Amazon Store Card: Everything You Need To Know

It seems that you can buy anything on Amazon, so it’s no surprise that thousands of people shop on the platform every day. If you’re one of them and want to level up your shopping, an Amazon Store Card may be what you’re looking for. The rewards it offers are quite substantial, especially if you’re a Prime member.

In this Amazon Store Card review, we’ll discuss what it has to offer, its pros and cons, and some alternatives you can go for.

Understanding the Amazon Store Card

What is an Amazon Store Card, and how can you get one? For starters, let’s cover the basics. An Amazon Store Card is an in-house payment tool offered by Amazon.com, which is usable on the company’s website and its affiliated retailers. While anyone who can legally open bank accounts in the US can apply for the card, only those with Amazon Prime membership and active subscription will get to enjoy the full list of its benefits. As usual, keep in mind that this offer is only available to US residents.

How does an Amazon Store Card work?

First things first, you must link a card to an active bank account and social security number before you can make any purchases. Amazon Store Card has enhanced fraud protection, so your personal info is well-protected. Paying with an Amazon card is no different than paying with a regular bank plastic.

Uniquely for this card, the perks you unlock don’t depend on your credit score, but rather on whether you’re a Prime subscriber.

The standard option has no monthly or annual fees and offers interest-free financing for purchases, but otherwise has relatively few notable benefits. As we’ve already mentioned, you should consider an Amazon Prime subscription to apply for additional rewards programs.

Prime membership

Amazon Prime is a full-fledged membership program that offers subscribers a variety of additional services, privileges, and media content for an annual or monthly fee. For instance, when shopping through your Prime account, you get additional cashback opportunities and discounted interest-free financing on expensive purchases.

Attention: Amazon Store Credit Card is not the same thing as Amazon Prime. Obtaining this plastic does not automatically give you a Prime subscription. However, if you become a Prime member after applying for the card, it will be upgraded immediately (in the sense that its status will change).

What’s more, if you’re a Prime member and have a good to excellent credit score, you may also qualify for a Prime Visa Card, which offers better terms, larger welcome bonus, and higher rewards rates on Amazon purchases.

Merits and Downsides of the Amazon Store Card

The Amazon Prime Store Card is a great choice for those who frequently shop online on this e-commerce platform.

Let’s look at what makes this offer worth considering:

• No annual fee;
• A $10 gift card for all newcomers;
• Advanced financing options on orders of $150 or more.

Besides the Amazon Store Card benefits, there are some limitations and disadvantages a potential cardholder should keep in mind:

• Bonuses and cashback are available only for Prime subscribers;
• The card can only be used for purchases on Amazon or its affiliated brands and companies (you’ll need a Prime Visa card to be able to shop elsewhere);
• Variable Annual Percentage Rate reaches 29.99%;
• If you do not repay your balance in full and on time during the financing period, you’ll have to deal with costly interest payments.

Exploring Alternatives to the Amazon Store Card

Any plastic is as good or bad as its alternatives, so let’s explore some of those!

Target Circle Card

A Target in-house credit card with no annual fee. It offers a 5% discount on all in-store purchases and offers cashback without premium membership. In addition, the discount is applied immediately when placing an order, and the cardholders also enjoy free shipping and regular special offers.

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card

This isn’t an internal store card and can be used anywhere (although Walmart’s card provides a similar level of financial freedom). It allows cardholders to select a purchase category to receive 3% cashback, with an additional 2% on groceries and 1% on any other purchases. It comes with a great welcome bonus and has a $0 annual fee.

Conclusion

As an Amazon cardholder, you can gain access to a decent rewards system, as well as other benefits, privileges, and personalized offers. However, all this will be available to you only if you also have a Prime membership. As any Amazon Store Card review will attest to, if you’re not a Prime member, or if Amazon isn’t your only place to shop, you should probably consider some alternatives.

To conclude our Amazon Card review, regardless of whether you have a Prime subscription, we must advise against using Amazon Store Card’s special financing offers, which may seem attractive at a glance but entail high interest rates.