How to Use Credit Card Points for Amazon Purchases
Amazon Shop With Points lets you use rewards from banks and chains like Hilton at Amazon checkout to lower your bill. Here's how to know if you're getting a good deal.
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The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Citi Premier® Card, Citi® Double Cash Card, Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, Citi Rewards+® Card, Citi Prestige® Card, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card†, Capital One Spark Miles for Business†, Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card, U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card, U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card, U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card, U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Gold American Express® Card, U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer. Crystal Cox/Business Insider
- You can significantly reduce your shopping bill by redeeming credit card rewards on Amazon.
- Many popular currencies participate, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Amex Membership Rewards.
- We don't usually recommend using points this way because they can be worth much more for travel.
- Read Business Insider's guide to the best rewards credit cards.
Amazon makes it simple to redeem many rewards currencies from the best credit cards at checkout to offset your balance. We almost never recommend using your points this way, but it can make sense for you if you don't plan to travel in the near future.
This is also a good strategy if you have a small points balance you won't otherwise use. And it can make Amazon Prime Day deals even sweeter if you use points to discount or pay for your purchase.
Here's everything you need to know about using credit card points on Amazon purchases.
How to Use Points on Amazon
When you link a loyalty program to your Amazon account, Amazon may change your default payment method to points. This can be devastating if you're not paying attention and lose a large portion of points you had intended to save for travel.
Use Chase Points on Amazon
When you redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points with Amazon, you'll receive a value of 0.8 cents per point. Still, if you plan to use your points through Amazon, your best bet is to simply make your purchase with an eligible Chase card and then redeem your points for a statement credit later at a rate of 1 cent each.
You'll earn points this way, and you'll get the purchase protection included with Chase credit cards.
Cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards include:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card —Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Chase Sapphire Reserve® —Chase Sapphire Reserve® Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card —Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
To link your Chase Ultimate Rewards account with Amazon, click here. You'll then simply log in to your Amazon account, link your Chase card, and apply your Ultimate Rewards points at checkout.
Use Amex Points on Amazon
American Express Membership Rewards offers a very low redemption rate of 0.7 cents each for Amazon purchases — and the points value when redeeming for statement credits is even lower. If you want to make purchases with your Amex points, consider using them to purchase an American Express gift card at a rate of 1 cent per point, and then use those gift cards to buy your items.
You can earn Amex Membership Rewards points by opening and swiping cards like:
The Platinum Card® from American Express —The Platinum Card® from American Express American Express® Gold Card —American Express® Gold Card The Business Platinum Card® from American Express —The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
You can link your Amex Membership Rewards account with Amazon by clicking here. You'll log in to your Amazon account, link your eligible American Express card, and choose to apply your points to your order at checkout.
Use Citi ThankYou Points on Amazon
Per Business Insider's estimations, you'll receive just half of the average Citi ThankYou points value when redeeming your rewards for shopping with Amazon. This is not the currency to collect if you intend to regularly use your points for online shopping.
Citi issues credit cards like the
Other Citi credit cards that earn ThankYou points include:
Citi Premier® Card —Citi Premier® Card Citi Rewards+® Card —Citi Rewards+® Card Citi Prestige® Card (not available to new applicants)
Click here to link your Citi ThankYou account to Amazon. Then just select your Citi ThankYou card as your payment method and choose to pay with points
Use Capital One Miles on Amazon
Again, Capital One miles are best used for travel — not for Amazon purchases. You'll receive less than half the average points value by redeeming them for shopping — a meager 0.8 cents each.
Similar to Citi ThankYou points, Capital One issues cash-back cards, the rewards of which can be converted into Capital One miles — as long as you have a qualifying Capital One miles-earning card. Examples include the
Capital One credit cards that earn miles directly include:
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card —Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card —Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ,Capital One Spark Miles for Business —Capital One Spark Miles for Business
You can link your Capital One miles account to Amazon by clicking here. After you enroll your qualifying Capital One card, you'll see the option to pay with Capital One miles at checkout.
Use Discover Rewards on Amazon
Whether you collect cash back with the
All Discover rewards are worth 1 cent each, whether you spend through Amazon or redeem for cash. Therefore, it's more beneficial for you to make your purchase with the card and later request a statement credit instead of using your rewards for the purchase.
This ensures you'll earn rewards for your purchase — which is especially handy if you have the
Discover credit cards that earn rewards include:
Discover it® Miles Discover it® Cash Back Discover it® Student Cash Back Discover it® chrome
Click here to link your Discover Rewards with Amazon and then select Discover as the payment method at checkout. You'll see the option to apply your cash back at that point.
Use Hilton Points on Amazon
You'd be hard-pressed to find a currency easier to earn than Hilton points. For example,
You'll even get 6 points per dollar on everyday purchases like gas stations and U.S. restaurants, and 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
However, the redemption rate of 0.2 cents per point means you'll get a return of as little as 0.6% back on purchases. If you intend to use Hilton points to shop on Amazon, make a cash-back credit card your daily driver, instead.
Other Hilton credit cards include:
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card —Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card —Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Hilton Honors American Express Card —80,000 points after you spend at least $1,000 on eligible purchases in your first 3 months of account opening
Use Marriott Points on Amazon
You can't use your Marriott points directly on the Amazon website as you can with the previous rewards currencies. However, if you navigate to Marriott Shop With Points, you can purchase an Amazon gift card with your points at the following rates:
- $25 gift card — 10,000 points
- $50 gift card — 17,500 points
- $100 gift card — 30,000 points
In other words, the most value you'll get by using your points with Amazon is 0.33 cents each — less than half the average value you'll receive by using your points for travel.
You can earn points directly with the following Marriott Bonvoy credit cards:
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card —Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card —Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card —Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card —Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card —Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card —Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
Use Bilt Points on Amazon
You can use Bilt points directly through the Amazon website after enrolling your
You'll only get around 0.7 cents per point when you redeem on Amazon, which isn't the best rate but better than some of the other options on this list. However, you'll get the most value out of your reward points when you transfer to airline and hotel partners.
Click here to enroll your
Use U.S. Bank Rewards at Amazon
It's easy to redeem U.S. Bank rewards through Amazon.com checkout, and you'll get a solid 1:1 rate. So if you have an eligible U.S. Bank card, and are looking to redeem rewards for Amazon purchases, you'll get a fair value. However, redeeming for travel through the U.S. Bank portal is still a more valuable redemption option.
That said, if your main objective is to redeem on Amazon anyway, you might as well get a cash-back card versus a points-earning card. The best U.S. Bank card option in this instance is the
You can earn U.S. Bank rewards on the following cards:
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card —U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card —U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card —U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Gold American Express® Card —U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Gold American Express® Card U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card —U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® —U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
Click here to enroll your card with Shop with Points.
Use Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards at Amazon
The
It's a no-annual-fee card and earns unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. New cardholders can earn
Once your card is enrolled with Shop with Points, you'll be able to view your eligible Bank of America point balance.
Click here to enroll your
Watch for Promotional Discounts Using Points
We occasionally see promotions that give you significant value for using points at Amazon, even if you split your payment between rewards and cash. These offers will trigger when you use at least 1 credit card point at checkout.
Shop With Points at Amazon Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Amazon Shop With Points a good deal?
Paying with points at Amazon is almost never as good a deal as other redemptions. You won't receive outsized value for your rewards, and the return rate you'll get is significantly below what you can expect if you use them for travel. A big exception is the aforementioned promotions that offer a significant discount for using just a single point.
What's the best card for shopping on Amazon?
The best credit card for shopping on Amazon depends on the types of rewards you want to earn. For many folks, it's better to focus on cash-back credit cards where your rewards will go further towards offsetting your cart. The best credit cards for Amazon purchases include the
How do I find discount promotions for using points at Amazon?
Amazon promotional discounts for shopping with points usually come to your email. You can also search online for discounts using a specific rewards currency. These offers are usually targeted, so if you haven't received an email with a link to enroll, you may be out of luck.
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