It’s Almost Prime Day: Should You Get an Upgraded Amazon Credit Card?

E-commerce giant Amazon has updated its line of Chase credit cards with new features, new looks and new names. The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card and the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card are now Prime Visa and Amazon Visa, respectively. Both cards offer increased sign-up bonuses and expanded rewards you can access almost instantly.

The cards don’t charge an annual fee, but you must have an eligible Prime membership – either $139 annually or $14.99 monthly – to get the Prime Visa.

Cardholders can now earn rewards on purchases made through Chase Travel, Chase’s new and enhanced travel booking platform, and on local transit and commuting, including ride-hailing. Here’s more about what you can earn with these credit cards, just in time for Amazon Prime Day July 11 to 12.

Limited-time sign-up bonuses can jump-start your rewards earnings with the Amazon cards. The Prime Visa offers new cardholders a $200 Amazon gift card June 29 to July 26 and 5% cash back on up to $2,500 in card purchases for the first three months. New Amazon Visa cardholders get a $50 Amazon gift card and 3% back on up to $1,500 in card purchases for the first three months.

Travis Cormier, editor-in-chief of 10xTravel, a travel site focused on credit card rewards, encourages potential cardholders to do the math on these offers. He points out that the Prime Visa’s bonus 5% on $2,500 in the first three months works out to $125 cash back.

Overall, adding travel and transportation rewards makes the Amazon cards more well-rounded. Both cards already earned bonus rewards on Amazon, Whole Foods Market, restaurant and gas station purchases. These enhancements might be appealing if you’re a frequent Amazon shopper and you want to earn bonus cash back on a variety of purchases.

The introduction of daily rewards is another enhancement to Amazon’s credit cards. Cardholders can earn and redeem rewards daily rather than monthly.

While Amazon’s cash back redemption process is simple, the rewards offer a fixed value. Travel rewards cards, however, may provide more value when you redeem your rewards for travel expenses or transfer them to travel partners.

If earning up to 5% back on Chase travel purchases appeals to you, then consider Chase rewards credit cards. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns five points per dollar on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal plus 25% more value for certain travel purchases through the portal. You can also transfer points at a 1-to-1 ratio and then book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1.25 cents per point.

Cormier says if you’re already a Prime member, then you may want to consider an Amazon card to help you earn cash back on Amazon and other purchases. “If you’re not looking to add a lot of cards to your wallet, it can be compelling if the biggest categories you’re spending on are Amazon, gas and restaurants,” he says.