Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Review

This card is perfect for regular Amazon and Whole Foods shoppers who don’t have an Amazon Prime membership, or don’t want to buy one for $119 a year. You’ll earn extra cash back on purchases from Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, restaurants, drug stores, and gas stations—for no annual fee.

While travel buffs would be better off with a travel rewards card, this isn't a bad card to take on a trip. It provides a variety of travel insurance and assistance products and charges no foreign transaction fees.

If you do have a Prime membership, you’ll want the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card. The sign-up bonus is better and you earn more cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods Market.

• No annual fee: You don’t have to worry about earning enough cash back to make up for an annual fee. 
• Widespread acceptance: Some retail cards can only be used at a single store or group of stores. This card can be used anywhere that Visa is accepted.
• Travel perks: The card has some strong travel-related insurance benefits and doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee. 

• No low-interest balance transfer or purchase offer: Some cash-back and retail credit cards offer these types of deals, but this isn’t one. 
• Earns less than the Amazon Prime card: This card offers a sign-up bonus much smaller than what the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card offers. And on an ongoing basis, you’ll earn less on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases. However, that card requires the purchase of an Amazon Prime membership. 

You’ll receive a $50 Amazon electronic gift card in your Amazon account upon approval. That’s not bad for a retail card sign-up bonus, especially considering you don’t have to spend anything to get it.

The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card from Chase offers three levels of cash-back earnings. You’ll earn 3% at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Markets; 2% at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores; and 1% on everything else.

Points don’t expire as long as your account stays open.

• Cash or statement credits: Cash and statement credits are redeemable at a 1-cent-per-point rate. In other words, 10,000 points translates to $100, and you can transfer cash electronically to checking or savings accounts. Statement credits apply directly to balances. 
• Amazon purchases: Use points directly through your Amazon account with a value of a penny per point. Points are essentially used like cash, so you can pay partially with points as well. 
• Gift cards: Gift cards for restaurants and retailers can be purchased at chase.com/amazonrewards at a penny per point.
• Travel: Travel is redeemed at a penny per point rate via the Chase Travel Center phone number. Any difference in costs can be paid with your card. Some bookings will have a minimum booking amount. 

Consider buying everything you can from Amazon.com and Whole Foods to earn 3% back. Then make sure you use the card for all your restaurant, gas, and drugstore purchases to max out the 2% category. Consider, however, buying your over-the-counter drugstore purchases from Amazon instead of a drugstore, so you’ll get 3% instead of 2% back.

The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature card provides a couple of perks that our editors have deemed “excellent” because they provide even more value than the standard credit card perks.

• Travel accident insurance: If you’re dismembered or killed in an accident while on a trip you paid for with this card, you or your survivors are eligible for up to $500,000 in coverage.
• Coverage for lost, damaged, or delayed luggage: Lost or delayed luggage is reimbursed at up to $3,000 per passenger. If your flight is delayed for six hours or more, each passenger may be reimbursed for clothing and toiletries at a rate of $100 per day for up to three days.

• Rental car collision insurance (secondary to your own policy)
• Insurance for stolen or damaged purchases
• Extended warranties
• Travel and emergency hotline

Chase, the company that issues this card, is ranked fourth out of 11 credit card issuers in the 2019 J.D. Power Credit Card Satisfaction Study. It scored 807 out of 1,000 points, just above the average score of 806.

You can call Chase customer service representatives 24/7 but there is no online chat capability. One interesting feature that Chase offers is its Credit Journey tool, which gives you access to a free credit score updated weekly and a score simulator, which shows you how your score might be impacted by different behaviors, such as paying off debt.

Chase uses standard security measures you’ll find with most credit card companies. However, it does go one step further by allowing you to lock your card easily using the app if you misplace your card. It will replace lost or stolen cards for free. 

Also, the Credit Journey tool alerts you when there are changes to your credit report. That can help you spot fraud quickly. 

The Amazon Rewards Visa Signature card has mostly standard fees for a card of this type. Travelers will be pleased that there are no foreign transaction fees.