The Amazon Prime Visa offers unlimited 5% back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, plus solid rewards in other everyday spending categories. This card provides excellent value for Prime members who frequently shop at Amazon, though you’ll need to maintain a Prime membership to get the full benefits.
This credit card review will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
Welcome Bonus of Prime Visa
The Prime Visa currently offers the following welcome bonus: bonus_miles_full.
If you frequently shop on Amazon or Whole Foods, this instant bonus essentially gives you a head start on your rewards earning.
While looking at other cards in this category, you’ll notice many have spending thresholds before earning a bonus, which makes this instant gratification stand out.
Earning Rewards with Prime Visa
The Prime Visa earns cash back at the following rates:
This card shines for Amazon and Whole Foods purchases with its industry-leading 5% return, making it a must-have for frequent Amazon shoppers. The 2% categories are decent but can be beaten by other cards that specialize in dining, transit, or gas rewards.
For general spending, you’ll want to look elsewhere since the 1% rate is below average compared to flat-rate 2% cards. While the rewards are straightforward cash back, other transferable points cards could potentially offer more value through travel partners.
Annual Fee
While the Prime Visa doesn’t have a traditional annual fee, you need an active Amazon Prime membership that costs $139 yearly (or $14.99 monthly) to qualify for the card.
The card’s benefits help offset this membership cost through 5% cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods, plus valuable perks like no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance, and purchase protection.
Prime Visa Benefits and Perks
The Prime Visa offers the following benefits for cardholders: No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose. 120-Day Purchase Protection: Get 120 days of protection against damage, theft, and even loss of your purchases – one of the longest windows available. This premium coverage automatically applies when you pay with your card. Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans. Baggage Delay Insurance: Missing luggage doesn’t have to derail your trip – this coverage steps in to reimburse you for essential purchases when your checked bags are delayed by airlines, trains, or other carriers. You can grab the necessities you need, from a fresh outfit to personal care items, while waiting for your bags to arrive. Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card. Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.
Redeeming Prime Visa Rewards
Your Amazon Prime Visa rewards are incredibly straightforward – just redeem your cash back instantly at Amazon checkout with no minimum required, or get traditional cash back through Chase. During Amazon checkout, you’ll see your available rewards balance and can apply any amount to your purchase, down to a single penny.
While you can also redeem through Chase for statement credits, direct deposits, gift cards, or travel bookings, using rewards directly on Amazon purchases or as cash back typically provides the best value.
Your rewards never expire as long as your account remains open, giving you endless flexibility to use them when and how you want.
Pros and Cons of the Amazon Prime Visa
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
Strong Amazon Earnings: The 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods (with Prime membership) is the highest consistent return available for Amazon purchases, making this an excellent choice for regular Amazon shoppers.
No Annual Fee Card: While Prime membership is required, the card itself has no annual fee, which means any rewards earned are pure profit if you’re already a Prime member.
Travel and Purchase Benefits: You’ll receive comprehensive travel insurance including baggage delay, lost luggage coverage, and rental car insurance, plus purchase protection and extended warranty – impressive for a no-annual-fee card.
Cons:
Poor Everyday Spending: The 1% back on general purchases is well below the standard 2% flat rate offered by many no-annual-fee cards, making this a poor choice for your everyday spending outside of Amazon and the few bonus categories.
Prime Membership Required: You must maintain an Amazon Prime membership to get the full 5% earning rate, which effectively creates a $139 annual cost to maximize the card’s benefits.
Alternatives to the Prime Visa
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review) sets itself apart with 1.5% back on non-bonus purchases, plus higher rewards in select categories including dining and travel. This flexible rewards card becomes even more valuable when paired with a premium Chase card, allowing you to transfer your rewards to travel partners. Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full Earning Cash Back: 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services; 3% back on drugstore purchases; 1.5% back on all other purchases CaBenefits: Purchase protection, extended warranty, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, secondary rental car insurance, and 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, after that reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR applies; 
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (review) offers 3% cash back on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retailers, and U.S. gas stations, plus credits for eligible subcriptions. Welcome Bonus: Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Earning Rewards: 3% cash back at US Supermarkets, US online retail purchases, and US gas stations; 1% back on all other eligible purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Card Benefits: Eligible subscription credit (earn $7 back as statement credit for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at Disneyplus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com U.S. websites; enrollment required), secondary rental car insurance, and purchase protection.
Is the Amazon Prime Visa Worth It?
The Amazon Prime Visa serves one primary purpose: offering 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods, though you’ll need an active Prime membership to unlock this earning rate.
While the card includes a quick gift card bonus upon approval, its real value comes from being the best option for Amazon and Whole Foods purchases if you’re already paying for Prime.
The card’s rewards on other categories like dining, gas, and transit are unremarkable, with many other cards offering similar or better rates in these areas. Since maintaining a Prime membership is required for the full 5% back (it drops to 3% without Prime), this card only makes sense if you’re already a Prime member who frequently shops at Amazon or Whole Foods – otherwise, you’ll want to look elsewhere for your everyday spending.
