Skip to content
Store credit cards don’t have the best reputation. An awkward cash register pitch from an indifferent teenager never sets the best tone, and those of us who bite are often left underwhelmed by the benefits of even owning one.
Could the Prime Visa Card be the exception to the rule? Or is it just the same as that dusty Macy’s card in your wallet?
The good news is that if you shop at Amazon with any frequency, the card delivers. Read on to learn more about the Prime Visa Card, its sneaky good intro bonus, and what its solid cash-back rewards rates can do for you.
- Best for: Regular Amazon customers
- Annual Fee: $0
- APR: 19.99% - 28.74% (Variable)
- Reward Rate: 1%-10%
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Prime Visa
$200 Amazon Gift Card intro offer
Offer Details:
Get a $200 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members.
Why we like it
The Prime Visa is one of the few store cards that pulls it weight. With a whopping 5% cashback on Amazon purchases, those with an itchy trigger finger when it comes to online shopping can reap some serious rewards. It may not be a points-earning product, but few other cards can come close to the value offered on Amazon spending. Its introductory offer of a $200 Amazon gift card is a nice addition, considering it has no spending requirement.
Reward details
Prime Card Bonus: Earn 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel℠ purchases with an eligible Prime membership
Earn unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
Earn unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
Pros & Cons
Pros
High cashback rate on Amazon
Strong intro offer with no spending requirement
No annual fee
Cons
Need an Amazon Prime membership to earn rewards
Few perks
Less useful beyond Amazon
Welcome Bonus
The main attraction of the Prime Visa Card is the generous introductory offer: a $200 Amazon gift card.
While most cards set a spending requirement to earn a bonus, the Prime Visa gifts its welcome bonus to new cardholders just for getting approved. The only stipulation for opening a card (besides the usual credit checks) is that you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber. If all is well, you’ll see the e-gift card hit your inbox immediately.
It can only be used for Amazon purchases but, as we all know, that means you can buy pretty much anything that’s available on the internet.
Annual Fee
Another big positive for the card is the absence of an annual fee. Other cards often require some planning to ensure you recoup the value of the fee. The card costs nothing to own, helping make the cash back you earn and the intro bonus all the more valuable. There are no foreign transaction fees either, so you’re good to use the card when traveling abroad.
For the right customer, this should make the card a no-brainer.
Earning Rewards
The Prime Visa is a cash-back card, so there are no points to be earned here. That doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. Its cash-back rates on Amazon and other specific categories are unmatched, making it a tremendously valuable card for the right person.
5% cash back on Amazon, Whole Foods, and more (plus 10% rotating bonuses)
The card offers 5% cash back on all Amazon purchases, including Amazon Fresh (the retailer’s grocery arm). Anyone with a hefty online shopping habit can reap serious rewards with the Prime Card — and there’s no other card out there that offers anywhere close to a 5% cash-back rate on Amazon purchases.
There’s also the opportunity to earn 10% cash back on rotating categories and specific items on Amazon. You’ll need to keep a lookout for what’s on offer to take advantage of these.
If you’re not convinced you’d use the card enough, double-check which frequent purchases you could bulk buy or subscribe to on Amazon. You’d be surprised how practical and affordable the items on the site have become. For many Amazon Prime subscribers, this card is a great way to earn serious rewards on the many purchases you’re already making.
The Prime Card also offers the same 5% cash back rate on Whole Foods purchases and on travel booked through Chase Travel℠. While these are more niche categories, those who frequent Whole Foods will be able to earn a serious amount of cash back on their grocery runs. Again, there are nearly no other cards that come close to offering this level of rewards on Whole Foods purchases.
2% at gas stations, restaurants, and commuting
The second earning tier earns cardholders 2% cash back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local commuting options, including ride-hailing services. There are better rates out there for all of these categories, but it’s still generous a solid rate and could appease those looking for a single-card strategy.
Non-bonus earning rates
All other purchases will earn 1% cash back, with no limit to how much you can earn.
Redeeming Rewards
The Prime Visa is a true cash-back card and, as such, you can’t redeem any of your rewards and get outsized value as your might with a travel card. With that said, you still have a few ways to use them.
Redeem for purchases on Amazon
The simplest redemption method is to use ‘em where you earned ‘em. You’ll see the cash back accumulate in your Amazon account. When you go to make a purchase, any available rewards will appear as a payment method when checking out on Amazon. If you’d like to use them for your next purchase, simply select this payment method and the cash back will be deducted from your account.
Redeem for cash back
Another way to redeem your rewards is to cash out. Using the Chase website, you’ll be able to deposit the rewards into a bank account of your choosing. From there, you have ultimate flexibility and can use the cash for anything you like.
Redeem for gift cards or on Chase Travel
The final two options are just as straightforward. You can redeem your cash back as gift cards, whether that’s for your favorite restaurant or the Apple store. Don’t worry about losing any value—your cash back will retain its value when redeeming for a gift card.
Finally, you can redeem your rewards on Chase Travel. There’s no outsized value to be found like you would when using hotel points or airline miles, but it’s a handy way to pay for a flight, car rental, or accommodation. Just make sure to shop around with prices before you default to the portal. Sometimes the rates aren’t as cheap.
Benefits and Perks
As like many cards that don’t have an annual fee, the Prime Visa isn’t loaded with extra perks. That’s standard for a card of this type, so it’s best to focus on the strong rewards-earning potential it offers.
With that said, it does come with some strong coverage. Purchases are covered by an extended warranty and 120-day purchase protection, while travelers can take advantage of baggage delay insurance, travel accident insurance, rental car insurance, and lost luggage reimbursement. There’s even zero liability protection for any fraudulent activity.
These are all useful perks, and there are plenty of no-annual-fee cards that don’t offer these, so the Prime Card does slightly hit above its weight here.
Who’s it for?
The Prime Visa Card is perfect for anyone who spends a significant amount of money on Amazon. No other credit card offers as large as a return as it does on Amazon shopping. The same logic applies to those who shop regularly at Whole Foods.
With that said, having no annual fee makes it appealing to less frequent Amazon customers, too. Especially when the introductory bonus offer requires no spending.
It’s worth noting that as a Chase card, it falls under the 5/24 rule. This means that if an applicant has opened five or more cards within the last 24 months, they will likely be rejected. If the card is of interest to you, it would make sense to prioritize it over a non-Chase card.
The Point
The Prime Visa Card is a strong store card, offering excellent cash-back rates and a generous introductory offer that’s easy to earn. While it does fit a specific niche, less frequent Amazon users could still find some value in the product as there’s no annual fee.
- Best for: Regular Amazon customers
- Annual Fee: $0
- APR: 19.99% - 28.74% (Variable)
- Reward Rate: 1%-10%
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Prime Visa
$200 Amazon Gift Card intro offer
Offer Details:
Get a $200 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members.
Why we like it
The Prime Visa is one of the few store cards that pulls it weight. With a whopping 5% cashback on Amazon purchases, those with an itchy trigger finger when it comes to online shopping can reap some serious rewards. It may not be a points-earning product, but few other cards can come close to the value offered on Amazon spending. Its introductory offer of a $200 Amazon gift card is a nice addition, considering it has no spending requirement.
Reward details
Prime Card Bonus: Earn 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel℠ purchases with an eligible Prime membership
Earn unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
Earn unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
Pros & Cons
Pros
High cashback rate on Amazon
Strong intro offer with no spending requirement
No annual fee
Cons
Need an Amazon Prime membership to earn rewards
Few perks
Less useful beyond Amazon
by your friends at The Daily Navigator
