How I’m Using Credit Card Points to Save on Holiday Shopping at Amazon

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• Opening the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
  helped my partner and me earn over 14,000 points in the first four months of opening the card.
• By using the card for all our groceries, gas, and home essential purchases we were able to pile up our rewards points to redeem for larger purchases on Amazon. 
• We’re making a few easy shopping changes in order to save money this holiday season and relieve our financial stress. 
• Read Insider’s guide to the best credit cards for Amazon purchases.

After moving into my first apartment with my partner right after college, we decided to open a credit card account together for groceries, gas, and other mutual expenses. My partner was already a Prime member, and since we both frequently shop at Amazon.com, it was a no-brainer to get the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card.

Over the past few years, I’ve switched from in-person shopping to doing the majority of my shopping online, especially for gifts. Amazon was not only accessible but also one of the most reliable online stores for just about any item. It easily became my go-to for gifts, home goods, and much more.

Navigating finances and joint expenses can be stressful, but opening the card helped us manage our money responsibly and earn over 14,000 points in the first four months.

Here’s how we earn points fast, and how we plan to use the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card to save money this holiday season. 

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.

I became an authorized user on my partner’s Amazon Prime Rewards card 

The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is a no-annual-fee card that earns cash back (in the form of points) and currently offers a welcome bonus of a $150 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval. 

My partner was already paying for a Prime membership ($14.99 per month) so getting the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card didn’t cost us anything extra. They applied as the primary cardholders and I joined as an authorized user.

The card earns the most rewards on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, but it also has decent reward rates in everyday spending categories:

• 5% cash back at Amazon.com (requires Prime membership, otherwise 3% back)
• 5% cash back at Whole Foods (requires Prime membership, otherwise 3% back)
• 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores
• 1% cash back on everything else

It’s important to note that the rewards earned with this card, despite being marked as cash back, actually appear as points, with 100 points = 1 dollar. Meaning, 2,000 points are worth $20, or 11,000 points are worth $110. 

The card also has a decent handful of perks, especially for a no-annual-fee card. Neither of us knew that much about card benefits before, so the limited selection of helpful benefits didn’t feel overwhelming and was easy to manage. The card includes car rental insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, Visa Signature concierge, and travel accident insurance.

More than once my partner and I have purchased out-of-budget items completely with points

Points stack up quickly when we use the card for all our grocery, gas, home, and dining purchases. In order to take advantage of the 5% spending category, we purchase items (such as clothes, holiday decorations, pet supplies, and even Nintendo accessories) on Amazon rather than buying at another store to earn even more points on our purchases. 

And so, in less than four months we’ve earned over 14,000 points (not including the welcome bonus offer), which values at around $140. That means if my partner or I were to stay on the same trajectory we’d earn around 42,000 points (worth $420) in our first year of owning the card.

Not only are the points easy to earn, but redeeming is also simple as Amazon reward points automatically appear as a checkout option in your Amazon online account after each billing cycle.

As a young renter, my partner and I don’t have tons of financial wiggle room and sometimes larger purchases aren’t always feasible. But more than once either we’ve been able to purchase a slightly more expensive item completely with points (and still have points left over). 

How I plan to use my Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card to save on holiday shopping in 2022

The more my partner and I spend on the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, the more bonus points we’ll earn. So we’ve decided to focus our spending on Amazon and Whole Foods for the next couple of months to rack up even more Amazon points. 

How I plan to rack up points toward Amazon purchases

As a new apartment renter, I’m lacking in seasonal decor. Instead of hunting around my local Lowe’s or Target, I’m going to purchase all my lights, tinsel, and Santa hats through Amazon to take advantage of the 5% cash back (would be 1% cash back elsewhere). Plus, as a passionate seasonal baker ( I usually end up attending more than one cookie-baking party), I’ll be bulking up on all the essential cookie-baking supplies at Whole Foods instead of another grocery store. 

When Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals roll around I’ll be able to extend my rewards points even further, or I could decide to buy a slightly pricier item knowing I’ll earn a bunch of points toward future purchases. 

Otherwise, I’ll be making sure to use my Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores for the 2% cash back. 

0% APR for interest-free monthly payments

Another great benefit of the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is that you can choose to select equal monthly payments (from six to 18 months) with a 0% APR on eligible purchases (then a 17.24% – 25.24% Variable APR). If you go this route, you won’t earn rewards, but you’ll save on interest.

That means if I wanted to purchase a more expensive gift (at least $50), but couldn’t afford to pay for it all at once, I could use this method to afford it. 

The interest-free options include: 

• Purchases of $50 or more: Six equal monthly payments
• Purchases of $250 or more: 12 equal monthly payments
• Purchases of $500 or more: 18 equal monthly payments

These small changes can make a huge difference in the total rewards I’ll earn over the next couple of months, and significantly lower the overall stress on my wallet. But the best part is that by alleviating some of my financial worries, I’ll be able to give more to my loved ones this holiday season and even spend a little extra.