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You can redeem Chase, Amex, Citi, Capital One, Discover, and Hilton points directly at Amazon checkout — but it’s not always the best idea.
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 Insider’s guide to the best rewards credit cards.
Amazon makes it simple to redeem many rewards currencies 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.
Here’s everything you need to know.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
How to use credit card points at 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
Insider’s estimated value when redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards for travel: 1.8 cents eachValue when redeeming Chase points through Amazon: 0.8 cents eachValue when redeeming Chase points for cash back: 1 cent each
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.
You can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards by opening and using cards like:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — Chase Sapphire Preferred® CardChase Sapphire Reserve® — 50,000 points 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
Insider’s estimated value when redeeming Amex Membership Rewards points for travel: 1.8 cents eachValue when redeeming Amex points through Amazon: 0.7 cents eachValue when redeeming Amex points for cash back: 0.6 cents each
American Express Membership Rewards offers a very low redemption rate of 0.7 cents each for Amazon purchases — and its 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 ExpressAmerican Express® Gold Card — American Express® Gold CardThe 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
Insider’s estimated value when redeeming Citi ThankYou points for travel: 1.6 cents eachValue when redeeming Citi ThankYou points through Amazon: 0.8 cents eachValue when redeeming Citi ThankYou points for cash back: 0.5 to 1 cent each
Per 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 Citi® Double Cash Card and Citi Custom Cash℠ Card which earn Citi ThankYou points you can use for travel, cash back, and more. Earning rewards on one of these cards and redeeming them for cash is your best route if you intend to use them for online shopping.
Cards that earn Citi ThankYou points also include:
Citi Premier® Card — Citi Premier® CardCiti Rewards+® Card — Citi Rewards+® CardCiti 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
Insider’s estimated value when redeeming Capital One miles for travel: 1.7 cents eachValue when redeeming Capital One miles through Amazon: 0.8 cents eachValue when redeeming Capital One miles for cash back: 0.5 cents each
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 Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Cards that earn Capital One 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
Insider’s estimated value when redeeming Discover Rewards for travel: 1 cent eachValue when redeeming Discover Rewards through Amazon: 1 cent eachValue when redeeming Discover Rewards for cash back: 1 cent each
Whether you collect cash back with the Discover it® Cash Back or miles with the Discover it® Miles, you can redeem them directly through Amazon to pay for all or part of your cart.
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 it® Cash Back, as its rotating bonus categories sometimes include Amazon purchases Discover It Cashback rotation.
Cards that earn Discover rewards include:
Discover it® MilesDiscover it® Cash BackDiscover it® Student Cash BackDiscover 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
Insider’s estimated value when redeeming Hilton points for travel: 0.5 cents eachValue when redeeming Hilton points through Amazon: 0.2 cents eachValue when redeeming Hilton points for cash back: N/A
You’d be hard-pressed to find a currency easier to earn than Hilton points. For example, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card currently offers The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. 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.
Hilton credit cards include:
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card — Hilton Honors American Express Aspire CardHilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card — Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® CardHilton 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
Insider’s estimated value when redeeming Marriott points for travel: 0.7 cents eachValue when redeeming Marriott points through Amazon: Between 0.25 and 0.33 cents eachValue when redeeming Marriott points for cash back: N/A
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 Marriott points directly with the following cards:
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card — Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® CardMarriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card — Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® CardMarriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card — Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® CardMarriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card — Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit CardMarriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card — Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ CardMarriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card — Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
Watch for promotional discounts for 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 is almost never the best way to redeem rewards. You’ll never receive outsized value for your rewards, and the return rate you’ll get is significantly below what you can expect to receive if you use them for travel.
A big exception is the aforementioned promotions that offer a significant discount for using just a single point.
Which credit card points link to Amazon?
Currently, there are five popular bank points currencies, plus Hilton points, that link directly to Amazon:
Chase Ultimate Rewards pointsAmex Membership Rewards pointsCiti ThankYou pointsCapital One milesDiscover Rewards
However, you can technically use other currencies to shop with Amazon, such as Marriott (covered above) and IHG. You’ll have to cash out your points for Amazon gift cards, and it’s not a good deal.
What’s the best card for shopping on Amazon?
If you shop on Amazon with regularity, you may not want a card that collects the above currencies. It’s better to focus on cash-back credit cards where your rewards will go further towards offsetting your cart.
Here are some of the best credit cards for Amazon purchases:
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card — Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card Citi® Double Cash Card — Citi® Double Cash CardDiscover it® Cash Back — Discover It Cashback rotation
Again, there are some cards like the Citi® Double Cash Card that earn rewards you can use for a variety of redemptions, including transferring to airline and hotel partners if you have other cards. If you think your credit card strategy might change in the future, cards like these give you flexibility in how you can redeem your points.