If you’re a regular Amazon customer, you can save a ton of money with 5% off everything you buy. You should consider having the Amazon Prime Store Card* and Amazon credit card Prime Rewards Visa Signature. Prime membership is required for both cards with no annual fee, and both cards earn 5% back on Amazon purchases. At first glance, they might look like the same product from another bank, but there are some key differences between the two cards.
Interestingly, the Amazon Prime Store Card* is not available at Whole Foods, but those interested in financing their purchases from Amazon.com will find the Amazon Prime Store Card’s 0% financing offer attractive.
Which card is right for you? Today, we’ll go over the highlights of each map to help you decide.
Amazon Prime store cards are best for
Flexible financing options for eligible purchases
If you frequently fund large Amazon.com purchases and want to delay payments for as long as possible, consider using the Amazon Prime Store Card. Both the Amazon Prime Store Card* and the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card* offer 0% financing options that allow you to split purchases into equal monthly payments. But only the Prime Store Card offers another option.
The Amazon credit card Prime Store includes a 0% matching payment financing offer through one of the following methods:
- 6 months on purchases of $150 or more
- 12 months on purchases of $600 or more
- 24 months for select purchases.
Amazon Prime Store Card* also offers variations of these options for purchases of $150 or more. At checkout, you may receive an offer on various promotional terms called “special financing,” which can be done in one of the following ways:
- Purchase 6-month financing for $150 or more
- 12 months for purchases over $600
- Option to buy 24 months
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card* offers equivalent financing for purchases of $50 or more in only three ways:
- 6 equal monthly payments for purchases of $50 or more
- 12 monthly equal payments on purchases of $250 or more
- 18 monthly equal payments on purchases of $500 or more
No other financing options are available for the Amazon Prime Rewards visa.
Please note that if special financing purchases are not paid in full by the end of the financing period, both cards have minimum payments for different financing options and interest is deferred, i.e. charged from the date of purchase.
Pre-qualified without affecting your credit score
If you’re concerned about your creditworthiness and want to see if you’re prequalified, just answer a few questions and you can verify with Synchrony Bank that you’re prequalified for the Amazon Prime Store Card* before applying. Your credit report will not be obtained as part of the prequalification process, and your credit score will not be affected unless you decide to apply for the card.
Synchrony Bank will collect your credit report after you submit your Amazon Prime Store Card* application, which may have a small impact on your credit score.
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is best for
Earn cash back outside of Amazon
Because the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card* is a Visa Signature credit card, it can be used to make purchases outside of Amazon.com. This card gives you 5% cash back on eligible Prime memberships at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market, 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.
The Amazon Prime Store Card cannot be used outside of Amazon.com and other select Amazon-owned stores.
5% bonus on Whole Foods purchases
While both cards offer 5% back on Amazon purchases, only the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card* offers 5% back on Whole Foods purchases. If you shop frequently at Whole Foods, consider using the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card*.
Amazon.com sells Whole Foods gift cards. So if you want to earn 5% back at Whole Foods and you already have an Amazon Prime Store Card*, you might consider purchasing a Whole Foods gift card on Amazon.com and use it in-store to pay for your purchases.
Consider using the Amazon Prime Store Card or Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
Prime members get 5% back on Amazon purchases
The main benefit of the Amazon Prime Store Card and Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is 5% cash back on Amazon.com purchases. If you shop frequently on Amazon.com, you can get 5% cash back on almost everything you buy on the site.
Don’t consider using the Amazon credit card Prime Store or Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
Earn rewards on purchases outside of Amazon.com and Whole Foods
While the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card* offers the best year-round earnings for Amazon purchases, you’re better off paying your general fees with another card. The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card* offers 2% back on certain categories, but many banks offer cards that give you 2% back on all your purchases.
Since the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card earns up to 2% on gas station, restaurant, and drugstore purchases, the card that earns 2% on all purchases will always match your Amazon Card earnings on non-Amazon purchases OR Exceed
If you want a credit card that offers more rewards for certain categories of purchases, there are plenty of options that offer cash back and points on things like travel, dining, groceries, and gas.
Shopping at restaurants and drugstores
If increased income from restaurant and drugstore purchases tempts you to use the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, then consider the Chase Freedom Flex℠, which earns 5% cash back up to $1,500 in quarterly rotating categories (activation required), Earn 5% on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% at restaurants and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.
Historically, Amazon.com has been included in the Flex Card’s quarterly bonus category at least once a year. When Amazon is included in the category bonus, rare Amazon shoppers can use Freedom Flex to top up their Amazon.com balance with a 5% effective income on Amazon.com spend this quarter, up to $1,500.
Or, consider Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which offers Flex’s rotating category 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back at eligible restaurants and pharmacies, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
Bottom line
Frequent Amazon shoppers should consider the Amazon Prime Store Card or Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card* as they earn a strong 5% on Amazon.com purchases. If you’re willing to fund a purchase or don’t shop at Whole Foods, the Amazon Prime Store Card may be a better option, as it offers two funding options. If you’d like to use your card outside of Amazon.com, choose the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card*.
Learn more:
-
-
-
-
Delta Skymiles® Reserve American Express Card Review – See more.
-
AmEx focuses on customer experience with new checking account and redesigned application
-
