Prime Visa

Rewards by category

Our take

The Prime Visa is built for households that already route most shopping through Amazon: it pays 5% back at Amazon.com, Audible, and Whole Foods Market with an eligible Prime membership, plus 5% on flights, hotels, and other travel booked through Chase Travel. Rewards come as straightforward cash back, and there are useful 2% rates on dining, gas, and transit and rideshare to cover everyday errands.

The tradeoff sits in the fine print. The card itself has no annual fee, but the headline 5% rates depend on a paid Prime membership; without one, Amazon.com and Whole Foods purchases earn 3% instead. The travel 5% only applies to bookings made through Chase Travel, there is no signup bonus, and everything outside the bonus categories earns a modest 1% base rate.

In a small wallet, treat it as a specialist. Let it handle Amazon, Whole Foods, and Chase Travel bookings, where the 5% rate does the heavy lifting, and keep a flat-rate card for the rest, since the 1% base leaves money on the table for unbonused spend. It also skips foreign transaction fees, so it travels at no extra cost when you do use it abroad.

The math

Run $250 a month of flights through this card and you're earning about $150 a year at our conservative valuations. There's no annual fee to earn back — everything above the 1% base rate is pure upside.

Store bonuses

• Amazon5%Shop
• Whole Foods Market5%Shop

Common questions

Does Prime Visa have an annual fee?

No — Prime Visa has no annual fee.

What does Prime Visa earn on flights?

5% on flights (membership required; book via chase travel).

What rewards does Prime Visa earn on everything else?

1% on all other purchases, in Cash Back.

Do you need Amazon Prime to earn 5% with the Prime Visa?

Yes, the top rate depends on it. With an eligible paid Prime membership you earn 5% at Amazon.com, Audible, and Whole Foods Market; without Prime those purchases earn 3% instead. The 5% on flights, hotels, and other travel also requires membership and must be booked through Chase Travel. If you might drop Prime, run your numbers at 3%.

Does the Prime Visa charge foreign transaction fees?

No, the Prime Visa has no foreign transaction fee, and with no annual fee it costs nothing extra to carry for international trips. Outside its bonus categories the card earns the 1% base rate, so for large purchases abroad compare it against whatever flat-rate card you already hold before you pay.