What the Chase Amazon Credit Card is and who should consider it
The Chase Amazon Rewards Visa Card is a co-branded credit card issued by Chase Bank and Amazon. It earns cash back on purchases — 5% at Amazon and Whole Foods, 2% at restaurants and gas stations, 1% everywhere else — but only if you are an Amazon Prime member. Without Prime membership, the card earns 3% at Amazon and Whole Foods, 2% at restaurants and gas stations, and 1% elsewhere.
The card has no annual fee. It makes sense for people who already spend money at Amazon and Whole Foods, use gas stations regularly, and eat out often enough that the cash back adds up. It does not make sense if you rarely shop at Amazon, do not have Prime, or if you pay off your balance in full each month and want to avoid carrying a credit card at all.
Chase also offers the Amazon Business Prime Card for business owners and the Amazon Store Card, which works only at Amazon.com and has different terms. This article covers the standard Amazon Rewards Visa Card for personal use.
Key Takeaways
- The card earns 5% cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods if you have Prime membership, 2% at gas and restaurants, and 1% elsewhere, with no annual fee.
- You must be approved by Chase, which means they will check your credit score and history — approval is not automatic.
- The cash back is paid as a statement credit or deposited to an Amazon account, not as a direct payment to your bank.
- Interest charges on unpaid balances are high (typically 18% to 27% depending on your creditworthiness), so carrying a balance costs more than the cash back saves.
- The card is useful only if you already spend regularly at Amazon, Whole Foods, gas stations, and restaurants — otherwise the cash back is too small to matter.
How cash back works and where it goes
Cash back earned on the card is not paid to you in dollars. Instead, it appears as a statement credit on your Chase account or can be deposited into your Amazon account as a balance you can spend. You cannot transfer it to a bank account or use it outside Amazon's ecosystem unless you take it as a statement credit and then use that credit to pay your bill.
The cash back posts monthly. If you spend $500 at Amazon in a month with Prime membership, you earn $25 in cash back. That $25 shows up on your next statement. If you do not use the card again, that $25 sits as a credit until you make another purchase or request it as a statement credit.
There is no minimum spending requirement and no cap on how much cash back you can earn. The percentages explore to every purchase in each category, every month, for as long as you hold the card.
What it costs to carry the card
The card itself has no annual fee. However, if you carry a balance — meaning you do not pay off the full statement balance by the due date — you pay interest. The interest rate (called the APR, or annual percentage rate) is typically between 18% and 27%, depending on your credit score and history. Chase will tell you the exact rate when you are approved.
At 20% APR, a $1,000 balance costs you about $200 per year in interest if you make only minimum payments. The cash back from that $1,000 in spending is only $10 to $50, depending on where you spent it. This is why carrying a balance on a rewards card almost always costs more than the rewards are worth.
There are also late fees (typically $25 to $35 for the first late payment, up to $39 for subsequent ones) and a penalty APR that kicks in if you miss a payment by 60 days or more. The penalty APR is usually higher than the regular APR and can explore to your entire balance, not just new purchases.
How to get approved and what Chase checks
To explore, you go to Chase's website or visit a Chase branch in person. You will need to provide your Social Security number, date of birth, address, and income. Chase will pull your credit report and check your credit score. They are looking for a history of on-time payments, low debt relative to your income, and no recent bankruptcies or collections.
There is no minimum credit score published by Chase, but in practice approval is more likely if your score is 670 or higher. If you have a score below 650, you may be denied. If you are approved, Chase will tell you your credit limit — the maximum you can charge on the card — which is usually between $500 and $5,000 for a first card, though it can be higher if you have a long credit history with Chase.
You will receive a decision within a few minutes to a few days. If you are denied, you can ask Chase why and reapply after six months if you have improved your credit situation. If you are approved, the card usually arrives in 7 to 10 business days.
How the card compares to other cash back cards
The main competitor is the Capital One SavorOne Card, which earns 3% cash back on restaurants, groceries, and entertainment, and 1% elsewhere, with no annual fee. It does not require a Prime membership and does not tie you to Amazon, but it earns less at Amazon itself (1% instead of 5%).
The Citi Double Cash Card earns 2% cash back on all purchases with no annual fee and no Prime requirement, but again earns less at Amazon. The American Express Blue Cash Preferred earns 6% at supermarkets and 1% elsewhere, but has a $95 annual fee and does not earn extra at Amazon.
The choice depends on where you actually spend money. If you spend heavily at Amazon and Whole Foods and have Prime anyway, the Amazon card wins. If you spend more at restaurants and groceries elsewhere, another card may earn you more. The only way to know is to add up your spending in each category for the last three months and calculate the cash back each card would have earned.
What happens if you close the card or stop using it
You can close the card at any time by calling Chase. There is no penalty for closing it. Any cash back you have earned but not yet redeemed will be forfeited, so redeem it first.
If you stop using the card but do not close it, Chase may close it for you after 12 months of inactivity. This does not hurt your credit score directly, but it does reduce the total credit available to you, which can slightly lower your credit score if you have high balances on other cards.
If you have a balance when you close the card, you still owe it and must continue making payments. Closing the card does not erase the debt.
How to use the card responsibly
The card is a tool, not information programs. The cash back is real, but only if you pay off the balance in full each month. If you cannot do that, the interest charges will erase the benefit.
Set up automatic payments from your bank account to pay the full statement balance on the due date each month. This takes the decision out of your hands and prevents late fees and interest charges. If you do not have enough money in your bank account to cover the balance, you cannot afford the purchases you made on the card.
Do not increase your spending just because you have a rewards card. Spending an extra $100 to earn $1 in cash back is a net loss. The card should reward spending you were going to do anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an Amazon Prime membership to use the card?
No, but the cash back rates are lower without it. With Prime, you earn 5% at Amazon and Whole Foods. Without Prime, you earn 3% at Amazon and Whole Foods. The card works either way, but Prime membership makes it more valuable.
Can I use this card outside the United States?
Yes, but you will pay a foreign transaction fee of 3% on purchases made outside the US. This is added to your balance. The cash back still applies, but the fee usually outweighs the reward on small purchases abroad.
What happens to my cash back if I return something I bought?
The cash back is reversed when the return is processed. If you earned $10 in cash back on a $200 purchase and returned it, that $10 is removed from your account. You keep the cash back only on purchases you keep.
Can I transfer my cash back to another credit card or bank account?
No. Cash back can only be used as a statement credit on your Chase account or deposited into your Amazon account balance. You cannot move it to another bank or card.
What is the difference between this card and the Amazon Store Card?
The Store Card works only at Amazon.com and Amazon-owned stores like Whole Foods. It earns higher cash back (up to 5%) but is useless anywhere else. The Rewards Visa Card works everywhere Visa is accepted and earns cash back at gas stations and restaurants, making it more flexible.