Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images
When Prime Day kicks off on July 16, you’ll have two days to maximize your earnings with the online retail giant. That’s much easier to do with a good credit card at your side — the best can help you save even more on purchases.
Luckily, there are plenty to choose from, including Amazon’s flagship Prime Visa card.
But just because it’s an Amazon-branded card doesn’t mean it’s the best option. There are other cards you should consider, too, depending on how you spend throughout the year.
CNET’S PICK
Intro Offer
Get a $200 Amazon Gift Card
Get a $200 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
When it comes to Amazon purchases specifically, pretty much no card beats the Prime Visa. The card offers 5% back on Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases, 2% back at gas stations, restaurants and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare) and 1% back on all other purchases.
It also has a pretty great welcome offer right now: You can earn a $200 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval. Unlike many credit card welcome offers, you’ll get the $200 welcome bonus right away, without needing to spend a certain amount first.
The card has no annual fee but requires an Amazon Prime membership (which costs $139 for an annual membership or $180 a year if paying month to month). If you already have, or plan to get, a Prime membership to shop Prime Day deals, you can pick up the card for no additional cost.
You can learn more in our Prime Visa review.
Rating Breakdown
4.2
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.
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
5%
Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
2%
Earn unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
1%
Earn unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
When it comes to Amazon purchases specifically, pretty much no card beats the Prime Visa. The card offers 5% back on Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases, 2% back at gas stations, restaurants and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare) and 1% back on all other purchases.
It also has a pretty great welcome offer right now: You can earn a $200 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval. Unlike many credit card welcome offers, you’ll get the $200 welcome bonus right away, without needing to spend a certain amount first.
The card has no annual fee but requires an Amazon Prime membership (which costs $139 for an annual membership or $180 a year if paying month to month). If you already have, or plan to get, a Prime membership to shop Prime Day deals, you can pick up the card for no additional cost.
You can learn more in our Prime Visa review.
Rating Breakdown
4.2
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.
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
5%
Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
2%
Earn unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
1%
Earn unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
Intro Offer
Earn $200
Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a great choice for both Prime Day and beyond thanks to its bonus categories. The card earns 3% cash back (on the first $6,000 spent annually, then 1%) on U.S. online retail purchases, which includes Amazon purchases. Outside of Prime Day, you’ll still have a solid rewards card that earns 3% cash back on U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 in purchases each year in each category, then 1%), helping you cut down on everyday expenses through its rewards.
This card also has a welcome offer with a higher spending requirement than the other cards on this list, but if you’re already planning to spend money on Prime Day, it may offer the perfect opportunity to knock out a good chunk of the spending threshold.
You’ll also receive purchase protection*** which covers your new purchases against damage and theft — something that could come in handy if you’re planning to buy anything expensive.
You can learn more in our Blue Cash Everyday review.
Rating Breakdown
3.6
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
- 0% on balance transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% on Purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.24% – 29.99% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
3%
3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
3%
3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
3%
3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
1%
1% Cash Back on other purchases
Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a great choice for both Prime Day and beyond thanks to its bonus categories. The card earns 3% cash back (on the first $6,000 spent annually, then 1%) on U.S. online retail purchases, which includes Amazon purchases. Outside of Prime Day, you’ll still have a solid rewards card that earns 3% cash back on U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 in purchases each year in each category, then 1%), helping you cut down on everyday expenses through its rewards.
This card also has a welcome offer with a higher spending requirement than the other cards on this list, but if you’re already planning to spend money on Prime Day, it may offer the perfect opportunity to knock out a good chunk of the spending threshold.
You’ll also receive purchase protection*** which covers your new purchases against damage and theft — something that could come in handy if you’re planning to buy anything expensive.
You can learn more in our Blue Cash Everyday review.
Rating Breakdown
3.6
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
- 0% on balance transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% on Purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.24% – 29.99% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
3%
3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
3%
3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
3%
3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
1%
1% Cash Back on other purchases
Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more
The Robinhood Gold Card** is exclusive to Robinhood Gold members, which costs $50 annually or $5 monthly. The card is also waitlisted, but a few people have reported receiving it already.
It’s an attractive offer — 3% cash back for everything, which is a higher rate than some of the best cash-back cards on the market. However, redeeming rewards for cash back is a little complicated. You’ll need to first transfer your rewards to your Robinhood broker account and then to a linked bank account.
But if that doesn’t sound like too much work, you could earn one of the best cash-back rates on a card without an annual fee for everything Amazon and beyond.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.24% – 29.99%
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
5%
5% cash back when you book travel through the Robinhood travel portal
3%
3% cash back on all categories for eligible purchases
The Robinhood Gold Card** is exclusive to Robinhood Gold members, which costs $50 annually or $5 monthly. The card is also waitlisted, but a few people have reported receiving it already.
It’s an attractive offer — 3% cash back for everything, which is a higher rate than some of the best cash-back cards on the market. However, redeeming rewards for cash back is a little complicated. You’ll need to first transfer your rewards to your Robinhood broker account and then to a linked bank account.
But if that doesn’t sound like too much work, you could earn one of the best cash-back rates on a card without an annual fee for everything Amazon and beyond.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.24% – 29.99%
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
5%
5% cash back when you book travel through the Robinhood travel portal
3%
3% cash back on all categories for eligible purchases
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).
If you’re shopping Prime Day, you’ll need a membership anyway, so we aren’t counting this requirement against this card.
But if you only want to apply for one new credit card right now, the Prime Visa might not be the best card for you in the long run, unless you’re an avid Amazon shopper.
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.
It also has a truly great welcome bonus. Upon approval, you’ll instantly earn a $200 Amazon gift card, which could go a long way toward saving you money on your Prime Day purchases.
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.
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 |
*Blue Cash Everyday earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retail purchases and U.S. gas stations (up to $6,000 per year in purchases in each category, then 1%). In the example above, the $5,703 in annual U.S. supermarket spending and $3,120 in annual U.S. gas station spending does not exceed the $6,000 cap for each category with the Blue Cash Everyday.
Note that the above calculations don’t take into account any welcome bonuses or limited-time offers, which vary by card and are subject to change.
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.
The best card for you depends on your spending habits. If you spend a lot on U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, the Blue Cash Everyday and the Robinhood Gold Card pull ahead.
This brings us to our final point: The Prime Visa could influence your spending habits. 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.
The bottom line
Having a cash-back credit card with extended warranty or purchase protections could help protect your new purchase from theft or damage while also offering rewards to help offset some of the expense.
While the Prime Visa is the most rewarding card for Amazon purchases, it may not be the most worthwhile card for everyone in the long run.
If you’re going to use Amazon frequently, or you plan on regularly maintaining a Prime membership, it’s your best bet. 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 whichever card you use, don’t let Prime Day deals or credit card rewards push you to spend more than you intend to.
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.
+ There are no comments
Add yours