How to Pay for Your Amazon Purchases with Capital One Rewards

Amazon accepts Capital One rewards as a payment option in its Shop with Points feature, providing more convenience for shoppers. You can use Capital One rewards on Amazon by linking your Capital One account to your Amazon account.

If you're looking for the best rewards credit card for your Amazon purchases, Capital One has some interesting options. However, redeeming your credit card rewards for online purchases might not be the best way to maximize your rewards value. 

Here’s what to know before paying for your next Amazon order using Capital One rewards.

Key takeaways

• Amazon offers a convenient feature called Shop with Points where you can use your credit card rewards, including Capital One rewards, to pay for your purchases.
• To use Capital One rewards on Amazon, you need to link your Capital One account to your Amazon account. This can be done by enrolling your Capital One rewards account on Amazon's Capital One rewards page.
• You can set Shop with Points as your default payment method on Amazon, making it easier to use your rewards for future transactions. You can still toggle this option off to choose your payment method manually during checkout.
• While you can use Capital One rewards for many Amazon products, there are some exceptions, such as individual digital music titles, Amazon Appstore Apps, and Amazon Fresh.
• The value of your Capital One rewards varies depending on the type of rewards you have. Cashback rewards are straightforward, with 100 cashback rewards equaling $1 on Amazon. Travel rewards, on the other hand, are less favorable for Amazon purchases, with 125 miles equaling $1.

How to use Capital One rewards for Amazon purchases

Amazon’s Shop with Points feature allows you to apply your Capital One rewards toward your Amazon cart. If you already have an Amazon account, linking it with your Capital One rewards is simple:

1. Go to Amazon’s Capital One rewards page and click on “Enroll now.”
2. Log into your Amazon.com account if you aren’t already.
3. Click on “Enroll a new rewards account.”
4. A pop-up box will appear asking for your rewards account information. Enter the name on your Capital One credit card, as well as the credit card number and the expiration date.
5. Click “Add your card.”

You’ll receive an email confirmation once you’ve completed the steps. Adding this payment option also lets you automatically pay at checkout using Capital One rewards.

Defaulting to Shop with Points

To activate Shop with Points as your default payment method, follow these steps:

1. Log into your Amazon account and go to “My Account”
2. Select “Shop with Points” to manage your preferences
3. Click on the toggle under “Use rewards first” to make this the default payment option in your account.

If you want to be able to manually select your payment method at checkout for future transactions, simply go through these steps and toggle this option off.

When you’re ready to pay for the items in your Amazon cart, select the Capital One rewards card you’d like to use. Then, you can decide to pay for your entire order with points or apply a different number of points to the order and pay the remaining balance on your Capital One card. Your rewards will be deducted as soon as you confirm your Amazon order.

Ineligible Amazon purchases using Capital One rewards

Although you can choose to use your Capital One rewards to purchase hundreds of thousands of products on Amazon’s platform, there are some restrictions on what you can buy. The following items are ineligible for Shop with Points at this time:

• Individual digital music titles (excludes Hilton Honors)
• Digital Downloads (for example, Apple Care)
• Amazon Appstore Apps
• Subscribe & Save items (i.e. your subscription toilet paper)
• Items ordered through Buy Now or 1-Click, except for Kindle eBooks
• Cell phones with service
• Amazon Fresh
• Whole Foods Market
• Textbook Rentals

Which Capital One cards are eligible for Shop with Points on Amazon?

You can use Shop with Points if you carry a Capital One rewards credit card that’s eligible for the program. Both Capital One miles and cashback cards can be linked to Amazon’s Shop with Points.

Here’s a list of eligible cards from Capital One:

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Spark Classic for Business
• Capital One Spark Cash Plus
• Capital One Spark Cash Select
  
• Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit
  
• Capital One Spark Miles for Business
• Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business
• Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Our recommendations for Capital One Amazon shopping

If you want to use the rewards you earn on your Capital One credit cards for Amazon shopping, it makes sense to use cards that can earn rewards quickly on everyday purchases.

Here are a few of our recommendations for Capital One credit cards to use on Amazon:

• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: Earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day makes sense for shopping on Amazon because you have loads of shopping options. Whether it’s groceries, clothing, electronics, or books, you earn an unlimited 1.5% cashback rate. 
• Capital One Spark Cash Plus: This credit card offers 2% cash back on every purchase, every day. That’s a healthy return if you frequently use Amazon to make business purchases. 

What's the value of Capital One rewards when redeemed for Amazon purchases?

The value you get from using your Capital One credit card rewards for shopping on Amazon depends on which type of rewards you’re using. Here’s the breakdown of what your Capital One rewards are worth when used with Amazon's Shop with Points program:

• Cashback rewards: Every 100 cashback rewards equals $1 on Amazon.
• Travel rewards: Every 125 miles equals $1 on Amazon. This means every 100 miles is worth 80 cents on Amazon.

Overall, it probably doesn’t make sense to use travel rewards earned from Capital One cards with the Shop with Points program because of their reduced value. You’re able to get better value by using your rewards miles for travel redemptions.

If you specifically want to use rewards for Amazon purchases, stick with Capital One’s cashback cards. The value of your rewards won’t decrease when you use them for Amazon purchases, so it’s similar to redeeming your rewards for straight cash back.

Capital One Amazon shopping FAQ

Capital One rewards for Amazon purchases: bottom line

Capital One customers essentially have another way to pay for goods on Amazon. The equal redemption rate may make the convenience of using your rewards through Amazon worthwhile compared to other credit cards that offer a lower redemption rate for online purchases. Keep in mind, however, that you won’t earn cash back on your Amazon purchase when using rewards as payment.

Since Capital One travel rewards cardholders face a reduced redemption value for rewards miles — and they never expire as long as the account is active — you may want to consider holding onto your miles until your next trip.  But it's always nice to know your redemption options and to learn of a new personal finance trick to keep in your arsenal.

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Rates and fees

Current Offer

$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Low spend threshold for its welcome offer — $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
• Cell phone protection benefit (subject to a $25 deductible)
• Can redeem rewards at an ATM for literal cash

Drawbacks

• Foreign transaction fee of 3%
• No bonus categories

Card Details

• Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
• Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
• Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
• 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% Variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
• $0 annual fee.
• No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
• Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
• Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.