Prime Visa Credit Card Review [2024]: No Annual Fee and Big Rewards for Amazon Prime Shoppers

Brown paper packages arrive on my doorstep weekly (if not daily), thanks to my Amazon Prime membership, which offers free two-day shipping on pretty much anything my household needs. As a frequent Prime shopper, I can earn big-time rewards with the Prime Visa. It offers rewards earning at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market, along with valuable rewards in other everyday spending categories. Plus, it’s accepted everywhere Visa is and has a $0 annual fee, too.

In this Prime Visa review, learn who should get this card, the benefits it offers, and whether it deserves a spot in your wallet.

Who should get the Prime Visa?

The Prime Visa is best for loyal Amazon customers. Cardmembers earn 5% cash back at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases; 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations, and on local transit and commuting; 1% cash back on all other purchases.

There’s no annual fee, but you will need an Amazon Prime membership to qualify for this credit card. If you aren’t an Amazon Prime member, you’ll need to sign up for a Prime membership or look at other rewards card options. But earning a higher rewards rate isn’t the only perk of Amazon Prime. A membership gives you access to free Prime delivery, Amazon Video, music and podcasts, savings on games, books, prescriptions, and other items, plus other free or discounted products and services.

Although the Amazon Prime visa is one of the best credit cards for shopping on Amazon, it’s not for everyone. If you prefer to shop elsewhere or don’t make enough Amazon purchases to justify having the co-branded card, other cash back credit cards will offer better earning potential over time.

And while some cash back credit cards come with introductory APR offers for purchases and balance transfers, the Prime Visa does not. Other credit cards with a low or zero introductory APR are better suited for balance transfers and large purchases.

Card basics

Prime Visa benefits and perks

• Generous sign-up offer: You can automatically receive a $100 Amazon gift card upon approval for the Prime Visa, redeemable for millions of items on Amazon.com.
• No annual fee: The Prime Visa has a $0 annual fee.
• Lucrative rewards: With this card, you can earn 5% cash back at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases; 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations, and on local transit and commuting; 1% cash back on all other purchases. It’s rare to find a no-annual-fee credit card that offers rewards earning rates as high as this Amazon co-branded card.
• No foreign transaction fees: Cardholders pay no foreign transaction fees on international purchases, making this card a useful addition for traveling.
• Travel perks: As a Chase-issued Visa Signature credit card, the Amazon Prime Visa also offers travel accident and baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and auto rental collision damage waiver when you pay with your card (restrictions apply).
• Roadside dispatch: You can call for a tow, jump start, tire change, or fuel delivery if you’re traveling and need help; a per-service charge applies.
• Extended warranties: Extend the warranty period by an additional year on eligible purchases you make with your Prime Visa.

Drawbacks to the Prime Visa

• Limited to Prime members: You must have an Amazon Prime account to qualify for the Prime Visa and earn the highest rewards rate. An Amazon Prime membership costs $139 annually, and a Student Prime membership is $69 per year. If you’re not a Prime member, consider whether you can earn enough rewards with this card to justify the Prime membership cost.
• No intro APR: The Prime Visa comes with no introductory APR offer on balance transfers or purchases, unlike some other rewards cards.

Earning and redeeming Amazon rewards

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here’s an example of what you might earn with the Amazon Prime Visa according to our rewards formula, which calculates earnings based on typical spending.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $815

Year two earnings: $715

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes into account U.S. Census data on shopping, points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee, among other factors.

You could potentially get more value from this card if you do all your grocery shopping at Whole Foods, where you can earn 5% with an eligible Prime membership, instead of other grocery stores, where you’d earn just 1%.

Best ways to earn

Amazon purchases are where the Prime Visa shines, of course. Cardmembers earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel with an eligible Amazon Prime membership.

Of course, purchases at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel aren’t the only ones that earn rewards with this credit card. You can also earn 2% back on purchases at restaurants, gas stations, local transit and commuting and 1% back on all other purchases. The earning potential is comparable to other no-annual-fee rewards cards.

There are few items that Amazon and Whole Foods don’t sell. Combined with earning in other popular categories, it's hard to think of a purchase that wouldn’t earn rewards with the Prime Visa.

Maximizing your redemptions

With this card, you earn rewards points worth 1 cent apiece, which you can redeem for savings on Amazon purchases when you check out. Use your rewards points as you would any other payment method on Amazon.com. Just choose your Prime Visa as your payment method and select how many points you want to use toward your purchase.

You can redeem rewards points outside of Amazon, too. Other redemption options include:

• Cash back (in the form of a statement credit or as direct deposit to an eligible bank account)
• Airfare, hotels, cruises or rental cars booked through Chase Travel
• Gift cards at participating merchants

FAQ

Other cards to consider

Amazon Visa

If you don’t have an Amazon Prime membership, you can still earn rewards on Amazon and Whole Foods Market purchases with the Amazon Visa. It doesn’t offer the same rewards seen with the Prime Visa card, but you also don’t need to spend $139 on a Prime membership. It offers 3% cash back at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases; 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations, and on local transit and commuting; and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Plus, you can automatically earn a $50 Amazon gift card upon approval of credit card application, and it has a $0 annual fee.

Citi Double Cash^® Card

If you’d rather earn cash back at a flat rate for all purchases, at Amazon or elsewhere, opt for Citi Double Cash^® Card.

You can earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases; plus, for a limited time, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24. There’s no need to track spending categories with Citi Double Cash, and it has a $0 annual fee.

Earn Easy Cash Back at Amazon.com

Prime Visa

4.9

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Prime Visa

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Current Offer

$100 Amazon gift card upon approval

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

5% cash back at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases; 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations, and on local transit and commuting; 1% cash back on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
• Eligible for Chase travel and purchase protections
• Cashback rewards can be redeemed daily

Drawbacks

• Must be a Prime member to qualify
• No intro APR offer on purchases or balance transfers
• Potentially high APR if you carry a balance

Card Details

• $100 Amazon gift card upon approval
• 5% cash back at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases; 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations, and on local transit and commuting; 1% cash back on all other purchases