Is the Prime Visa card price the fee?

Amazon is the giant in the room for easy, instant access to hundreds of thousands of different products.

While the Prime Visa doesn’t technically have an annual fee, one of its caveats is that you have to be an Amazon Prime subscriber to qualify. A Prime membership costs $14.99 monthly or $139 yearly.

It’s hard (and foolhardy) to assess the value of the Prime membership based solely on the return you might get using the online retailer’s credit card — because membership includes so many other tangible benefits — but for argument’s sake, I’m going to try.

The Prime Visa currently offers a $200 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval.

There is no minimum spending requirement to receive this gift card, and you will get it instantly upon approval. This is a very solid bonus, especially considering no spending is required, and you can use the gift card from day one.

The Prime Visa earns cash back. This card earns 5% on Amazon, Whole Foods and Chase Travel℠, 2% on restaurants, gas stations and local transit and commuting and 1% on all other purchases. This is the best consistent return you’ll find for Amazon purchases and a respectable — if unremarkable— return on the 2% categories.

There’s no cap on the cash-back value you can earn, and you can redeem your rewards to pay for all or part of your Amazon purchases. In addition to cash back, you can also redeem your rewards for gift cards or travel.

Related: Best cash-back credit cards

This should be your go-to card at Amazon and Whole Foods to maximize the unlimited 5% cash back. If you want a simple card setup, you could pair this card with a 2% cash back card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (see rates and fees) to ensure you always earn at least 2% back on your purchases.

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However, multiple cards earn at least 3% or more on restaurants, gas stations and local transit and commuting, like the American Express® Gold Card, which earns 4 points per dollar spent on restaurants, and the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, which earns 3% at U.S. gas stations and local commuting and transit (Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout).

Related: The best credit cards for Amazon purchases

Now, let’s figure out your break-even cost for signing up for Prime and using the Prime Visa card.

The $200 gift card you receive for signing up more than covers the first-year cost of the Prime membership.

But beyond the first year, you’d have to spend about $2,780 at Amazon or Whole Foods during the following years to earn enough cash back to pay off a Prime subscription cost.

Here’s the breakdown: $139 divided by $0.05 = $2,780

A 2024 Consumer Intelligence Research Partners analysis found that the typical Amazon Prime member spends about $1,100 a year with the retailer. That’s not enough spending to justify getting a Prime membership for the sole purpose of getting the credit card.

This is certainly the case for me. I spent about $1,900 on Amazon and Whole Foods last year, which netted me $95 cash back — well short of the $139 Prime membership fee.

Related: The best credit cards for online shopping

Related: Your guide to maximizing shopping portals for your online purchases

Calculating your Prime Visa value

Determining whether it’s worth paying the Prime membership fee to get the Prime Rewards card is extremely subjective. Some of us may find incredible value from 5% back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases.

I’m an Amazon Prime member and spend a lot at Amazon, so this card makes perfect sense for me. I find value in the membership because of the Prime Video and Amazon Music streaming services — easily justifying the $139 annual cost to me. Throwing in a rewards credit card on top of that is just icing on the cake.

For people like me who already have a Prime membership for the perks like free two-day shipping and Prime streaming services, getting the bonus earnings with the Prime Visa is easily worth it.

However, if you won’t utilize the Prime membership benefits and are considering getting Prime just for this card, carefully calculate whether you’ll earn enough on the card to justify the Prime membership cost. You’ll likely find that you’re better off using a flat-rate cash-back or travel rewards credit card instead.

If you already have an Amazon Prime membership, this card is a great addition to your wallet as it has no annual fee. You can’t beat 5% cash back every time, especially if you spend a lot at Amazon or Whole Foods. However, if you are not a Prime member or want to earn flexible points, you should consider other cards.

For more information, read our full review of the Prime Visa.

Apply here: Prime Visa