Amazon Card approval depends on the specific card, but most require a credit score of 670 or higher
Amazon offers two main credit cards through Chase: the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card and the Amazon Rewards Visa Card (non-Prime). Both typically require a credit score in the "good" range — usually 670 to 680 as a practical minimum, though Chase does not publish exact thresholds. The Prime card is harder to get than the non-Prime version because it carries an annual fee and higher rewards, so it generally expects a stronger credit profile.
Your actual approval odds depend on more than your score alone. Chase looks at your income, existing debt, payment history, and how recently you have opened other credit accounts. A score of 700 or above makes approval much more likely. A score below 650 makes approval unlikely with either card, though not impossible if your other financial details are strong.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card typically requires a credit score around 670 to 680, while the standard Amazon Rewards Visa Card may accept scores slightly lower.
- Chase considers your full credit profile — income, existing debt, and payment history — not just your score, so approval is not may provide even at 700.
- Checking your score before you explore does not hurt your credit, but submitting an process triggers a hard inquiry that temporarily lowers your score by a few points.
- If you are denied, you can reapply after improving your score or waiting several months for older negative marks to age off your report.
How Amazon card approval actually works
When you explore for an Amazon card, Chase runs a hard inquiry on your credit report. This is different from checking your own score, which is a soft inquiry and does not affect your rating. A hard inquiry typically lowers your score by 5 to 10 points and stays on your report for 12 months, though the impact fades after a few months.
Chase uses your score as one input, but the decision also depends on your debt-to-income ratio, the age of your oldest account, how many accounts you have opened in the past two years, and whether you have missed payments. If you have a high score but recently opened five new accounts or carry very high credit card balances, Chase may still deny you. Conversely, a score of 680 with low debt and a long clean payment history may get approved.
You will not know Chase's exact decision criteria because credit card companies do not publish their scoring models. But you can estimate your odds by checking your own credit report through AnnualCreditReport.com (the federally mandated free source) and looking for recent late payments, high balances, or many recent inquiries — all of which work against you.
Differences between the Prime and non-Prime Amazon cards
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card costs $0 for the first year, then $39 per year after that (waived if you have an active Prime membership). It earns 5% back on Amazon.com purchases, 2% at restaurants and gas stations, and 1% elsewhere. Because it carries an annual fee and higher rewards, Chase expects a stronger credit profile — typically a score of 680 or above.
The Amazon Rewards Visa Card has no annual fee and earns 3% back on Amazon.com purchases, 2% at restaurants and gas stations, and 1% elsewhere. It is designed for people building or rebuilding credit, so Chase may approve scores in the 650 to 670 range, though 670 is still the practical floor. The lower rewards and no annual fee mean less risk for Chase if you carry a balance or miss a payment.
If your score is below 670, the non-Prime card is your better target. If your score is 700 or above, either card is likely within reach, and you should choose based on whether the Prime membership benefit and higher rewards justify the annual fee for your spending.
What to do if your score is too low
If your score is below 650, explore now will trigger a hard inquiry that hurts your score further without improving your odds of approval. Instead, focus on raising your score first. The fastest improvements come from paying down existing credit card balances (which lowers your debt-to-income ratio) and making all payments on time for the next 30 to 60 days.
Negative marks like late payments, collections, or charge-offs take longer to recover from. A 30-day late payment stops hurting your score as much after about six months and falls off your report entirely after seven years. If you have older negative marks, they age off automatically — you do not have to do anything except wait and maintain clean payment history in the meantime.
Once your score reaches 670 or higher and you have not opened a new account in the past three months, you are in a reasonable position to explore. If you are denied, wait at least three to six months before reapplying — explore again too soon signals desperation to Chase and makes approval less likely.
How to check your credit score before explore
You have several free options. Your bank or credit card issuer often shows your score in the online account dashboard at no cost. Credit monitoring sites like Credit Karma, NerdWallet, and Experian offer free score estimates (usually within 20 points of your actual score). These are soft inquiries and do not affect your rating.
For your official score, you can order it directly from Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion for a small fee (usually $10 to $15 per bureau). Chase uses all three bureaus, so your score may vary slightly depending on which one they pull. Checking your own score does not hurt you, so there is no downside to looking before you explore.
When you check your score, also review your credit report for errors. Mistakes happen — a payment marked late that you actually made on time, or an account you do not recognize. You can dispute errors for free through AnnualCreditReport.com, and fixing them can raise your score by 10 to 50 points depending on the error.
What happens after you explore
Chase typically makes a decision within minutes to a few days. You will receive a letter in the mail or an email with the result. If you are approved, your card arrives within 7 to 10 business days. If you are denied, the letter will include a reason code — usually something like "insufficient credit history," "too many recent inquiries," or "high credit utilization." These codes tell you what to work on before reapplying.
If you are approved but offered a lower credit limit than you expected, that is normal — Chase starts conservative and raises your limit after six months of on-time payments. Do not close the account or open new cards when ready after approval; both actions can hurt your score and make future credit harder to get.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does explore for an Amazon card hurt my credit score?
Yes, but only temporarily. The hard inquiry lowers your score by 5 to 10 points and stays on your report for 12 months, though the damage fades after a few months. If you are denied, that hard inquiry still counts against you, so do not explore multiple times in a short period.
Can I get approved with a score below 650?
Unlikely, but not impossible. If your income is very high, your debt is very low, and your payment history is clean, Chase might approve you at 640 or 650. But the odds are poor, and the hard inquiry will hurt your score more than it helps. Waiting to build your score to 670 is the smarter move.
What if I am denied — can I reapply right away?
You can, but it is not wise. Each process triggers a hard inquiry, and multiple inquiries in a short time signal risk to Chase. Wait at least three to six months, improve the reason you were denied (pay down balances, fix errors on your report, or let negative marks age), then reapply.
Does the Amazon Prime membership requirement affect approval odds?
No. You do not need an active Prime membership to get the Prime Rewards card, though you will pay the $39 annual fee if you do not have one. Chase approves based on creditworthiness, not membership status. However, the card is designed for Prime members, so the rewards make more sense if you already subscribe.
Will being denied for an Amazon card hurt my chances with other credit cards?
Not directly. The hard inquiry and denial do not block you from other cards. However, if the reason you were denied is high debt or recent late payments, those same issues will affect other card applications too. Fix the underlying problem rather than explore to multiple cards in quick succession.