and the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature have no annual fee, and charge no fee on foreign transactions.
How do I redeem the rewards I earn with the Chase Amazon Rewards credit cards?
Redeeming your Amazon Rewards couldn’t be easier. You’ll see your Amazon Rewards balance when checking out on Amazon.com. You can use this balance to pay for all or part of your purchases, with no minimum balance required.
Are there other cash back cards that are better than the Chase Amazon Rewards Visa cards?
There are a number of cash back credit cards that are more flexible and have a higher overall earn rate than the Amazon Rewards Visa cards. We cover a few of them in this article, and we have a larger comparison of the Best Cash Back Credit Cards here on creditcardGenius.com.
