If you regularly shop at Amazon, the Amazon Visa provides a great opportunity to earn cash back that can be used to help offset the cost of future purchases. Along with Amazon.com, the card offers an elevated cash back rate at Whole Foods Market, restaurants, gas stations and drugstores. The $0-annual-fee card also offers an Amazon gift card immediately upon card approval.

That said, if you have an Amazon Prime membership, you may be better off with the Prime Visa, since it offer a higher cash back rate at Amazon and Whole Foods.

We highlight the pros and cons of the Amazon Visa, and show how it compares to another cash back card — the Discover it^® Cash Back — to help you determine which is the right fit for you.

The information related to the Amazon Visa has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuers of these cards prior to publication.

• Cash back in popular spending categories

  The Amazon Visa lets cardholders earn 3% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases, 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare), and 1% back on all other purchases.

  You can use your rewards to pay for part or all of your purchase during checkout at Amazon.com. Rewards can also be redeemed for cash back, gift cards or travel at Chase.com.

   

• Easy-to-earn sign-up bonus

  Unlike most rewards cards that require you to spend a specific amount within a given timeframe in order to earn a sign-up bonus, the Amazon Visa allows you to get a $60 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval and earn 3% back everywhere on up to $1,500 in spending for the first 3 months after account opening ($45 value).*.

• Annual fee

  The Amazon Visa comes with a $0 annual fee.

• Lower earning potential for non-Prime members

  Although the Amazon Visa offers a decent cash back rate on Amazon and Whole Food Market purchases, know that you can earn a higher rate of 5% back on those purchases if the Amazon.com account through which you apply for the card has an eligible Prime membership.

  With Prime membership, you may be eligible for the Prime Visa, which allows you to earn 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership, 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare), and 1% back on all other purchases.

• No intro APR offer

  If you carry a balance on your Amazon Visa from month to month, you will be subject to interest charges at an APR of 19.24% - 27.24% (variable), since the card doesn’t offer an intro APR on purchases.

  If you need to finance a large purchase and pay it off over time, you may be better off with a card that offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for a year or longer.

   

• Eligibility limitations

  Because the Amazon Visa is issued by Chase, beware that it’s subject to the issuer’s “5/24 rule.” This means, if you opened five personal credit cards from any issuer in the last 24 months, you won’t be eligible for a new Chase credit card.

Compare it to the Discover it^® Cash Back

 

If you’d prefer a card that offers a generous cash back rate in a variety of categories that rotate quarterly, as well as an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for more than a year, you may want to consider the Discover it^® Cash Back.

The $0-annual-fee card offers 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.

In fact, cardholders can earn the bonus cash back rate on Amazon.com purchases —including Gas Stations and Digital Wallets — during the third quarter of 2023. Rewards can be redeemed for statement credit or used to make purchases at Amazon.com and PayPal.

The Discover it^® Cash Back also offers the following sign-up bonus: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.

Additionally, cardholders receive a 0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases, after which a 16.99% - 27.99% Variable APR applies. There’s also a 0% Intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers, after which a 16.99% - 27.99% Variable APR applies.

If you want to earn a solid cash back rate on Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market purchases, but don’t have an Amazon Prime membership, you may want to consider the Amazon Visa. Along with offering rewards in a variety of everyday spending categories, the card comes with an Amazon gift card upon approval and charges a $0 annual fee.

But if you want the opportunity to earn a higher cash back rate in a wider range of spending categories that rotate quarterly, the Discover it^® Cash Back may be a better fit. Additionally, the card offers an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for more than a year.

Just know, because the Discover it^® Cash Back categories rotate each quarter, you aren’t guaranteed to earn the 5% cash back rate at Amazon.com every month.

The information related to the Prime Visa has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuers of these cards prior to publication.