Another Prime Day is coming — maximize your Amazon purchases with these credit cards

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

Amazon is back with another two-day savings event, promising to kick off our holiday shopping early this year.

The Prime Early Access Sale will begin at 12 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, Oct. 11 and end at 11:59 p.m. PDT Wednesday, Oct.12. It is open to all Amazon Prime members.

Currently, a regular membership costs $139 per year, while a student membership costs $69 per year; you can also sign up for a 30-day free trial. Alternatively, you could opt for a monthly membership, which costs $14.99 per month for regular members and $7.49 per month for students.

You can check out this post for a deep dive into the best cards for Amazon purchases — not only during the Prime Early Access Sale but every day of the year. But, for a quick hit on this sale, here are some of the best credit cards to use for your purchases (in no particular order).

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card

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Earning rates: Earn 5% cash back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market purchases; 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores; and 1% back on all other purchases.

Sign-up bonus: Prime members receive a $100 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval.

Annual fee: $0, though you must be a Prime member to be eligible.

Analysis: As the name might suggest, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is a good option for your Prime Early Access Sale purchases. Upon approval, you’ll get a $100 gift card automatically loaded into your Amazon.com account — so theoretically, if you apply for the card today and are approved, you’ll have that credit to use in time for the sale. In addition to the gift card credit, you’ll earn 5% cash back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market purchases; 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores; and 1% back on all other purchases.

The points you earn from spending can then be used directly on Amazon purchases or for a statement credit — 100 points equal a dollar when redeemed on Amazon.com or for cash. The card charges no annual fee, but you must be a Prime member to be eligible; membership costs $139 for 12 months.

The information for the Amazon Visa Signature card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: How to get a 10% return on your Amazon purchases

Apply now: Amazon Prime Rewards Visa

Chase Freedom Unlimited

WYATT SMITH/THE POINTS GUY

Earning rates: Earn 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% back on dining, 3% back at drugstores and an unlimited 1.5% cash back on everything else.

Sign-up bonus: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back.

Annual fee: $0.

Analysis: If you’re interested in earning cash back (or Ultimate Rewards points), the Chase Freedom Unlimited could be a good option for your Prime Day purchases. The card will earn you 1.5% cash back on general purchases with no limit. That equals 1.5 points per dollar when paired with an Ultimate Rewards-earning card — a 3% return based on TPG’s valuations. In addition, there’s no annual fee with the card.

Apply now: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

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Earning rates: Earn 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases.

Sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $395.

Analysis: The Capital One Venture X Rewards card offers purchase protection and an extended warranty as well as 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases, a solid return for any Amazon purchase.

Apply now: Capital One Venture X

Capital One Venture Rewards Card

WYATT SMITH/THE POINTS GUY

Earning rates: Earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases.

Sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $95.

Analysis: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases, a solid return for any Amazon purchase with a much lower annual fee than the Capital One Venture X.

Apply now: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

American Express® Gold Card

ISABELLE RAPHAEL/THE POINTS GUY

Earning rates: Earn 4 points per dollar at restaurants, 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 spent each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. Check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for a higher offer (subject to change at any time).

Annual fee: $250 (see rates and fees).

Analysis: For high-value purchases, you’ll want to use a card that offers generous purchase protection in case your items are stolen, accidentally damaged or lost, such as the Amex Gold Card.* With the Amex Gold Card, you’ll earn just 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar on Amazon purchases, which is a rather lackluster return of 2% based on our valuations.

However, you’ll get an astounding $10,000 in protection for up to 90 days per covered purchase and up to $50,000 for all incidents in a calendar year, as well as other key shopping benefits. The card has a $250 annual fee (see rates and fees), but that’s recouped through benefits like up to $120 in dining credits each year, up to $120 in annual Uber Cash (for Uber Eats and Uber rides in the U.S.; card must be added in the Uber app to receive the benefit) and 4 points per dollar at restaurants. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

Apply now: American Express Gold Card

Discover it Cash Back

The Discover it Cash Back Credit Card is a great card for earning cash back on your Amazon purchases during this Prime Day. The card has no annual fee and earns 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories. Amazon is one of the Q4 2022 categories, meaning you’ll earn a solid 5% cash back on your Amazon purchases when you use this card from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022.

The information for the  Discover it Cash Back Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

You can also consider purchasing Amazon gift cards from select U.S. supermarkets with the Amex Gold (earning 4 points per dollar on up to $25,000 a year, then 1 point per dollar) or from select office supply stores with the Ink Business Cash Credit Card (earning 5% cash back or 5 points per dollar on up to $25,000 per account anniversary year). Just note that’ll you’ll forfeit credit card purchase protection if you go this route.

If you’re planning on grabbing any Prime Early Access deals, not only will you be saving money, but — provided you use the right card — you’ll also be maximizing the return on your purchases.

Additional reporting by Emily Thompson, Ryan Wilcox and Senitra Horbrook.

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here.