Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card Review

The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card is a straightforward cash-back credit card with no annual fee. Backed by Chase, it’s designed for habitual Amazon shoppers who spend freely with the retail giant and its grocery subsidiary, Whole Foods Market. It also has above-average rewards for people who dine out often and drive heavily.

The easiest way to redeem cash back earned with this card is for instant discounts on purchases from Amazon.com. You can also redeem for general statement credits to your account, which is nice if you don’t actually use this card for Amazon purchases all that often.

This card boasts a standard slate of Visa Signature benefits and a special sign-up bonus for Money Crashers readers, but it’s otherwise a decidedly no-frills piece of plastic. If you pay $139 per year for an Amazon Prime membership, look into the similar Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, which earns up to 5% cash back on eligible Amazon and Whole Foods purchases.

Is the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card Legit?

Yes, the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card is legit. It’s backed by two of the biggest companies (literally) in the Western Hemisphere: Amazon and Chase Bank. And it has millions of satisfied users.

I’m one of them, in fact. I can attest to this card’s legitimacy — I’ve never had an issue with it or its grown-up sibling, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card.

What Sets the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card Apart

The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card stands out from the competition for three reasons in particular:

• 3% Cash Back on Eligible Amazon.com and Whole Foods Purchases. For a no-annual-fee cash-back credit card, the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature’s 3% cash-back tier is pretty impressive. If you regularly buy stuff on Amazon or at Whole Foods — and you probably do if you’re interested in this card — then this opportunity is hard to pass up.
• Broad 2% Categories. This card has broad 2% cash-back categories too: gas stations, and restaurants (including takeout and online ordering). Again, this is an above-average rewards rate for a no-annual-fee credit card.
• Flexible 0% Financing Option on Bigger Purchases. This might be the Amazon Rewards Visa’s hidden superpower: the option to claim 0% financing on any reasonably big Amazon purchase made with your card. You do have to forgo the 3% cash-back rate, but it could be worth it if money is tight.

Key Features of the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card

Intrigued by what you’ve learned so far? Let’s dive into the top features of the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card.

Sign-Up Bonus

When you click the link above or below to reach the application page for this credit card, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a $50 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval. There’s no introductory spend requirement or any other hoops to jump through.

Earning Cash -Back Rewards

This card has a three-tiered cash-back rewards program. You’ll earn:

• Unlimited 3% cash back on all Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market purchases.
• Unlimited 2% cash back on purchases at restaurants and gas stations.
• Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Redeeming Cash-Back Rewards

You can redeem your accumulated cash back for instant discounts on Amazon purchases, with no minimum to redeem. This is known as Amazon’s Shop With Points feature, and it’s the easiest way to redeem your cash back.

You can also redeem for actual cash back (statement credits) at Chase’s Ultimate Rewards portal, but be aware that its rewards program isn’t connected to the broader Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem that serves most Chase rewards credit cards. So it’s really statement credits, Amazon purchases, or bust.

Pay Over Time APR (Instead of 3% Cash Back on Larger Purchases)

On purchases over $50, you have the option to decline the usual 3% cash back rate and make equal monthly payments at 0% APR. The length of the 0% APR period and number of equal monthly payments depends on the purchase size:

• 6 equal monthly payments on purchases of $50 or more.
• 12 equal monthly payments on purchases of $250 or more.
• 18 equal monthly payments on purchases of $500 or more.

The order size here means total order size, not per-item cost. So if you buy a bunch of lower-value items that add up to $255 in a single order, you’ll be able to break up your payback into 12 equal monthly payments of $21.25.

Important Fees

This card has no annual fee. The foreign transaction fee is 3%.

Credit Required

This card requires good to excellent credit. Any notable blemishes in your credit history are likely to disqualify your application.

Advantages of the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card

Like what you’ve read so far? Here’s why you should seriously consider applying for the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card.

• No Annual Fee. The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card has no annual fee, meaning there’s no financial penalty for keeping it in your wallet for occasional use. That’s great news for frugal cardholders who don’t spend enough at Amazon or elsewhere to offset a recurring annual charge.
• Excellent Rewards on Amazon and Whole Foods Purchases. This card earns 3% cash back on all Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market purchases. That’s an excellent top earning rate. And, because you can buy pretty much anything from Amazon, it’s theoretically possible to earn 3% cash back on the bulk of your card spending.
• Above-Average Rewards in Popular Categories. On top of the 3% cash-back earning rate on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, this card offers above-average cash-back earnings on two popular spending categories: restaurants and gas stations. If you pair your Amazon or Whole Foods shopping habit with occasional (or frequent) meals out and lots of driving, these categories will serve you well.
• Smooth Redemption Process. It’s super easy to redeem cash back earned with this card. In fact, you can do so with no effort at all when you check out on Amazon. If you prefer to redeem for general statement credits, simply log into Chase’s rewards portal and state your preference. There are no hoops to jump through and, in most cases, no minimum redemption requirements.
• No Penalty APR. This card has no penalty APR, which is great news for cardholders who occasionally miss payments due to temporary liquidity issues. Many popular cash-back credit cards carry penalty APRs that reach as high as 30% and last indefinitely once a payment due date has been missed.

Disadvantages of the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card

The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card does have some drawbacks, including no sign-up bonus (at least not a standing one) and few fringe benefits.

• No Introductory Promotions. The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card doesn’t offer a 0% introductory APR promotion for purchases or balance transfers. That’s a big drawback relative to many competing cash-back cards. For example, Citi Double Cash has an 18-month 0% APR promotion on balance transfers.
• Few Fringe Benefits. This card’s main attraction is its fairly generous cash-back program. It has virtually no additional benefits other than the standard slate of Visa Signature perks. If you’re looking for a credit card with attractive perks, such as complimentary rental car insurance and baggage protection for travelers, look to competing cards such as Chase Sapphire Preferred.
• Has a Foreign Transaction Fee. This card has a 3% foreign transaction fee. That’s a big drawback for cardholders who frequently travel abroad, perhaps on road trips to Mexico or Canada or international vacations farther away.

How the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card Stacks Up

Before you apply for this card, see how it stacks up to its closest “competitor,” if you can call it that: the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card.

Final Word

The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card doesn’t have the simplest cash-back rewards program ever. It earns 3% back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market purchases; 2% back on restaurants and gas stations; and 1% cash back on everything else. Some competing cards offer flat cash-back rates on all purchases, no matter the category.

However, the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card’s purpose is straightforward: to reward frequent Amazon.com and Whole Foods shoppers who also eat out and drive often, and who like credit card rewards programs that make redeeming rewards as easy as possible. If that sounds like you, give this card a closer look.