The Ultimate Guide to Amazon Rewards Card Cash Back (2025)

Introduction

If you shop on Amazon regularly, you’re always looking for ways to save money. The best way to save on Amazon is through their special credit cards. The main question is: what do these cards give you? The amazon rewards card cash back program gives you up to 5% money back when you shop at Amazon and Whole Foods Market. This is one of the best rates you can get with store credit cards. This guide will teach you everything you need to know. We’ll look at the different cards you can get, explain how you earn cash back rewards, show you how to use your points, and help you decide if this card is right for you. We’ll also share expert tips to earn more money and explain the important rules every person should know before applying.

The Amazon Card Family

The Main Difference

How much money you get back from an Amazon credit card depends on one important thing: whether you have Amazon Prime or not. The best reward – 5% cash back – is only for people who pay for Amazon Prime membership. If you don’t have Prime, you can still get a card, but you’ll earn much less money back on Amazon purchases. This difference is the most important thing to understand when choosing which card is best for you and whether it makes sense for how you spend money.

Comparing the Cards Side by Side

To make things clear, let’s look at the main cards together. Both cards are made by Chase and work as Visa cards, so you can use them anywhere that takes Visa, not just on Amazon.

What About Store Cards?

There are also Amazon Store Cards made by Synchrony Bank. These cards can only be used to buy things on Amazon.com. While they sometimes give the same 5% back for Prime members, their main benefit is special payment plans (like 0% interest on big purchases for a certain time). This guide focuses on the Visa credit cards and their amazon rewards card cash back program because you can use them anywhere for everyday spending.

How Cash Back Works

For Prime Members

If you have Prime membership with the Prime Visa Card, you earn different amounts based on where you shop. This system rewards you heavily for shopping with Amazon while still giving you good rates on other purchases.

• 5% Back: This is the best rate. You get this on all purchases at Amazon.com, through the Amazon phone app, at Amazon stores (like Amazon Go), and at Whole Foods Market, both in stores and online.
• 2% Back: This rate covers many everyday spending types. You get 2% back at restaurants, including fast food and fancy dining. It also works at gas stations and for transportation like Uber and Lyft, subways, taxis, and public transportation.
• 1% Back: For every other purchase that doesn’t fit the categories above, the card gives you 1% back. This includes groceries from other stores, utility bills, insurance payments, and general shopping.

For Non-Prime Members

For people without Prime membership, the Amazon Visa Card works similarly, with one big difference: the top reward rate is lower. This card is good for people who shop on Amazon but not enough to make a Prime membership worth it.

• 3% Back: This is the highest rate you can earn with this card. It works for the same Amazon purchases: Amazon.com, the Amazon phone app, Amazon stores, and Whole Foods Market.
• 2% Back: This category is the same as the Prime version. You get 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, and for transportation including rideshare services.
• 1% Back: All other purchases outside these categories earn 1% back.

Understanding “Cash Back”

It’s important to understand how “cash back” actually works. With these Amazon cards, your rewards build up as points. The math is simple: 100 points equals $1.00. When you see “5% back,” it means you earn 5 points for every dollar you spend in that category. This point system gives you choices in how to use your earnings, which we’ll explain in the next section. The value is always clear – one point is always worth one cent.

Using Your Cash Back

Your Options for Using Rewards

Once you’ve earned reward points, Chase and Amazon give you two main ways to use them. This flexibility lets you use your rewards in the way that works best for your money goals.

• Option 1: Shop with Points at Amazon.com. This is the easiest and most popular way. When you check out, you can use your points directly on your purchase, making it cost less. The points work just like cash, and you can clearly see your available balance as a payment choice.

• Option 2: Get Cash Back. If you want your rewards as real money, you can do this through your Chase online account. You can get your rewards as a statement credit, which lowers your card balance, or as money deposited directly into your checking or savings account.

Using Points at Checkout

Using your points directly on Amazon is very easy and works smoothly. From our experience, it’s one of the best reward systems available.

1. First, add items to your shopping cart and go to the checkout page.
2. In the “Payment method” section, make sure your Amazon Visa card is selected. Right below your card information, you’ll see your available reward points shown as a dollar amount (like “5,250 points = $52.50”).
3. A box will be filled in to use the maximum available points on your order. You can change this box and enter any dollar amount you want to use, from one cent up to your full balance.
4. Once you enter the amount, your order total will immediately update to show the new, lower price. You can then confirm and place your order.

A helpful tip is that you have complete control. You don’t have to use all your points on one purchase. Many people prefer to save up points for a bigger item, while others use small amounts on every purchase to consistently lower their costs.

Which Method is Better?

The “better” way to use rewards depends on how you manage your money. Using points at checkout gives you immediate satisfaction and directly lowers the cost of a purchase, which feels good. However, many money experts say that using rewards as a statement credit is better financially. By paying for your Amazon purchase in full with your card (earning rewards on it) and then using your rewards as a statement credit, you keep your spending and rewards separate. This can make it easier to track your real monthly spending in budgeting apps and prevents thinking that purchases paid with rewards are “free.” For most people, the convenience of checkout redemption is unmatched, but for disciplined budgeters, the statement credit is cleaner.

Is The 5% Worth It?

The Hidden Cost

The 5% cash back rate from the Prime Visa is an excellent return for online shopping. However, it’s not truly free. This rate requires having a paid Amazon Prime membership, which currently costs $139 per year. To properly judge the card, this fee must be considered part of the cost of getting that top reward rate.

If you already pay for Prime for its other benefits—free two-day shipping, Prime Video, Amazon Music, etc.—then the 5% back is a pure bonus. But if you’re thinking about getting Prime just for the credit card, you need to do some math.

The non-Prime Amazon Visa gives 3% back with no annual fee. The Prime Visa gives an extra 2% back. To make the $139 Prime fee worth it from a pure cash back view, that extra 2% must create at least $139 in rewards.

The math works like this: $139 / 0.02 = $6,950.

This means you need to spend at least $6,950 per year at Amazon and Whole Foods just for the additional rewards to cover the cost of your Prime membership. For many families, this is a very high amount. Therefore, the card’s value is strongest for those who would be paying for Prime anyway.

Prime Visa vs. 2% Cards

To better understand the value, let’s compare the Prime Visa to a popular alternative: a simple, no-annual-fee, flat-rate 2% cash back card (like the Citi Double Cash or Wells Fargo Active Cash). These cards give 2% back on all purchases, with no categories to track.

Let’s look at two example spenders. We’ll assume both have Prime membership for this comparison.

• Example 1: The Amazon Loyalist

  • Annual Amazon/Whole Foods Spending: $6,000
  • Annual Other Spending (dining, gas, general): $15,000
  • Prime Visa Rewards: ($6,000 * 0.05) + ($15,000 * ~0.015 average) = $300 + $225 = $525
  • Flat 2% Card Rewards: ($6,000 + $15,000) * 0.02 = $21,000 * 0.02 = $420
  • Result: The Amazon Loyalist earns $105 more with the Prime Visa.

• Example 2: The Diverse Spender

  • Annual Amazon/Whole Foods Spending: $1,500
  • Annual Other Spending (dining, gas, general): $19,500
  • Prime Visa Rewards: ($1,500 * 0.05) + ($19,500 * ~0.015 average) = $75 + $292.50 = $367.50
  • Flat 2% Card Rewards: ($1,500 + $19,500) * 0.02 = $21,000 * 0.02 = $420
  • Result: The Diverse Spender earns $52.50 more with the simple flat-rate 2% card.

This analysis shows that the “best” card completely depends on your personal spending habits. People who spend a lot at Amazon and Whole Foods will do much better with the Prime Visa. Those whose spending is more spread out may find a simple 2% card more profitable overall.

The Final Answer

The conclusion is clear: the Prime Visa card’s value directly relates to how much you spend in the Amazon system. For heavy spenders at Amazon and Whole Foods who already get value from their Prime membership’s shipping and entertainment benefits, the Prime Visa is an unbeatable tool for maximizing savings. It’s arguably the best store-branded card on the market for its target user. However, for moderate spenders or those who aren’t committed to Prime, a general-purpose cash back card offers greater flexibility and potentially higher overall returns without being tied to a single store and its membership fee.

Expert Tips for Maximum Earnings

Your Strategy Checklist

Earning basic cash back is easy, but smart users use specific strategies to make sure they’re maximizing every possible point. Using these habits can significantly increase your annual rewards.

• Set the Amazon Card as Default. This is the simplest yet most effective step. Go into your Amazon wallet and set your Prime Visa or Amazon Visa as the default 1-Click payment method. This prevents you from accidentally using another card with a lower earning rate for your Amazon purchases.

• Pay Bills via Amazon Pay. A lesser-known strategy is to check if your utility companies (electricity, water, internet) accept Amazon Pay as a payment method. If they do, you can pay these large monthly bills using your Amazon card through the Amazon Pay portal and earn your full 5% or 3% cash back, a category that would otherwise only earn 1%.

• Reload Your Gift Card Balance. If you plan to make a purchase but want to ensure you get the maximum cash back, you can reload your Amazon Gift Card balance using your Amazon card. Then, you can make the purchase using the gift card balance. This is useful if you want to prepay for something or if you’re sharing an account and want to budget a specific amount for spending. The reload purchase itself earns the full 5% or 3%.

• Use “Subscribe & Save.” This is the ultimate combination opportunity. Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program offers discounts of up to 15% on regular deliveries of household items. When you pay for your Subscribe & Save order with the Prime Visa, you get your 5% cash back on top of the 15% discount. This combination can lead to total savings approaching 20% on everyday essentials.

• Watch for Special Promotions. About once or twice a year, Chase and Amazon will run limited-time promotions, offering higher cash back rates on specific, non-Amazon categories. For example, they might offer 5% back on travel or at home improvement stores for a specific quarter. We once took advantage of a 5% offer on home improvement to buy a new appliance, combining the promotional rate with the store’s sale for significant savings. Keep an eye on your email and the Chase app for these valuable offers.

The Important Details

Things You Should Know

Before applying, it’s important to understand the less-advertised aspects of these cards. Being a smart consumer means knowing the potential downsides and responsibilities.

• High Interest Rates. These are rewards credit cards, not tools for borrowing money. They typically come with high variable Annual Percentage Rates (APR), often between 20% to 30%. The interest you would pay by carrying a balance from month to month will quickly cancel out any cash back rewards you earn. The most important rule of rewards cards is to pay your statement balance in full every month.

• Losing Prime Membership. This is an important detail for Prime Visa cardholders. If you cancel your paid Amazon Prime membership, Chase will automatically downgrade your card to the non-Prime Amazon Visa. Your earning rate on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases will immediately drop from 5% to 3%.

• Foreign Transaction Fees. This is a key difference between the two cards. The Prime Visa card has no foreign transaction fees, making it an excellent choice for international travel. The non-Prime Amazon Visa, however, typically does charge a foreign transaction fee (usually 3% of the transaction amount), making it a poor choice for use outside the United States.

• The Chase 5/24 Rule. For those who are active in the credit card rewards hobby, it’s important to know that these cards are issued by Chase and are therefore subject to its informal “5/24 rule.” This generally means that if you have opened five or more new personal credit card accounts (from any company) in the past 24 months, your application for a new Chase card, including the Amazon cards, is likely to be denied.

Is This Card Right for You?

After looking closely at the earning structures, redemption options, and strategic value of the Amazon rewards cards, the decision comes down to a simple assessment of your lifestyle and spending habits.

This Card Is Perfect If…

• You are a dedicated Amazon Prime member who already finds significant value in the shipping, streaming, and other benefits included with the membership.
• You do a large portion of your household shopping at Amazon.com and/or Whole Foods Market, ensuring you can consistently take advantage of the top-tier 5% cash back rate.
• You are financially disciplined and pay your credit card balance in full every single month to avoid the high interest charges.

You Might Want to Consider Other Options If…

• You are not an Amazon Prime member and have no intention of becoming one. The 3% card is good, but other cards may offer more compelling rewards.
• Your spending is widely spread across many different stores, and Amazon is only a small fraction of your budget. A flat-rate 2% card would likely be more rewarding.
• You prefer the simplicity of a single, flat-rate cash back card for all purchases and do not want to manage different rewards categories.

In closing, the Amazon Prime Visa card is a powerhouse for the right user. It offers one of the most profitable and easy-to-use cash back programs available for online retail and grocery spending. If your life is already integrated with the Amazon ecosystem, it’s a nearly essential tool for maximizing your savings.