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Key takeaways
- The Prime Visa is a great card for Amazon Prime members who regularly shop on Amazon.com, at Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh.
- Additional travel benefits are available, which you may not find with other cash back credit cards
- If you don’t regularly shop at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods or aren’t already a Prime member, another type of cash back card would likely be better suited to your needs.
If you’re a regular Amazon Prime shopper, having the Prime Visa in your wallet is a no-brainer.
This card lets you earn an impressive cash back rate of 5 percent back on Amazon, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods purchases. You’ll also earn 2 percent back at gas stations, restaurants and on local transit and commuting — including rideshares.
Additionally, you’ll receive 5 percent back on Chase Travel purchases. Plus, you can choose to earn rewards or pay over time with certain purchases over $50 on Amazon, and you’ll earn unlimited 1 percent cash back for all other purchases where Visa is accepted. You’ll even get a $150 Amazon gift card upon approval and receive access to exclusive limited-time cardholder offers of 10 percent or more back on select items from Amazon.com.
However, this card isn’t just rewarding for online shopping. If you hit the roads and the skies as much as you shop online, you’ll love this card’s travel protections and perks — like travel accident insurance, baggage delay insurance and more. Read on to learn more about the Amazon Prime Visa card and whether it could be the next great addition to your rewards credit card rotation.
Amazon Prime Visa card shopping benefits
The Amazon Prime Visa card offers excellent rewards rates on certain types of shopping, especially if you shop regularly at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods. Here are some ways you’ll benefit by using the Prime Visa for your spending.
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The Prime Visa offers 5 percent cash back on purchases with Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods. You’ll also earn 5 percent cash back on purchases through Chase Travel.Unlike the Amazon Prime Store Card* (which is another card option through Amazon.com), the Amazon Prime Visa also earns 2 percent back on purchases at restaurants and gas stations as well as on transit and commuting purchases. All other purchases earn 1 percent back.
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With the Prime Visa, you can get a $150 Amazon gift card just for signing up. Unlike most cash back credit cards, there are no minimum spending requirements to meet. Simply sign up for the card and get your gift card instantly upon approval.
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When making certain purchases with Amazon.com or other eligible retailers, you have the option of earning rewards on the purchase or paying off your purchase over time through Amazon Pay. These eligible purchases can be paid off through equal monthly payments and will enjoy a promotional 0 percent APR for a limited timeframe. Eligible purchases of $50 or more will enjoy these perks for 6 months, while eligible purchases of $250 or more can enjoy them for 12 months. A variable APR of 19.99 percent to 28.74 percent applies once the 0 percent APR promo period ends.
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The Prime Visa technically comes without an annual fee. However, a $139 annual Amazon Prime subscription is required to get approved for the card. With that said, if you’re considering the Prime Visa, you’re probably a frequent Amazon shopper who is likely paying for an Amazon Prime subscription already. In that case, getting this card is essentially free.
Amazon Prime Visa card consumer protections
The Amazon Prime Visa card also comes with some protections for purchases you make. These perks can help you save money or get a replacement if a product you buy with the card is damaged or stolen. They can also help protect an expensive item that you’ve purchased if it stops working within a set timeframe.
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Use your card for purchases and get protection that applies for damage or theft within 120 days. This coverage is good for up to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per account.
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For items with eligible U.S. manufacturer’s warranties that you pay for with your Prime Visa card, the extended warranty protection will extend the item’s warranty by another year. This coverage is good for eligible items with extended manufacturer’s warranties of three years or less.
Amazon Prime Visa card travel benefits
While the Amazon Prime Visa card is a cash back credit card at heart, it comes with more perks than most people realize. This includes a range of Amazon Prime Visa card benefits for travel, many of which are uncommon for this type of card. Keep these benefits in mind, especially if you are considering the Amazon Prime Visa vs. the Amazon Prime Store Card.
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This card comes with rental car coverage, although it works secondary to any insurance policies you already have. This coverage is good for most car rentals in the U.S. and abroad and applies to losses from collision damage or theft.
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Cardholders also get travel accident insurance when they travel by air, bus, train or cruise transportation and pay with the Amazon Prime Visa card. This protection includes accidental death or dismemberment coverage worth up to $500,000.
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Lost luggage reimbursement can pay for losses when a checked bag or carry-on luggage is lost or damaged by a common carrier. This protection is worth up to $3,000 per covered passenger.
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Cardholders can rest easy on flights knowing that if their baggage arrives more than six hours late, they’ll receive up to $100 per day for up to three days to cover essentials like clothing and toiletries.
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If you need legal or medical help while away from home, you can call the card’s Benefits Administrator for travel and emergency assistance.
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You can also get help through this card when you’re in a pinch on the road, whether it’s your car or a rental car. This card offers roadside assistance, which means you can call a hotline to be towed, jump start your car, get help changing your tire, access fuel delivery and more. These services aren’t free, but you’ll be glad you can count on them in case of an emergency.
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This rewards credit card doesn’t tack on any foreign transaction fees when you use it for purchases in foreign currency. This makes it a solid card option for international travel.
Maximizing the Amazon Prime Visa card
To make the Amazon Prime Visa card worth it for you, you’ll need an eligible Prime membership, and you should use the card for all your Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods purchases. You should also consider booking travel, such as hotels, rental cars, cruises or airfare, through Chase Travel. All will net you 5 percent cash back, which you can redeem for cash back, statement credits, gift cards, travel or more merchandise from the online retailer.
And since it’s a Visa credit card, you can also use it for any other purchases you make. You’ll even earn 2 percent back at restaurants, gas stations, local transit and commuting and 1 percent back on all other purchases when you do.
That said, if you see yourself using this card for everyday spending and bills, you should have a plan to pay your balance in full each month. After all, its ongoing variable APR will make carrying a balance a costly experience.
The bottom line
If you’re already an Amazon Prime member, adding the Amazon Prime Visa card to your wallet can make Amazon’s low prices an even sweeter deal. If you use Prime regularly, the welcome bonus gift card and high-earning rewards categories for Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods purchases can cover the cost of your membership.
This card also offers competitive rewards rates for non-Amazon purchases at gas stations, restaurants and on local transit, commuting and ridesharing. Plus it comes with a bevy of travel benefits — like roadside assistance, emergency travel assistance and other travel protections — that make it a great option for travelers.
At the end of the day, all the perks and rewards you’ll get make this card well worth it over the long run. However, don’t forget to check out other options on our list of the best credit cards for shopping on Amazon.
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