Chase
Prime Visa
Co-branded Amazon card with no annual fee offering 5% back at Amazon and Chase Travel, 2% at restaurants and gas, and 1% everywhere else. $150 sign-up bonus.
Annual fee
None
Top rate
5x online shopping
Welcome bonus
$150
Quick look
5% back at Amazon
Unlimited rewards with no annual fee
4.0
out of 5
Rewards
Fees
Welcome bonus
Perks
Value
Overall score is a weighted average: Rewards 20% · Fees 20% · Welcome bonus 20% · Perks 20% · Value 20%.
Ideal for
Amazon Prime members who spend heavily at Amazon and Whole Foods, pay their balance monthly, and prioritize simplicity over category flexibility.
The verdict
The Prime Visa is a no-brainer if you're an Amazon Prime member who shops heavily at Amazon and Whole Foods. The 5% earnings on these merchants is 4th-best in the catalog, and the zero annual fee eliminates the break-even problem—you're profitable on Amazon spending alone. The instant $150 bonus and no foreign transaction fees sweeten the deal.
But the catch matters: earn 5% only with Prime (a $139 annual membership), and your rewards stay trapped in the Amazon ecosystem. The 1% base rate on non-bonus purchases trails flat-rate competitors by 0.5 percentage points, making this a single-use specialist card for households that don't spend heavily on Amazon or dining. If you skip Amazon, this card underperforms.
Pros
- 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods: restricted to Prime members, but ranks 4th in the catalog for online shopping earnings
- Zero annual fee and no foreign transaction fees make international travel friction-free
- $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly on approval with zero spending requirement
- Travel protections (auto rental collision damage waiver, baggage insurance) for a no-fee card
Cons
- Prime membership required ($139/year) to unlock 5% rates; earn only 3% at Amazon without it
- 1% base rate on non-bonus categories significantly trails peers (most offer 1.5%+ flat cash back)
- Rewards never leave the Amazon ecosystem—no transfer partners, statement credit only
- 2% dining and gas rates lose to specialists (Hilton Surpass at 6% dining, Citi Custom Cash at 5% gas)
Reward rates
| Category | Rate | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Online shopping | 5x | 5% back at Amazon.com with eligible Prime membership |
| Online shopping | 5x | 5% back at Audible.com and Whole Foods Market with eligible Prime membership |
| Flights | 5x | 5% back on Chase Travel purchases with eligible Prime membership |
| Gas & EV charging | 2x | 2% back at gas stations |
| Dining & restaurants | 2x | 2% back at restaurants |
| Flights | 2x | 2% back on local transit and commuting |
| Everything else | 1x | 1% back on all other purchases |
The 5% at Amazon is the entire thesis. Without Prime membership, this card drops to 3% at Amazon, collapsing its value. The 1% baseline on non-bonus purchases runs behind peers offering 1.5% flat cash back—for groceries outside Whole Foods, drugstores, or category-free purchases, you're systematically losing 0.5% per dollar. If your household skews grocery-heavy or restaurant-heavy, compare to the Citi Custom Cash (up to 5% in rotating categories) or a flat-rate card.
Fees and APR
Does it pay for itself?
Zero annual fee makes this card a no-brainer from a fee perspective. You'll earn 5% on Amazon spending and immediately clear the cost of anything else the card charges or misses. The break-even is trivial. The tradeoff: perks are minimal (no concierge, no trip insurance) compared to premium cards paying their own way.
Welcome bonus
Is it worth chasing?
$150 as an Amazon Gift Card is instantly available on approval with zero spending required. This is unusual—most cards require $500+ minimum spend. The downside: because there's no purchase hurdle, this bonus counts as taxable income (you may receive a 1099 form). The net value after taxes is lower than the nominal amount, though still positive.
Similar cards
Non-Prime alternative from Chase: earns 3% at Amazon without membership, loses the 5% but keeps the no-fee structure and instant bonus
More generous welcome bonus ($200 after $500 spend) and rotating 5% categories, but no Amazon specialization—better for diversified spend
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Amazon Prime to apply for this card?
Yes. Prime membership is required to qualify and to unlock the 5% earning rates at Amazon and Whole Foods. Without active Prime, the card earns 3% at Amazon instead. Prime costs $139/year for standard membership.
How do rewards from the Prime Visa compare to the Amazon Visa?
The Prime Visa earns 5% at Amazon with Prime membership; the Amazon Visa earns 3% without requiring Prime. If you have Prime and shop at Amazon, the Prime Visa wins. If you don't have Prime or want to avoid the extra membership cost, the Amazon Visa is simpler.
Can I redeem my rewards outside of Amazon?
No. Rewards only redeem at Amazon.com or convert to 1 cent per point as a statement credit. There are no transfer partners or airline partners. This is the card's biggest limitation for flexibility.
What credit score do I need to be approved?
A score of 700+ is recommended for good approval odds, though Chase's exact threshold varies based on credit history, income, and other factors. You may be approved with a lower score, but it's less likely.
Does this card offer an introductory APR or 0% promotional financing?
No. The card has no intro APR period. The regular APR ranges from 18.74% to 27.49% if you carry a balance. Pay your statement in full each month to avoid interest charges entirely.
Reviewed by YoungerFinance Editorial · Last updated August 11, 2026