Which Amazon Credit Card Is Best For You? | Bankrate

At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here’s an explanation for how we make money . The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

At Bankrate, we focus on the points consumers care about most: rewards, welcome offers and bonuses, APR, and overall customer experience. Any issuers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide to consumers at each of these levels. At each step of the way, we fact-check ourselves to prioritize accuracy so we can continue to be here for your every next.

At Bankrate, we have a mission to demystify the credit cards industry — regardless or where you are in your journey — and make it one you can navigate with confidence. Our team is full of a diverse range of experts from credit card pros to data analysts and, most importantly, people who shop for credit cards just like you. With this combination of expertise and perspectives, we keep close tabs on the credit card industry year-round to:

Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information.

We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.

Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.

Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.

We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.

Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.

You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey.

Amazon’s approach to its credit card lineup is similar to its offerings as a superstore — there’s something for everyone. Amazon has credit cards for both Prime members and occasional Amazon shoppers, along with cards for consumers who have excellent credit and those with a thin credit file.

So, which Amazon card is right for you? Here’s what you need to know.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card*: Best for Prime members with good-to-excellent credit

The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card has no annual fee, but a Prime membership (currently $139 per year) is required. The card’s earning rates are pretty good: You’ll get 5 percent cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market; 2 percent cash back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores; and 1 percent cash back on all other purchases. As a Prime member, you’ll also be able to get 10 percent back or more on a rotating selection of Amazon products.

There’s also a welcome bonus for new cardholders — an up to $150 Amazon gift card. This is far from the most earth-shattering welcome bonus we’ve seen, but it helps cancel out the annual fee for the first year. After the first year, you can recoup the Prime membership fee by spending $2,780 per year at Amazon and Whole Foods. That’s not a daunting task if you frequently shop at those stores.

Additionally, the Amazon Prime Rewards card comes with benefits like travel accident insurance, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, an auto rental collision damage waiver, roadside dispatch, extended warranty coverage and purchase protection.

Not a Prime Member? Pick the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card*

If you’re not a Prime member, this card comes in a non-Prime version: the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card. With this card, you can still earn Amazon rewards, but you’ll get scaled-back benefits. For example, this card comes with a meager $50 gift card as a welcome bonus. Still, keep in mind that you’re already saving $139 on the Prime membership.

The best part, however, is the card’s above-average earning rates, which include 3 percent cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods Market; 2 percent cash back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores; and 1 percent cash back on everything else. So, even if you don’t want to splurge on a Prime membership — but you regularly buy stuff on Amazon — the Amazon Rewards Visa can still be a valuable companion.

Amazon Prime Store Card*: Best for Prime members with fair-to-good credit

In general, store cards are controversial due to their typically-low credit limits and high interest rates. But what if you’re an avid Amazon Prime shopper with less-than-stellar credit? That’s where the Amazon Prime Store Card can help. Keep in mind that this is a closed-loop card, meaning you can only use it at Amazon and Amazon companies (however, a list of exceptions apply). Plus, although this card has no annual fee, you need to have an Amazon Prime membership to get this card.

The 5 percent cash back at Amazon is nothing to sneeze at, but there is not much more that this card provides. You can opt for one of the card’s special financing offers, but that means you’ll have to forgo the cash back — you can’t have both.

Not a Prime Member? Pick the Amazon Store Card*

The Amazon Store Card doesn’t have cash back or other rewards — the 5 percent cash back at Amazon is only available to Prime members — and its only tangible benefits are no annual fee and a $10 gift card instantly upon approval.

It’s worth noting that there are better cards for fair-to-good credit, some of which earn rewards. But if you’re declined for the Amazon Store Card, you’ll be automatically considered for the Amazon Secured Card.

Amazon Prime Secured Card*: Best for Prime members with poor or no credit

With the Amazon Prime Secured Card, you can work on building your credit while getting something in return — Prime members can earn 2 percent cash back on Amazon purchases. While there are other secured cards that earn cash back, 2 percent back is pretty generous.

Additionally, this card doesn’t come with a welcome bonus, but secured cards don’t normally offer a welcome bonus, so this is to be expected. This card also comes with an astonishingly-low interest rate of 10 percent APR (fixed). Of course, we recommend that you pay off your charges in full every month (and not carry a balance).

This card has three shortcomings, however:

• The maximum credit limit you can receive is $1,000.
• Upgrading to an unsecured card takes 12 months of credit building.
• The upgrade option is for the Amazon Prime Store Card, a closed-loop store card.

Not a Prime Member? Pick the Amazon Secured Card*

The only difference between the Amazon Prime Secured Card and the Amazon Secured Card is that the latter doesn’t offer cash back. All other terms and conditions, including the 10 percent fixed APR, are the same.

The bottom line

Amazon seemingly offers the most comprehensive credit card lineup out of all store credit cards. There are open-loop and closed-loop cards, cards for Prime members and non-Prime members and cards to help consumers build credit.

However, there are other cards to consider for shopping on Amazon. With one of these cards, you might be able to find better perks or a better welcome bonus. Even if you’re in the market for a secured card, check the top secured card offers to see if there’s a better option for you.

*All information about the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card, Amazon Prime Store Card, Amazon Store Card, Amazon Prime Secured Card and Amazon Secured Card has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.