Prime Day is over, but it won’t be forever. You could take this time to plan for next year’s event by adding a new card to your wallet. There are plenty of great credit card options for shopping Amazon, including the retail giant’s flagship Prime Visa card.
But is this Amazon-branded card the best option? In most cases, yes. Most shoppers will be able to earn more back when using this card to shop Prime Day. But it’s not the only card worth considering. Ultimately, the card that’s best for you will come down to how you spend throughout the year.
Is the Prime Visa the best card for shopping Prime Day?
We rate credit cards using our Rewards / Travel methodology for cards tailored to earning rewards. We focus on each card’s reward potential, the value you get compared to the card’s cost, the benefits and the card’s rates and fees. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 29.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
We rate credit cards using our Rewards / Travel methodology for cards tailored to earning rewards. We focus on each card’s reward potential, the value you get compared to the card’s cost, the benefits and the card’s rates and fees. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 29.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Prime Visa has the highest rewards rate for Amazon purchases of any credit card. It does require a Prime membership, which costs $139 annually, or $15 monthly (paying monthly works out to $180 a year) -- but you’ll need that anyway to shop Prime Day.
One major pro for the Prime Visa is its unique welcome bonus. Upon approval, you’ll instantly earn a $100 Amazon gift card, which could go a long way toward saving you money on your Prime Day purchases.
But the Prime Visa isn’t the right choice if you’re not an avid Amazon shopper. While the Prime Visa offers rewards on purchases outside of Amazon, but the rates are just so-so: 2% cash back on gas stations, restaurants and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare); and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Other credit cards to consider for Prime Day
While the Prime Day boasts the best overall rewards for Amazon, if you’re looking for a general rewards card, a different card may work better.
Both the Blue Cash Everyday and Robinhood Gold Card have higher reward rates on certain everyday purchase categories and may offer better ongoing value.
Let’s look at the numbers. On average, households purchased a total of $155.67 on Prime Day last summer. And Amazon Prime members spend an average of $1,400 per year.
However, that number is dwarfed by how much consumers spend on essentials like food and gas. The average household spent $5,703 on food at home and $3,120 on gasoline, other fuels and motor oil last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
When you take into account other spending categories for the average American, you could be leaving rewards on the table with the Prime Visa.
How the Prime Visa compares to the Blue Cash Everyday and Robinhood Gold Card
Here’s how much you could earn with the Prime Visa versus the non-Amazon cash-back cards mentioned above each year:
| If you spend: | $250 in Amazon purchases on Prime Day* | $1,150 in additional Amazon purchases throughout the year* | $5,703 in grocery store/U.S. supermarket purchases annually* | $3,120 in gas/U.S. gas station purchases annually* | Total cash back |
| Prime Visa | $12.50 | $57.50 | $285.15 (at Whole Foods) $57.03 (elsewhere) | $62.40 | $417.55 or $189.43 (non-Whole Foods) |
| Amex Blue Cash Everyday | $7.50 | $34.50 | $171.09 | $93.60 | $306.69 |
| Robinhood Gold Card | $7.50 | $34.50 | $171.09 | $93.60 | $306.69 |
But in terms of regular rewards over the course of a year, the extra rewards you’ll get from groceries, gas and other everyday purchases from a standard cash-back card can easily outweigh the rewards you get from your Prime Day shopping spree using the Prime Visa, unless you plan to spend an inordinate amount of money on Amazon or do all your grocery shopping at Whole Foods.
- Intro Offer
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Get a $100 Amazon Gift Card Get a $100 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 20.49% – 29.24% Variable
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
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1% – 10% Prime Card Bonus: Earn 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership; Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership; Earn unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare); Earn unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
- Intro Offer
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Earn $200 Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 19.24% – 29.99% Variable
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% on Purchases for 15 months
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
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1% – 3% 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.; 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.; 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.; 1% Cash Back on other purchases
- Intro Offer
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No current offer
- Annual fee
- N/A
- APR
- 20.24% – 29.99%
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- N/A
- Rewards rate
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3% – 5% 5% cash back when you book travel through the Robinhood travel portal; 3% cash back on all categories for eligible purchases
The Prime Visa isn’t the only option for Prime Day
If you shop on Amazon frequently, or you plan on regularly maintaining a Prime membership, the Prime Visa can help you earn the most in rewards on Prime Day. But if Amazon isn’t your go-to retailer, you may want to choose a more versatile cash-back card with purchase protections and useful rewards categories outside of Amazon.
And though the Prime Visa card stands out above most rewards cards for shopping Prime Day, it may also lead to overspending. On average, Prime members spent $800 more on Amazon each year than non-Prime members. If having the Prime Visa or even Amazon Prime itself might push you to spend more than intended on Amazon, you might be better off without it, even if it means missing out on some rewards and deals.
As with any credit card, you should be realistic about how much you intend (or can afford) to spend and not let the prospect of earning credit card rewards encourage you to overspend or buy things you don’t need.
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For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express, click here.
**All information about the Robinhood Gold Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
***Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
