What the Amazon Prime Visa card is and who should consider it
The Amazon Prime Visa is a co-branded credit card issued by Chase Bank that gives you rewards when you spend money — mostly in the form of cash back that appears as a credit on your Amazon account. If you shop on Amazon regularly and have a Prime membership, the card's rewards structure is built to make those purchases cheaper. If you rarely use Amazon or don't have Prime, the card's benefits shrink significantly, and you're probably better off with a different card.
The card comes in two versions: one for Prime members and one for non-members. The Prime version offers higher cash back rates on Amazon purchases and at Whole Foods, which Amazon owns. Both versions charge no annual fee, which means you can open one and use it only when the rewards make sense, without paying for the privilege of holding it.
This card is not a store card that only works at Amazon. It's a Visa, so you can use it anywhere Visa is accepted — at gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, and everywhere else. The rewards you earn outside Amazon are lower, but they still exist.
Key Takeaways
- The Amazon Prime Visa offers 5% cash back on Amazon.com purchases and Whole Foods spending for Prime members, compared to 3% for non-members.
- You earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants, and 1% on all other purchases, regardless of Prime membership status.
- The card has no annual fee, so there's no cost to open it even if you only use it occasionally.
- Cash back appears as an Amazon.com balance, not as a statement credit or deposit to your bank account, which means you must spend it on Amazon or Whole Foods.
- Chase will review your credit history and credit score when you request the card, and approval is not may provide.
How the rewards structure works in real spending
The cash back you earn depends on where you spend and whether you have an active Prime membership. For Prime members, Amazon.com purchases and Whole Foods transactions earn 5% cash back. That means a $100 Amazon order gives you $5 in rewards. A $50 Whole Foods grocery trip gives you $2.50.
Outside those two places, the rewards drop. Gas stations and restaurants earn 2% cash back for everyone. Everything else — drugstores, department stores, utilities, insurance payments — earns 1% cash back. If you don't have Prime, Amazon.com purchases drop to 3% instead of 5%, but the other rates stay the same.
The rewards accumulate as a balance in your Amazon account. You don't receive cash or a statement credit. When you make a purchase on Amazon.com or at Whole Foods, you can choose to explore your rewards balance to reduce what you owe. This is useful if you shop there regularly, but it's a limitation if you don't — you can't convert the rewards to cash or move them to another account.
What happens when you open the card
Requesting the card starts with an online process on Chase's website or Amazon's website. You'll enter your name, address, income, employment status, and Social Security number. Chase uses this information to check your credit report and calculate a credit score. This is called a hard inquiry, and it may lower your credit score by a few points for several months.
Chase will make a decision within minutes or hours in most cases. You'll either be approved, denied, or asked to provide more information. If you're approved, the card arrives by mail in 7 to 10 business days. You set up it by calling the number on the back or using the Chase mobile app, then you can use it when ready.
If you're denied, you can request a reconsideration by calling Chase directly, though the outcome rarely changes without new information. If you're approved but with a lower credit limit than you hoped for, you can ask for a higher limit after six months of responsible use.
How this card compares to other cash back cards
The Amazon Prime Visa's main advantage is the 5% cash back on Amazon purchases for Prime members. Most other cash back cards max out at 2% or 3% on any single category. If you spend $3,000 a year on Amazon, that 5% rate saves you $150 compared to a 2% card. For heavy Amazon shoppers, that advantage is real.
The disadvantage is that the rewards are locked into Amazon and Whole Foods. A general cash back card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers 1.5% on everything, everywhere, with no categories to track. You won't earn as much on Amazon, but your rewards work anywhere. If you shop on multiple platforms — Walmart, Target, eBay, independent retailers — a general card might earn you more overall.
Some cards offer rotating categories that earn 5% cash back on different merchants each quarter, but they require you to set up the category each time and cap the earnings. The Amazon Prime Visa's 5% is automatic and uncapped, which makes it simpler if Amazon is your primary shopping destination.
Annual fees, interest rates, and other costs
The Amazon Prime Visa has no annual fee. You will never be charged just for holding the card, even if you don't use it.
If you carry a balance — meaning you don't pay off the full statement by the due date — Chase charges interest. The rate varies based on your credit score and current market conditions, but it typically ranges from 18% to 24% annually. This is standard for credit cards and is not unique to this card. If you carry a $1,000 balance at 20% interest, you'll owe about $200 in interest charges over a year.
If you miss a payment, Chase charges a late fee. The first late fee is usually $25 to $35. If you're late again within six months, the fee can rise to $35 to $40. Missing payments also damages your credit score and can trigger a higher interest rate on this card and others.
Prime membership and the card are separate
You do not need to have a Prime membership to open the Amazon Prime Visa. Non-members can request the card and use it. The difference is that non-members earn 3% cash back on Amazon.com instead of 5%, and they don't earn the 5% at Whole Foods.
If you have a Prime membership and later cancel it, your card continues to work, but your rewards rates drop to the non-member levels. If you don't have Prime and later join, your rewards rates increase automatically — you don't need to request a new card or contact Chase.
Prime membership costs $139 per year (or $14.99 per month) and includes free two-day shipping on most Amazon items, access to Prime Video, and other benefits. The membership is separate from the credit card and is managed through your Amazon account, not through Chase.
How to decide if this card makes sense for you
The card is worth considering if you have Prime, spend at least $1,000 per year on Amazon, and pay off your balance in full each month. At that spending level, the extra 2% cash back (compared to a 3% card) adds up to $20 per year. It's not transformative, but it's real money for no extra effort.
The card is less useful if you don't have Prime, because the 3% rate on Amazon is only 1 percentage point higher than many other cards offer on everything. It's also less useful if you split your shopping across multiple retailers — Amazon, Walmart, Target, and others — because your rewards are concentrated in one place.
The card is worth avoiding if you tend to carry a balance, because the interest you'll pay will quickly erase any rewards you earn. It's also worth avoiding if you have poor credit or no credit history, because Chase is unlikely to approve you, and the hard inquiry will lower your score further.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my rewards balance outside of Amazon and Whole Foods?
No. Your cash back accumulates only as an Amazon.com balance. You can use it to buy anything on Amazon.com or at Whole Foods, but you cannot convert it to cash, transfer it to another account, or use it elsewhere. This is a key limitation of the card's rewards structure.
What happens to my rewards if I cancel the card?
Your rewards balance remains in your Amazon account and you can continue to use it. Canceling the card does not erase the rewards you've already earned. However, you stop earning new rewards once the card is closed.
Does opening this card hurt my credit score?
The process triggers a hard inquiry, which typically lowers your score by a few points for several months. Opening a new account also lowers your average account age, which can reduce your score slightly. The impact is usually small and temporary if you use the card responsibly.
Can I get the card if I have fair or poor credit?
Chase generally approves applicants with good to excellent credit (scores of 670 and above). If your score is lower, approval is less likely, though it's not impossible. You can request reconsideration after a denial, but the outcome rarely changes without new information like a recent credit score improvement.
What's the difference between the Amazon Prime Visa and the Amazon Store Card?
The Amazon Prime Visa is a Visa card that works everywhere and offers cash back rewards. The Amazon Store Card is a store card that only works on Amazon.com and at Whole Foods, and it offers promotional financing (like 0% interest for 12 months on large purchases) instead of cash back. The Visa is more flexible; the Store Card is better if you want interest-free financing options.