Amazon Visa Card Review: 3% Back at Amazon and Whole Foods Without Prime

Amazon Visa

• Best for: Amazon and Whole Foods Market shoppers who do not subscribe to Prime
• What makes it different: Earn 3% back at Amazon without a Prime membership; that rises to 5% after adding Prime and confirming the card in your Amazon account
• Cost: $0 annual fee; no foreign transaction fee; variable APR of 18.99% to 27.74%
• Rewards: 3% at Amazon.com, Audible, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel; 2% at gas stations, restaurants, and local transit; 1% on all other purchases
• Welcome offer: $50 Amazon gift card when approved
• Pros: No Prime membership required for 3% back; points are worth 1 cent each at Amazon checkout or as a statement credit
• Cons: Only 1% back outside bonus categories; the welcome gift card is one-third of the Prime Visa’s $150 offer

The Amazon Visa is a strong option for frequent Amazon or Whole Foods Market shoppers who do not want to pay for Prime. It offers 3% back at those retailers with no annual fee. Prime members may be better off with the Prime Visa, which pays 5% at the same stores and includes a $150 welcome gift card.

Chase offers two Amazon credit cards, and the Amazon Visa — known as the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature until 2023 — is the one that does not require an Amazon Prime membership. Applications are submitted through an Amazon.com account, and the approved bonus is delivered as an Amazon gift card.

Key features

• No annual fee and no foreign transaction fee
• Unlimited 3% back at Amazon.com, Audible, Whole Foods Market, and on travel booked through Chase Travel
• Unlimited 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, and local transit, including rideshare and parking, plus 1% on all other purchases
• $50 Amazon gift card upon approval
• Variable APR of 18.99% to 27.74%, which applies to carried balances

Pros

• 3% back at Amazon and Whole Foods without paying for Prime, which works out to about $108 a year on $300 in monthly spending
• Rewards can be redeemed for 1 cent each at Amazon checkout or as a statement credit
• Earns 5% at the same stores if you join Prime and confirm the card in your Amazon payment settings

Cons

• Only 1% back on purchases outside the bonus categories, so it is best used alongside a flat 2% card
• The $50 welcome gift card is much smaller than the $150 offer available with the Prime Visa
• Items split into 0% Equal Pay installments at Amazon do not earn rewards
• No 3% back on purchases made with Amazon Pay at other stores or on Amazon’s international websites

For shoppers who skip Prime, the card delivers 3% back at Amazon and Whole Foods with no annual fee. Based on our calculations, paying Prime’s $139 annual fee to earn 5% back only makes sense once spending at those stores exceeds $6,950 a year. Prime members should consider the Prime Visa instead, since its welcome gift card is $150 rather than $50.

Learn more about the Amazon Visa or compare it with the best credit cards for Amazon purchases.