How to Apply for and Maximize an Amazon Credit Card

You can sign in to your Amazon account to apply for an Amazon credit card. Depending on whether you apply for a store or Visa card, you'll need a fair to good credit score.

Amazon store cards might work well for you if you often shop at Amazon. How you can maximize Amazon Rewards credit cards depends on which one you get. For example, the Amazon Store Card offers 5% back on Amazon.com purchases to cardholders with Prime membership, but you cannot use it at other places. Both Amazon Rewards Visa cards, on the other hand, let you earn rewards through other bonus categories as well.

Amazon credit cards include the Amazon Store Card, the Amazon Rewards Visa Card, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card, the Amazon Secured Card and the Amazon Business American Express Card.

While all these cards give you the ability to earn rewards on Amazon purchases, the Visa cards and Business Amex Card offer rewards through other bonus categories too.

If you frequently shop at Amazon you may benefit from these cards by earning points that earn cash back rewards. The rewards you earn through these cards come in the form of points, with 1% back, or 1 point per dollar you spend on the card. So, 100 points equate to $1 back.

Amazon Rewards credit card benefits vary from one card to the other, although all give you the ability to earn rewards on Amazon purchases. In addition, all these cards come with no annual fees.

Amazon Store Card (Issued by Synchrony Bank)

• $60 Amazon gift card upon your card's approval
• 5% back on Amazon.com purchases for Prime members
• May opt for 6-, 12- or 24-month 0% interest financing offers instead of earning rewards
• Zero fraud liability

Amazon Rewards Visa Card (Issued by Chase)

• $50 Amazon gift card upon your card's approval
• 3% back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market purchases
• 2% back on gas station and restaurant purchases
• 1% back on all other purchases
• May opt for 6- or 12-month 0% interest financing offers instead of earning rewards
• No foreign transaction fees
• Travel cover
• Purchase protection and extended warranty
• Zero fraud liability

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card (Issued by Chase)

• $100 Amazon gift card upon your card's approval
• 5% back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market purchases
• 10% or more back on rotating categories and products at Amazon.com
• 2% back on gas station and restaurant purchases
• 1% back on all other purchases
• May opt for 6- or 12-month 0% interest financing offers instead of earning rewards
• No foreign transaction fees
• Travel cover
• Purchase protection and extended warranty
• Zero fraud liability

Amazon Secured Card (Issued by Synchrony Bank)

• 2% back on Amazon.com purchases for Prime members
• Can apply with a poor or no credit history
• Reports to major credit bureaus
• The security deposit can be as low as $100 and as high as $1,000
• Might qualify for the unsecured Amazon Store Card after the first 12 months
• Access to TransUnion CreditView
• Zero fraud liability

Amazon Business American Express Card (Issued by American Express)

• 5% back or 90-day financing terms on Amazon.com, Amazon Business, AWS and Whole Foods Market purchases in the U.S. for Prime members
• 3% back or 60-day financing terms on Amazon.com, Amazon Business, AWS and Whole Foods Market purchases in the U.S. for non-Prime members
• 2% back at restaurants and gas stations in the U.S., and on wireless phone service purchases made directly with service providers in the U.S.
• 1% back on all other purchases
• Spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and get a welcome bonus of $100 in the form of a statement credit
• Employee cards
• Access to various account management tools
• No foreign transaction fees
• Return protection
• Travel cover

You can start by logging into your Amazon account to apply for any of the Amazon credit cards.

The information you need to provide when applying for an Amazon credit card includes your personal details, Social Security number, housing information, and income.

Bear in mind that your credit score plays a role in the eligibility of these cards.

• Amazon Secured Card — Poor, fair, or no credit history
• Amazon Store Card — Average or fair credit
• Amazon Rewards Visa Card — Good to excellent credit
• Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card — Good to excellent credit
• Amazon Business American Express Card — Good to excellent credit

How much you can save with an Amazon Rewards Credit Card depends on the card you have. For example, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card gives you the ability to earn maximum rewards among all the personal cards on offer. However, you need to account for the fee you pay toward your Prime membership.

Even though you need to pay a fee for Prime membership, it's possible to earn the equivalent of that amount in rewards by spending enough money on your Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card.

For example, you might spend $3,000 per year on Amazon.com, which comes with a 5% back, or $150. This would offset the cost of your Prime membership fee of $139 per year or $14.99 per month. Bear in mind that this card lets you earn rewards through other categories too.

The rewards you stand to earn are not the same if you get the Amazon Rewards Visa Card or the Amazon Store Credit Card.

The Amazon Rewards Credit Card may be worth it if you frequently shop on Amazon. If you get the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card or the Amazon Store Credit Card with Prime membership, you'll need to ensure that you earn enough rewards to cover the fee you pay for your monthly or annual membership.

Getting the no-annual-fee Amazon Secured Credit Card might be worth it if you wish to build or improve your creditworthiness. The Amex Amazon Business Credit Card might be a good fit for business owners who want to capitalize on their spending through Amazon, Amazon Business and Amazon Web Services. This is because they get to choose between earning rewards and interest-free terms through these merchants.

Now that you know what to expect from different Amazon credit cards, you should determine which one might work well for you based on your credit score and your willingness to sign up for Prime. Alternatively, you may look at what the other top rewards credit cards have to offer.