Amazon Store Cards vs. Amazon Visa Credit Cards: Which One Is Best?

If you ever shop at Amazon, you’ve probably seen ads for both Amazon store cards and Amazon Visa credit cards. These types of payment cards have some key differences you should know if you plan to open one.

In a nutshell, Amazon store cards are only for Amazon shopping, while Amazon Visa credit cards are traditional credit cards that you can use for payment anywhere Visa is accepted. Earning rewards is a key motivator in opening one of these cards, and if you’re a Prime member like I am, you’re eligible for greater rewards.

Let’s explore how Amazon store cards versus Amazon Visa credit cards compare to help you understand which type of Amazon card would be a better fit for you.

Key takeaways

• Amazon store cards are restricted to Amazon purchases, while Amazon Visa credit cards are usable anywhere Visa is accepted.
• With the Amazon Prime Store Card, you can earn 5% back at Amazon.com.
• One Amazon Visa credit card is the Prime Visa, which lets you 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.
• Amazon store cards typically have fewer benefits but can be helpful for building credit. Amazon Visa credit cards provide a broader range of benefits, including financing for eligible Amazon purchases, travel perks, and purchase protection.

Card comparisons

5 important differences between Amazon store cards and Amazon Visa credit cards

While Amazon store cards and Amazon Visa credit cards share some benefits, they differ in several essential ways.

1. Usability

You can only use Amazon store cards at Amazon.com, which means that you won’t be able to use them at any other online store or physical merchant.

On the other hand, you can use Amazon Visa credit cards anywhere Visa is accepted. Plus, there’s no need to worry about foreign transaction fees, as both Amazon Visa credit cards don’t charge them.

Winner: Amazon Visa credit cards since you can use them in more places than Amazon store cards.

2. Earning rewards

The Amazon Store Card doesn’t offer rewards, while the Amazon Prime Store Card offers 5% cash back on Amazon.com purchases.

The Amazon Visa helps you earn 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. The Amazon Prime Visa helps you 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.

Winner: Amazon Visa credit cards are more versatile, enabling you to earn rewards at more retailers than solely Amazon.

3. Welcome offers

The Amazon Store Card and Amazon Prime Store Card help you earn an Amazon gift card upon approval, typically worth $10 to $100.

The Amazon Visa offers the chance to earn a $50 Amazon gift card upon approval of credit card application.

With the Amazon Prime Visa, you can earn a $100 Amazon gift card upon approval.

Winner: Amazon Prime Visa. Amazon store cards and Amazon Visa credit cards both provide Amazon gift cards of varying values upon approval, but the Amazon Prime Visa’s welcome offer is the most lucrative.

4. Redemption methods

The Amazon Prime Store Card enables you to redeem your rewards toward Amazon purchases or in the form of statement credits.

The two Amazon Visa credit cards enable you to redeem your rewards toward Amazon purchases or as cash back, gift cards, or travel.

Winner: An Amazon Visa credit card comes out on top with the most options for redeeming your rewards.

5. Card benefits

Each of the Amazon store cards and Amazon Visa cards come with benefits, but the Amazon Visa credit cards definitely have more robust perks for cardholders, such as:

Winner: Amazon Visa credit cards are simply better, with many more benefits. However, if you already have another credit card that provides travel protections and purchase protections, an Amazon Prime store card may fit the bill for basic Amazon rewards.

Our verdict

For versatility and rewards earning potential, your best bet is an Amazon Visa credit card, especially the Prime Visa. You do need an Amazon Prime membership to qualify for the biggest perks, but with this card you receive additional benefits like travel perks and purchase protection.

However, Amazon store cards, such as the Amazon Prime Store Card, can be a great fit for frequent Amazon shoppers, offering a 5% return on Amazon.com purchases and financing options.

How to get the Prime version of either card

To get the Prime version of either of these cards, you have to already have the standard Amazon Store Card or Amazon Visa credit card as well as an eligible Amazon Prime membership. This will qualify you for an automatic upgrade to the Prime version of each card.

If you’re approved for the Amazon Store Card and don’t have a Prime membership, you’ll end up with the non-Prime Amazon.com Store Card, which doesn’t offer any earning potential. If you're approved for the Amazon Visa credit card and don't have a Prime membership, you'll get the non-Prime version, which offers fewer rewards and benefits.

As someone who has held a Prime membership for many years, it’s hard to imagine letting it lapse due to the many benefits I get from it, from free two-day shipping on most items to unlimited photo storage. But if you’re only looking at Prime to get the most out of one of these Amazon cards, think carefully whether the Prime benefits are worth the cost ($139 annually).

The moral of that story is: if you have Amazon Prime, you’ll receive more benefits, though there are a few benefits to the non-Prime versions of the Amazon Store card and Amazon Visa.

Amazon store cards benefits and drawbacks

The Amazon Store Card and Amazon Prime Store Card are two cards offered by Amazon and Synchrony Bank. I wouldn’t go with the non-Prime store card unless you have to to access financing with less-than-stellar credit.

Amazon Store Card

The Amazon Store Card is a no-annual-fee store card that offers financing for purchases made on Amazon.com.

Pros of the Amazon Store Card:

• Financing options: The Amazon Store Card offers financing for purchases of $150 or more, which can be a great benefit if you need to make a large purchase and want to pay it off over time.
• $0 annual fee: This card has a $0 annual fee, making it easy to keep year after year for your Amazon shopping needs.
• Welcome offer: You can earn an Amazon gift card after approval.

Cons of the Amazon Store Card:

• Limited use: This card can only be used on Amazon.com. You can’t use this card at any other retail store.
• No rewards: The Amazon Store Card doesn’t offer rewards for Amazon.com purchases. To earn rewards on your purchases, you need to join Amazon Prime.

Amazon Prime Store Card

Think of the Amazon Prime Store Card as the Amazon Store Card’s improved version.

Pros of the Amazon Prime Store Card:

• 5% back on Amazon purchases: As a Prime member, you can earn 5% back on your Amazon.com purchases when you use the Amazon Prime Store Card.
• Financing options: Like the regular Amazon Store Card, the Amazon Prime Store Card also offers financing for purchases of $150 or more.
• $0 annual fee: There’s no additional annual fee to have this card.

Cons of the Amazon Prime Store Card:

• Limited use: Just like the non-Prime version, the primary limitation of the Amazon Prime Store Card is its exclusive usability, which is restricted solely to Amazon.com purchases.
• Prime membership required: As its name suggests, the Amazon Prime Store Card requires an Amazon Prime membership, which comes with an annual fee of $139 or monthly fee of $14.99. Keep in mind that this store card itself has a $0 annual fee.

Amazon Visa credit cards benefits and drawbacks

The Amazon Visa and Prime Visa are two credit cards offered by Amazon and Chase. As a big Amazon user myself, I can definitely see the benefits of these cards, especially the Prime version. Unlike the store cards, you can use Amazon Visa cards wherever you can pay with Visa credit cards.

Amazon Visa

The Amazon Visa is a credit card that helps you earn rewards on your purchases while benefiting from a $0 annual fee.

Pros of the Amazon Visa:

• Rewards on purchases: The Amazon Visa helps you earn 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.
• Financing options: With the Amazon Visa, you can access financing opportunities for purchases totaling $50 or more.
• $0 annual fee: This card charges a $0 annual fee, making it a cost-effective choice for regular Amazon shoppers.

Cons of the Amazon Visa:

• Lower rewards than Prime cards: While this credit card helps you earn rewards on your Amazon.com purchases, both the Amazon Prime Store Card and the Prime Visa enable you to earn more rewards.

Prime Visa

The Amazon Prime Visa is similar to the Amazon Visa but as you might guess, it offers more exciting benefits for Amazon Prime members.

Pros of the Amazon Prime Visa:

• Increased rewards on Amazon purchases: As a Prime member, 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.
• Elevated rewards on rotating items and categories: The Amazon Visa Prime enables you to earn an additional 10% back on select Amazon products with the Prime Card Bonus.
• Financing options: You can finance eligible purchases of $50 or more with the Amazon Prime Visa.
• $0 annual fee: The Amazon Visa Prime comes with an annual fee of $0, which makes it a good fit for people looking to earn rewards on their Amazon purchases but don’t want to worry about yearly costs.

Cons of the Amazon Prime Visa:

• Prime membership required: The main drawback of this card is that it requires an Amazon Prime membership, which comes with an annual fee.

Who the Amazon Store Card or Amazon Visa Credit Card is best for

Either an Amazon store card or Amazon Visa credit card can be a solid choice for people who like to shop at Amazon. The following categories indicate you might be a good candidate for an Amazon card.

Frequent Amazon shoppers

Obviously, if you spend a lot of your money on Amazon and related purchases like Audible, Amazon Fresh, and other Amazon stores, you’re probably well-suited to an Amazon store card or Visa. Other than the basic Amazon Store Card for non-Prime members, the Amazon payment cards offer rewards on Amazon purchases.

You can earn the maximum in rewards on Amazon purchases and have the convenience of using your rewards for further Amazon purchases. For those of us who tend to check Amazon first before making an online purchase, it’s a pretty good deal.

You may have noticed that other rewards cards sometimes give bonus points or rewards for Amazon purchases. For example, my Chase Freedom Flex^® credit card offered 5% cash back on Amazon.com purchases from April to June of 2024, but with a cap of $1,500 in spending. An Amazon Store Card or Amazon Prime Visa would be preferable since you earn 5% cash back year-round.

Amazon Prime members

If you’re an Amazon devotee with Amazon Prime, you want to maximize the benefits you gain from that Prime membership. I already get a lot of value from being a Prime member, but the extra rewards on spending at Amazon make it extra beneficial to have either an Amazon store card or Amazon Visa card.

And again, the earning rate is year-round, unlike other cash back rewards cards that may reward Amazon spending, but only during a temporary promotional period, perhaps one quarter per year.

Those who want to finance Amazon purchases

There’s another reason you might want to apply for an Amazon store card or Visa. All four Amazon cards offer financing options, which can come in handy if you’ve got a big upcoming purchase you intend to make on Amazon.

Qualifying for the Amazon Store Card or Amazon Prime Store card, in particular, may be easier for you if your credit is in the Fair range of 580 to 669. If it’s hard to qualify for another credit card, an Amazon store card can give you access to financing those larger purchases (and let’s face it, you can get nearly anything you can imagine at Amazon).

Additional Amazon card options

If these cards don’t seem like the best fit for you, there are other Amazon card options from other credit card issuers. These include:

• Amazon Secured Card: This card is issued by Synchrony Bank and provides you with a way to build or rebuild your credit. It has no annual fee, can be used for Amazon purchases, and requires between a $100 to $1,000 refundable security deposit.
• Amazon Business American Express Card: Has a $0 annual fee and helps you earn 3% back in Amazon Rewards points or no interest for 60 days on U.S. Amazon Business, AWS, Amazon.com, and Whole Foods purchases (on up to $120,000 in purchases per calendar year, after that 1%); 2% back at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and purchases with U.S. wireless providers; and 1% back on all other eligible purchases.
• Amazon Business Prime American Express Card: Has a $0 annual fee and helps you earn 5% back in Amazon Rewards points or no interest for 90 days on U.S. Amazon Business, AWS, Amazon.com, and Whole Foods purchases (on up to $120,000 in purchases per calendar year, after that 1%); 2% back at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and purchases with U.S. wireless providers; and 1% back on all other eligible purchases. An eligible Amazon Prime membership is required for this card.

FAQs

Bottom line

Amazon credit cards can make sense if you frequently shop on Amazon. But depending on your shopping habits, you might get better value from a more versatile credit card like the Chase Freedom Flex^® or Citi Double Cash^® Card, which are often included as two of the best rewards credit cards available.

Chase Freedom Flex^®

The Chase Freedom Flex can be an excellent card to use for everyday expenses. It offers bonus cash back in multiple categories, including 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service); and 1% cash back on all other purchases. 

When combined with a Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, the Freedom Flex can be powerful for earning both cashback rewards and travel rewards.

To learn more about this card, read our Chase Freedom Flex review.

Citi Double Cash^® Card

The Citi Double Cash makes earning rewards simple and straightforward because you get the same earning rate on every purchase. 

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.

To learn more about this card, read our Citi Double Cash review.

Lucrative, Flat-Rate Cash Rewards

Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card

5.0

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.

Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card

Apply Now

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. 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% 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.