Prime Visa vs Citi Double Cash
By Alex Compton · Updated
The Prime Visa and Citi Double Cash answer different questions that shoppers ask together: what earns the most at Amazon, and what earns the most everywhere else. The Prime Visa's 5% at Amazon and Whole Foods is untouchable in its lane. The Double Cash's 2% floor covers the rest of life. This comparison is really about whether you need both.
Prime Visa
Chase
- Our rating
- 8.1/10
- Welcome bonus
- $200 cash
- Bonus value
- ≈$200
- Annual fee
- $0
- Credits, max/yr
- $0
- Foreign txn fee
- None
Top earning rates
- 5x Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods
- 5x Chase Travel purchases
- 2x Gas stations, restaurants and local transit
- 1x All other purchases
Citi Double Cash
Citi
- Our rating
- 8.3/10
- Welcome bonus
- 20,000 points
- Bonus value
- ≈$200
- Annual fee
- $0
- Credits, max/yr
- $0
- Foreign txn fee
- 3%
Top earning rates
- 2x Everything (1% buy + 1% pay)
Where Each Wins
Amazon spending
Prime VisaThe Prime Visa pays 5% at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods (with an active Prime membership), plus 10% or more on rotating Amazon promotions. The Double Cash pays its flat 2% there like everywhere else.
Everything else
Double CashThe Double Cash's 2% on all purchases beats the Prime Visa's 1% base and even its 2% gas, restaurant, and transit categories. Off Amazon, the Prime Visa is ordinary.
Welcome bonus
Prime VisaThe Prime Visa hands you a $200 Amazon gift card instantly at approval with zero spend required, the easiest bonus in the market. The Double Cash's $200 takes $1,500 over six months.
Fees
Prime VisaNeither charges an annual fee, but the Prime Visa also skips foreign transaction fees while the Double Cash charges 3%. The Prime Visa's hidden cost: the 5% rate requires paying for Prime.
Points ceiling
Double CashDouble Cash rewards convert to transferable ThankYou points beside a Citi Strata. Prime Visa earnings are Amazon-oriented cash back.
The Compound Verdict
A household spending $200+ a month at Amazon and Whole Foods should hold the Prime Visa; it prints $120+ a year over what any 2% card earns on the same purchases, and the instant $200 gift card is free money. But it is a specialist: pair it with a flat-rate card like the Double Cash for the other 80% of spending. Households whose Amazon habit is lighter can skip the extra card slot and let a 2% card cover everything, keeping the wallet at one card instead of two.
Our ratings give it to the Citi Double Cash (8.3 vs 8.1). On current welcome offers, the Prime Visa brings the bigger first-year haul at ≈$200.
Read the full reviews for the complete math: Prime Visa review and Double Cash review, or put them side by side in the comparison tool.
Common Questions
Is the Prime Visa worth it if I already pay for Prime?
Almost automatically, yes. If Prime is a sunk cost, the card adds 5% on spending you already do, with no annual fee and an instant $200 gift card at approval. The only reason to skip it is Chase's 5/24 rule, if you are saving application slots for travel cards.
Does the Prime Visa need a Prime membership?
For the 5% rate, yes; without Prime the card earns 3% at Amazon and Whole Foods. The math of paying for Prime solely to upgrade 3% to 5% only works above about $7,000 of annual Amazon spending, so treat the membership as its own decision.
What should I pair with the Prime Visa?
A flat-rate card for non-Amazon spending: the Double Cash's 2% floor is the classic partner, or the Freedom Unlimited if you are building toward Chase points. The Prime Visa covers the Amazon ecosystem; the flat card covers the world.