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The Secret Credit Card for Amazon Prime Day Shopping
By Erin Bendig,
2024-07-11
We've scoured our best rewards credit cards to find this "secret" credit card for Amazon Prime Day. From July 16 to July 17, Prime members will have exclusive access to deals and discounts on thousands of items during the annual two-day deal event. By using the secret card, you maximize your savings even more, besides taking advantage of the numerous early Amazon Prime Day deals already available.
Best credit card for Amazon Prime Day shopping
For those in the know, there are some great credit card options available to squeeze the most out of your Amazon Prime Day shopping.
US Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa (The "Secret" 6% Back Strategy)
Your first option is the US Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature ® card. Why is it a "secret" strategy? Most credit card reviewers don't write about this card because it's not issued by one of the major banks, but it's still a deal. The card offers 6% cash back on the first $1,500 of combined quarterly spending at two big box retailers of your choice each quarter, including Amazon. Other retailers you can choose from include Home Depot, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Target, Walmart and others. You’ll also earn 3% back (on up to $1,500 in quarterly spending) in a category of your choice — wholesale clubs, gas and EV charging stations, and bills and utilities — and a solid 1.5% on all other spending (most credit cards only offer 1% outside of their maximum-rebate categories).
One benefit of this card is its flexibility. For Prime Day, you can choose to earn 6% cash back at Amazon but then can change retailers afterward depending on where you typically spend the most. Plus, you can earn a $300 bonus after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening. And the $95 annual fee is waived in the first year.
Sign-up bonus : $300 back if you spend $2,000 in the first 120 days.
This card from U.S. Bank provides an outstanding 6% cash back on the first $1,500 of combined quarterly spending at two retailers you choose. Recently, cardholders could select from 24 major stores, including Amazon.com, Apple, Home Depot, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Target and Walmart. You also get 3% back on the first $1,500 in quarterly spending in one category you choose; the options are gas and electric-vehicle charging stations, wholesale clubs, and bills and utilities.
Plus, you earn 5.5% back on prepaid travel reservations through the U.S. Bank travel portal and 1.5% on all other spending — a higher rate than the 1% that most cards offer outside their maximum-rebate categories. You can redeem cash back as a statement credit, a prepaid debit card or a deposit into a U.S. Bank account.
Interest rate : Variable 19.74% to 29.74 APR for purchases and balance transfers. View Deal
Option two is, of course, the Amazon Prime Visa credit card , which just raised its instant bonus offer for new cardholders to $200 . The card earns an unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com and affiliated stores. It also earns 5% back on Chase Travel purchases, 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting, as well as 1% back on all other purchases.
You’ll need to be a Prime member, however, to earn cash-back rewards. An Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. However, Amazon does offer a 30-day free trial if you’re still considering whether an Amazon Prime membership is worth it .
You’ll also earn the card’s welcome bonus immediately, with no required spending. Upon approval of your credit card application, you’ll instantly receive a $200 Amazon Gift Card loaded into your Amazon account. The card also has no annual credit card fee (apart from the cost of an Amazon Prime membership).
This card from Chase comes with a $200 instant intro bonus . As the name suggests, to open the card you’ll need an Amazon Prime subscription. An Amazon Prime membership costs $139 per year or $14.99 per month . Besides the required Prime subscription, the card has no annual fee .
The card may only be linked to one Amazon account. So, if your household has multiple Amazon accounts, be sure to keep track of which one is linked to the card, or you may forfeit the 5% back on Amazon purchases.
There's a credit card "hack" you can potentially try to maximize your earnings when shopping at Amazon. With the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express , you'll earn 6% cash back (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases) at U.S. supermarkets. That means you can potentially earn up to 6% cash back on your Amazon.com purchases, but it’ll take a little more effort. Some shoppers will buy Amazon gift cards at the supermarket, with a 6% cash back rate, and then upload that balance to their account. The card also waives the $95 annual fee for the first year and rewards cardholders with $250 back after they spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Keep in mind, however, that Amex frowns upon buying gift cards to meet your minimum spend requirement.
Intro bonus: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first six months.
Many consumers could benefit from the exceptional 6% cash back that this card provides on up to $6,000 of supermarket spending annually. (Big-box stores such as Walmart and Costco are excluded.)
Intro bonus : Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first six months.
Rewards rates :
6% back on up to $6,000 in annual U.S. supermarket spending, then 1%.
6% on select U.S. streaming services.
3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit.
1% back on other spending.
Redemption : Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
Interest rate : Low Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.24% - 29.99%. See Rates and Fees .
Annual fee : $95, $0 introductory annual fee. See Rates and Fees .
Terms Apply .
Can you pay for Amazon purchases with points?
We'd recommend not using credit card points to pay directly for Amazon purchases. While it may be convenient, you'll usually end up getting a lower value than if you redeemed those points elsewhere. However, according to The Points Guy , "The exception to this rule is the Prime Visa, because you’ll get the same redemption value whether you cash the points out through Amazon or for a statement credit."
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