Shopping online is an easy way to save time and money, which is why many of us prefer to use Amazon when making purchases. Not only does it sell everything you could imagine with fast shipping, but the site makes it easy to shop around for a reasonable price.
For those who find themselves shopping online more than in store — or planning to make a lot of Black Friday purchases — getting a credit card to increase the value of your purchases could be worth considering. The following cards are the best to use when shopping on Amazon.
Amazon Prime Visa Signature
Annual fee: None (though $139 Prime membership required)
APR: 16.49%-24.49%
Introductory 0% APR: None
Rewards: 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods, 2% at gas stations, restaurants, and drug stores, 1% all other purchases.
For those who already have an Amazon Prime membership (opens in new tab), getting the Amazon Prime Visa Signature card is a no-brainer. It offers an impressive rewards rate, earning you 5% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods. While the card has a $0 annual fee, you’ll still have to pay for a Prime membership, which costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year. However, if you’re spending a good deal already, it shouldn’t be hard to offset this cost. Plus, you’ll still be able to use the card anywhere VISA is accepted. You’ll get 2% back on restaurants, gas stations and drug stores, as well as 1% on all other purchases. Considering you can practically purchase anything from Amazon, this cash back rate is very impressive.
Since the card offers no 0% APR offer, it’s not a great choice for cardholders looking to carry a balance. The variable APR of the card is 14.24-22.24%, so if you were planning on making a large purchase and paying it off over time, another option, like the Citi Double Cash Card would be a better choice. If you do think the Amazon Prime Visa Signature card is right for you, then you’ll be happy to know that just for being approved for the card, you can receive a $150 Amazon gift card.
Sign up for Amazon Prime Rewards Visa (opens in new tab)
Discover It Cash Back
Annual fee: None
APR: 14.99-25.99%
Introductory 0% APR: 15 months
Rewards: 5% back at select categories, 1% elsewhere
If you’re a frequent Amazon shopper looking for a way to maximize on cash back earnings, the Discover it Cash Back is a great option. This card offers a rotating rewards program, in which you’ll earn 5% cash back when enrolled in quarterly categories, with a spending cap of $1,500. After hitting that limit, you’ll still be able to earn 1% back. Similarly, all other purchases outside of this category will similarly earn 1% cash back. Rotating categories cover a range of popular purchases, and Amazon has been one of the categories, recurring each year since 2015. So, if you don’t mind enrolling each quarter or planning your spending ahead of time, then this card is a great way for you to earn cash back.
Additionally, this card is a great option to rack up as much cash as possible through its first year welcome bonus. At the end of your first year as a cardholder, Discover will match the total amount of cash back earned, so it’s a great card to open when you know you’ll be spending a lot within the first year of owning it. Also, you’ll have the opportunity to avoid expensive interest rates due to the card’s 0% introductory APR rate. On both new purchases and balance transfers, you’ll have 15-months to pay off balances while avoiding interest.
Sign up for Discover it Cash Back (opens in new tab)
Citi Double Cash
Annual fee: None
APR: 16.99 to 26.99%
Introductory 0% APR: 18 months
Rewards: 1% back, 1% when paying off balances
For those who are partial to flat-rate cash back, the Citi Double Cash Card is a good option for shopping at Amazon. With the card, you’ll earn 1% cash back when making purchases, and another 1% when you pay off your balances. This 2% cashback is applicable to all purchases, so you don’t have to worry about spending limits or enrolling in rotating categories. With no spending cap, earning 2% back on all your purchases can end up saving you more than a card with a revolving rewards rate, especially when you consider there’s no annual fee to offset each year. Along with that, if you spend at least $1,5000 in the first six months of owning the card, you’ll earn a generous $200 cash back, saving you even more money.
Plus, for cardholders who already have debt (opens in new tab), you can take advantage of the card’s introductory 0% APR offer. For 18 months after opening the Citi Double Cash Card, you’ll avoid expensive interest rates on balance transfers, giving you the breathing room to pay off balances.
Sign up for Citi Double Cash Card (opens in new tab)
Capital One Venture Rewards
Annual fee: $95
APR: 18.99 to 26.99%
Introductory 0% APR: 18 months
Rewards: 2% back on all purchases
For cardholders who prefer to get rewards in the form of airline miles, the Capital One Venture Rewards card is a good option for Amazon shoppers. This is because it rewards 2 miles per dollar for all purchases, not just travel expenses, an impressive rate compared to most cards. However, you won’t have to sacrifice the higher earnings on travel purchases. You’ll still earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One travel. With an annual fee of $95, those who frequently shop on Amazon could find the 2% cash back rate more than enough to offset this cost.
Plus, the card comes with an impressive welcome bonus. If you spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening the card, you’ll earn a whopping 75,000 bonus miles ($750 in travel). So, if you’re planning to travel for the holidays or looking to save for a vacation, this card could help you earn a lot on the purchases you’re already making online.
Sign up for Capital One Venture Rewards (opens in new tab)
Blue Cash Preferred from American Express
Annual fee: $95
APR: 16.99 to 27.99%
Introductory 0% APR: 12 months
Rewards: 6% back at supermarkets, 3% back on transit and gas stations, 1% everything else
The Blue Cash Preferred Card could potentially earn you up to 6% cash back on your Amazon.com purchases, but it’ll take a little more effort than other cards on this list. This card offers 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year) as well as select streaming services. It also offers 3% cash back on transit purchases and at gas stations, while everything else earns you 1%. For those who don’t mind putting in a little more work to get a higher rewards rate, an easy way to up the cash back value of your Amazon purchases is to buy Amazon gift cards at the supermarket, with a 6% cash back rate, and then upload the balance to your account.
The annual fee of the Blue Cash Preferred card is $95, but it also comes with a generous welcome offer. Within the first six months of opening the card, if you spend at least $3,000, you’ll be rewarded with an extra $350. Additionally, it also has a 0% introductory APR offer for 12 months on both new purchases and balance transfers. So, if you’re looking for a way to maximize the value of your Amazon purchases, and aren’t opposed to putting in a few additional steps, this card is a great choice for you.
Sign up for Blue Cash Preferred (opens in new tab)
Bottom Line
The above cards are a great choice when shopping on Amazon, as they allow cardholders to earn valuable cash back on the purchases they’re making. However, before applying for any card, it’s important to make sure that your credit score (opens in new tab) is up to par, not only for approval but to receive a rate on the lower end of the card’s variable APR.
