Most products on this page are from partners who may compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how they appear on the page. However, opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain. This page may include information about American Express products currently unavailable on Slickdeals. American Express is not a partner of Slickdeals.
Amazon's biggest annual sale, Prime Day, is right around the corner. This exclusive shopping event — available only to Amazon Prime members — features impressive discounts throughout the website.
If you've been wanting to purchase the latest laptop or a pair of brand new running shoes to train for your next 10k run, Prime Day is the day you’ve been waiting for. Shoppers rejoice and enjoy savings on items such as tech gadgets, household appliances, fitness equipment and more — during Amazon’s 48-hour mega sale extravaganza.
On Amazon, there are literally over a million goods to pick from, so it's critical to plan your shopping and utilize the best credit card to get the most rewards or cash back.
Here are the best cards for shopping on Amazon Prime Day.
Citi® Double Cash Card
If simplicity and rewards are what you’re after in a credit card, the no annual fee Citi® Double Cash Card, from our partner Citi, is a tough competitor in the cash back credit card market. Cardholders will earn 2% cash back on all purchases with no bonus categories to memorize—1% when you buy, plus 1% as you pay. That means any Amazon purchases you make on Prime Day and all-year-round will earn 2% back when you pay off your credit card statement. There is no cap on the amount of cash back you can obtain.
Citi® Double Cash Card
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
- APR18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
The Citi® Double Cash Card, from our partner Citi, is among the top cards on the market for general spending. Forget the cards that offer 1% and 1.5% cash back. The Citi Double Cash Card offers you a whopping 2% cash back for all spending. Earn 1% back when you make a purchase and 1% back when you pay your account balance.
Overview
The Citi Double Cash Card, from our partner Citi, offers attractive and uncomplicated cash back for people who value a flexible credit card reward program. The Citi Double Cash Card gives you the chance to earn 2% cash back on your purchases. You can receive 1% cash back when you make a purchase and an additional 1% cash back once you pay your bill.
Pros
- No category bonuses to remember, unlimited 2% cash back on everything
- Earns ThankYou Points, which gives the potential to unlock valuable travel rewards
Cons
- Foreign transaction fees are applied
- Limited perks
The cash back earned from the Citi Double Cash Card can be converted to ThankYou® Points (via a linked ThankYou account) and redeemed for a variety of things, including travel, gift cards, retail, and more. Read our full review of the Citi Double Cash Card.
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
If you do most of your shopping at Amazon, then the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is a no-brainer option for your Prime Day purchases (and all-year-round).
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card delivers 5% cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods, in addition to 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. The return on Amazon is higher than that of any other card on our list for the entire year.
Keep in mind, that you’ll need to have an eligible Amazon Prime membership to qualify for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card. But that includes a host of perks, including two-day shipping.
Best of all, there’s no annual fee to worry about, and the card carries no foreign transaction fee.
Chase Freedom UnlimitedⓇ
The Chase Freedom UnlimitedⓇ credit card can be a decent middle ground if you're not sure whether you want cash back or travel points from your Prime Day purchases. With this card, you earn a straightforward 1.5% cash back on all of your purchases, including those from Amazon. You can also earn elevated rates on select bonus categories, such as 5% cash back on travel purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and 3% cash back on dining purchases at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and drugstores.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
- APR19.74% - 28.49% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
-
1.5%
1.5%Extra Cash Back
Earn 1.5% bonus cash back (up to $20,000 in purchases) during your first year. Worth up to $300 in cash back.
We like that the card offers a high flat rewards rate but also provides accelerated rewards on some common everyday spending categories. You’ll also get access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel portal, which allows you to use your cash-back earnings for travel rewards, gift cards and more. If you make this your primary card for most purchases you can quickly rack up a lot of rewards.
Overview
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card is unique for a couple of reasons. First, it comes with purchase protection and extended warranty protection you don’t see with some other cash-back cards. Second, you earn cash back in the form of points (Chase Ultimate Rewards) and when paired with another annual-fee earning Chase product, you can get even more value if you love to travel by transferring to partners.
That’s because while the Freedom cards are marketed as cash-back credit cards, they actually offer points. You can use those points to book travel through Chase at a rate of 1 cent per point. But if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you’ll get 25% and 50% more value on those travel redemptions, respectively. (Plus, the ability to transfer your points, too.)
Pros
- No category bonuses to remember; earn at least 1.5% back on everything
- No annual fee
- Generous travel and purchase protection benefits
Cons
- Can't transfer Chase points unless paired with another annual-fee Chase product
Additionally, you'll discover that the cash back earned from the Chase Freedom Unlimited card really are Ultimate Rewards points — arguably the most valuable travel rewards currency on the market. While there are various ways to use these points, redeeming them to offset Amazon purchases would get you a subpar value of 0.8 cents per point.
Instead, If you have another Chase Ultimate Rewards card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can redeem your points for much greater value — either by booking travel through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal at an improved rate of 1.25 cents per point or higher (depending on the Ultimate Rewards card you hold) or transferring those points to any of Chase's airline and hotel reward partners. Read our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited card
Chase Freedom FlexSM
For those aiming to maximize rewards, the Chase Freedom FlexSM Card is a great card for your Amazon purchases. This card is known for its recurring 5% quarterly bonus categories when you activate (up to $1,500 each quarter), including popular everyday spending categories such as gas stations, grocery stores (excluding Target® and Walmart ®) and you guessed it, purchases at Amazon.com.
Chase Freedom Flex℠
This product is currently not available via Slickdeals. All information about this product was collected by Slickdeals and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
- Our Rating 4.5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
- APR19.74% - 28.49% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
-
$200
$200Cash Bonus
Receive a $200 bonus after you spend $500 in the first three months.
The Chase Freedom Flex card expands on the already lucrative Chase Freedom card. The Freedom Flex also gives cardholders access to Chase Ultimate Rewards, which is arguably the most versatile rewards platform, and you’ll get plenty of redemption options at good rates. Plus, if you have one of the program’s travel cards, you can transfer points from your Freedom Flex to your travel card account and get even more value and flexibility with how you redeem.
Overview
Getting more in cash back is a clear win for anyone who is considering the Freedom Flex card. This card is ideal for anyone who want to maximize cash-back rewards with the option to get more value with travel redemptions.
Pros
- Generous earnings on select rotating categories each quarter
- Cellphone and trip insurance coverage
- No annual fee
- Ability to convert rewards to transferable Ultimate Rewards points
Cons
- Can't transfer Chase points to travel partners unless paired with select products
Since Amazon is usually included as one of the 5% rotating bonus categories, once or twice per year, you could potentially earn $75-$150 cash back, if you reach the $1,500 spending cap each quarter. Amazon purchases exceeding the 5x quarterly max of $1,500, will earn an unlimited 1% cash back.
Plus, cardholders can earn 3% cash back on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery, 3% cash back at pharmacies, and 1% cash back on other transactions. Read our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex Card.
Discover it® Cash Back
If you're considering the Discover it® Cash Back card and repeatedly shop at Amazon.com, this card might be your best bet. That’s because Discover doubles all the cash back you earn in the first year. Similar to the Chase Freedom Flex Card, the Discover it Cash Back card offers 5% cash back (up to $1,500) in quarterly rotating bonus categories — which typically include Amazon for one quarter per year.
This card will appeal to those who enjoy making the most of rotating categories and value cash back over travel rewards. Since Discover doubles your cash back in the first year as a cardholder, you’re essentially earning a whopping 10% cash back on Amazon purchases. Read our full review of the Discover it Cash Back card.
Bottom Line
Whether on Prime Day or anytime throughout the year, if you shop at Amazon often, you should consider a credit card that rewards you handsomely for your spending. The best earning rates for Amazon shopping typically come from cash back cards, but several cash back cards can convert the cash they earn into valuable travel rewards. There are many different cards to choose from, and the best choice for you will depend on the type of rewards you prefer to earn.
Juan Ruiz
Juan has been writing and editing stories involving credit cards, loyalty programs, travel, and personal finance topics for more than 10 years. In addition to working and contributing to a number of outlets including The Points Guy, Forbes, and Business Insider, Juan was recently the editor-in-chief at Money Under 30, where he led a team of personal finance journalists. He is also an adjunct professor at Florida International University and a licensed real estate professional.
