The Best Credit Cards for Amazon Purchases of September 2022
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The best credit cards for Amazon purchases of September 2022: Earn cash back or flexible rewards points
Insider's experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here’s how). In some cases, we receive a commission from our our partners, however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.
If you're a frequent Amazon shopper, you'll want to use a credit card that earns the most rewards for your spending to get an even better deal on your purchases.
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Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
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Citi® Double Cash Card
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Chase Freedom Flex℠
Whether you prefer earning flat-rate rewards or want a card that earns a bonus on Amazon spending, there are several great options available right now. Before you decide on a credit card, be sure to consider your overall spending habits — and if you want other bells and whistles like travel insurance and purchase protection.
Here are the best credit cards to use at Amazon in 2022.
We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Earn 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card from Chase
Earn 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods
Card Details
Pros & Cons
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Earn 3% cash back on US online retail purchases (including Amazon)
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express from American Express
Earn 3% cash back on US online retail purchases (including Amazon)
Card Details
Pros & Cons
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Earn 2% cash rewards at Amazon and everywhere else
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card from Wells Fargo
Earn 2% cash rewards at Amazon and everywhere else
Card Details
Pros & Cons
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Earn 2% cash back everywhere with a long 0% intro APR on balance transfers
Citi® Double Cash Card from Citi
Earn 2% cash back everywhere with a long 0% intro APR on balance transfers
Card Details
Pros & Cons
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Best for online shopping (including Amazon)
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card from Bank of America
Best for online shopping (including Amazon)
Card Details
Pros & Cons
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Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Best for purchase protection
The Platinum Card® from American Express from American Express
Best for purchase protection
Card Details
Pros & Cons
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Compare Amazon credit cards
Earn 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods: Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card offers 5% cash back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, including Amazon gift cards — as long as you're an Amazon Prime member (otherwise, you'll earn 3% back on these purchases). Cardholders also get an extra 5 to 15% cash back on certain promotional items, which is one of the highest rewards rates you'll find. This makes the card a great option for your Amazon purchases.
The card offers an interesting feature that can help you save money on interest. At Amazon checkout, on purchases of $50 or more, you can choose a 0% promo APR for six to 18 months on your purchase (then a 16.49% - 24.49% Variable APR). If you choose this option, you won't earn cash back rewards, but it could make sense if you have a large purchase you want to pay for over time.
New cardholders who apply for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card will instantly receive a $100 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval.
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card also earns 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores. Considering those are pretty common spending categories for most people, this isn't a bad card to have in your wallet, especially since it has no annual fee.
Read more about the Amazon Prime Rewards card:
Some credit card and travel loyalty programs allow you to use points for Amazon purchases, including Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One Rewards, and Hilton Honors. However, redeeming rewards this way won't typically give you the best value — read Insider's points and miles valuations to see what your rewards could be worth.
Earn 3% cash back on US online retail purchases (including Amazon): Amex Blue Cash Everyday card
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express recently got a bit of a makeover, and one of the improvements was the addition of a new bonus category. Now, cardholders can earn 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 per year (then 1% back) — and that includes Amazon.
Otherwise, cardholders earn 3% cash back on the first $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets each calendar year (then 1% back), 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 per year (then 1% back), and 1% cash back on other purchases (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as statement credits). That's an excellent rate of return for a card with no annual fee.
Its welcome bonus is respectable: A $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months. New cardholders can also get a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from account opening, followed by a 16.24% - 27.24% Variable.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express also added some handy monthly credits for The Disney Bundle and Home Chef that can save you money (if you already use these services). There's also purchase protection, which is useful if you buy high-value items from Amazon (or anywhere else).
Read more about the Blue Cash Everyday:
Earn 2% cash rewards at Amazon and everywhere else: Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
The no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a terrific choice for earning 2% cash rewards on purchases (including Amazon) and it comes with a generous welcome offer to boot. New cardholders can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
If you have larger purchases coming up, the intro APR offer on the card could also come in handy for saving on interest charges. You'll receive a 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 15 months from account opening (then a 17.24%, 22.24%, or 27.24% Variable APR).
Cardholders also get a handful of benefits, including cell phone protection, roadside dispatch, travel emergency assistance, and Visa Signature Concierge access.
Read more about the Wells Fargo Active Cash:
Earn 2% cash back everywhere with a long 0% intro APR on balance transfers: Citi Double Cash
If you prefer a versatile cash-back credit card with a solid earning rate at Amazon (and everywhere else), the Citi® Double Cash Card is a good pick, especially if you're looking for a long intro 0% APR balance transfer offer. Cardholders get a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, followed by a 16.24% - 26.24% Variable APR.
For a limited time, the card is offering a welcome bonus of $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. You'll also earn 2 points per dollar (1 point at the time of purchase and 1 point when you pay your bill) on all purchases, with no limit to what you can earn.
Each point is worth 1 cent toward cash back, but you can also redeem Citi ThankYou points for travel, gift cards, merchandise, and more. Because the Citi® Double Cash Card has no annual fee, it's a good card to keep for the long term.
If you also have a Citi Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants), you can pool all of your ThankYou points and transfer them to Citi's airline and hotel partners, like Air France, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, and Wyndham. That's why Insider's point and miles valuations peg Citi ThankYou points as worth, on average, 1.6 cents apiece.
Read more about the Citi Double Cash card:
Best for online shopping (including Amazon): Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card
If you do a lot of online shopping in general, including Amazon, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card can potentially be very rewarding. It's got a bit more of a hands-on approach, though; cardholders can earn 3% cash back in the category they choose each quarter from a list: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings.
The 3% earning rate is capped at a maximum of $2,500 per quarter combined with the card's 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, after which you'll earn 1% back on those purchases. The card also comes with a compelling bonus offer: a $200 cash rewards bonus after you spend $1,000 on purchases within 90 days of account opening.
One good thing about this card is the ability to change your category every quarter, so if your spending habits tend to change depending on the time of year, this could be a good pick. For example, choosing online purchases for the last quarter of the year (when folks tend to do a lot of holiday and gift shopping) could prove very rewarding, but in the summer months, gas or dining might be a better pick.
Bank of America Preferred Rewards members can do even better with this card, because the rewards you earn can be worth 25% to 75% more based on your rewards tier (how much you have on deposit with Bank of America and Merrill).
New cardholders also receive a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 18 months and for any balance transfers made within the first 60 days of opening your account, followed by a 16.24% - 26.24% variable APR. There's no annual fee, but be careful using the card outside the US, because it charges foreign transaction fees.
Read more about the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card:
Best for purchase protection: Amex Platinum
It doesn't earn bonus points at Amazon (unless your account is eligible for an Amex Offer** for bonus points at Amazon), but The Platinum Card® from American Express is also worth considering, especially for more expensive Amazon purchases. That's because it offers purchase protection for up to 120 days from your date of purchase, with a maximum of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account per year.
The card has a $695 annual fee, so it's not worth getting for this benefit alone, but if you can take advantage of benefits like monthly Uber Cash credits**, airline incidental fee credits**, and Saks credits**, not to mention airport lounge access, it can be a great option.
The Platinum Card® from American Express recently added a slew of new benefits, including up to $300 annually in Equinox credits**, $189 per year in credits for CLEAR® membership**, up to $200 per year in credits toward eligible prepaid hotel bookings, up to $240 in annual credits toward eligible digital subscriptions**, a monthly credit for Walmart+ membership**, and up to $300 back for purchasing a SoulCycle At-Home Bike through Equinox+.
Read more about the Amex Platinum:
Any Amex card with an Amex Offer for Amazon
One benefit of having an American Express card is that you get access to Amex Offers**. These are deals for bonus points or cash back when you shop with a specific retailer, and there are frequently Amex Offers for bonus points on Amazon purchases.
Since Amex Offers are targeted (they vary for each cardholder), you may not see Amazon offers in your account, but it's worth checking. Keep in mind that you need to add the Amex Offer to your account online and make a qualifying purchase to be eligible for the bonus.
Some of the best American Express cards include:
- Best for dining rewards: American Express® Gold Card (this card also earns 4x points on the first $25,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets each calendar year, then 1x, and this category includes Amazon partner Whole Foods — read our Amex Gold card review)
- Best for cash back: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (read our Amex Blue Cash Preferred review)
- Best for bonus points on travel: American Express® Green Card (read our Amex Green card review)
- Best premium business card: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (read our Amex Business Platinum review)
- Best business card for everyday spending: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (read our Amex Blue Business Plus card review)
Any card that offers an annual spending bonus
If you're more concerned with long-term gain, consider charging your Amazon purchases to a credit card that offers an annual incentive for meeting certain spending thresholds.
For example, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card offers a free weekend night reward after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year, and a second free night after spending a total of $60,000 in a calendar year. You can use your reward at just about any Hilton hotel, including high-end resorts with rates approaching $1,000 per night or more.
Another option is to put your Amazon spending on a Southwest credit card in order to earn the Southwest Companion Pass. If you're unfamiliar with this benefit, it essentially allows you to bring a designated companion along with you for free (just pay taxes and fees) on paid and award tickets.
You'll earn the Companion Pass when you earn 125,000 qualifying Southwest points in a calendar year, and points earned via credit card sign-up bonuses and spending count towards this requirement. Note that you can only have one personal Southwest co-branded card at a time. Here's what you can earn:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card — 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card review)
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card — 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card review)
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card — 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card review)
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card — 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open (read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card review)
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card — 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months (read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card review)
You can also earn a bonus from one personal Southwest card and a business Southwest card or two.
Amazon credit card frequently asked questions (FAQ)
There are three flavors of personal Amazon-branded cards: The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, the Amazon Store Card, and the Amazon Secured Card. For small businesses, there's also the Business Prime American Express Card.
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is exceptional for Amazon and Whole Foods purchases — especially if you're an Amazon Prime member. For no annual fee, it also offers a respectable return on other common purchases such as restaurants, gas stations, and drug stores.
You can use the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card anywhere Visa is accepted. The other Amazon-branded cards store cards and can only be used for Amazon purchases.
You'll make a payment depending on which Amazon card you have. If you've got the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, you'll pay your bill through Chase. If you've got a store card, you'll pay through Amazon with Synchrony Bank here.
Most people who are approved for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card have a credit score in the good or excellent range, which means a FICO score of at least 670, or a VantageScore of 700 or more.
Top Offers From Our Partners
Earn up to 10X the national average APY with a new checking, savings or CD account.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please click here.
Editorial Note: 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. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
**Enrollment required.
For rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, please click here.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Trip Delay Insurance, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, and Cell Phone Protection Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. Global Assist Hotline Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, and Baggage Insurance Plan Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
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