Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card

I had the Amazon Rewards card from Chase years ago, from about 2005 to 2007. I was one of the very first Amazon Prime members. I used this card a LOT, loved getting the 3% back, and I never kept a balance on it. Then one day, Chase informed me that they would begin charging interest from the date of purchase rather than from the end of the statement cycle. In other words, they would be treating purchases as if they were a cash advance in terms of when interest applied. Mind you, I NEVER kept a balance on the card. I called someone at Chase in disbelief, saying, "It looks like you're charging me interest from the date of sale, unlike every other card on the planet." The customer service person simply said yes, that was true (no attempt to keep me). I immediately canceled.

I spent a lot with Amazon, apparently got too much in rewards (from Chase's perspective), and paid off my balance in full every month--so I guess Chase just wasn't making enough money. I noticed the $50 off the HDX promotion today, and I checked to see whether Amazon still sullied their reputation by associating with Chase. When I saw that they did, I had to write this review. Chase, you should be ashamed. I kept up my end of the deal, but I suppose you weren't making enough money on the fees you charge Amazon alone, so you changed the rules on me to try to squeeze out a few bucks. To this day, I will not consider a Chase card or Chase banking services.

Applying for the Amazon Prime VISA Card seemed to be a no-brainer for me. My middle name(s) is "Amazon Prime" 5% cash back on Prime purchases? Yes, please! I applied, and when I received my card, with $10,000 limit, I put my credit union VISA in the dresser drawer. So glad I did not shred it or throw it away. After charging ~$1,800, my attempt to charge a cruise for my Granddaughter's HS graduation was refused. I whipped out the trusty Discover Card and, presto, charge approved. I called the Chase Service Line (obviously not in the US from the sound of the young lady on the other end), and asked why my card had been refused. Her explanation; "you are a new customer and you are on probation". Whoa! Back the truck up. I have a $10,000 credit limit, but I got shut down at $1,800. Furthermore, there was no text, call or e-mail to let me know that I was on security hold - NOTHING! Many apologies later, I was told that I was good for the $10,000 limit from that time on.

Fast forward to last week, when I attempted to buy another Granddaughter a Great Courses DVD on Organic Chemistry for $69.95 on the Chase VISA. Guess what happened? Right, declined again. Out comes the Discover card and problem solved. We are now at strike two with Chase and this not-so-wonderful credit card they are peddling. Second call to Chase Customer Service. Back to an offshore service center. When I asked why the card was declined this time, the young lady said there was an "unusual" charge to Delta Airlines. When I proceeded to tell her the dollar amount and dates of the departure and return flights, she knew that I had made the purchase EXCUSE ME; ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE PURCHASE with the Chase VISA. Once Again, no call, no text, no e-mail from chase indicating that they had once again put me on security hold

Now, I fully realize that these underpaid call center workers have no control over the bone-headed mistakes that the card issuers make on a regular basis, so I thanked her and asked her to make 2 notations in my file; 1) I have a $3,000 charge to Norwegian Cruise Lines upcoming, so they have a heads-up, and 2) if they put my account on security hold again, I will take the card out of my wallet and put it in my lock box. I will retrieve the credit union VISA from the dresser because I need it for COSTCO, and I will not only never do business with Chase again, but will very loudly and publicly repeat this horror story to anyone who asks me about this nifty Amazon Prime VISA Card.

Got approved. Received card. Made purchases. Then within 1 month, I had a letter from Chase saying that keeping this account open would pose a risk to their reputation. They scheduled the account to be closed the following month. Credit good. Can't understand why, and no answers from customer service. They are just exercising their right. Really disappointed.

**2017 update**: Great news for Amazon Prime members...5% back on Amazon purchases! Thanks to over 10,000 individuals that marked this review as helpful. Our collective voices may have influenced the nice enhancements that Chase and Amazon are offering now.

Original review...
I've had this card for 14 months and haven't encountered any issues. I'm a die-hard Amazon shopper, so I thought with 3 points for Amazon.com purchases, this is the card for me. Then I learned...

The 3 points only applies to Amazon.com purchases (plus a few other categories on Amazon.com, see below). Because so much of the merchandise on Amazon's site is not from "Amazon.com", but from affiliated and third party sellers, you may find that many of your purchases made on Amazon.com aren't really "Amazon.com" and therefore don't actually qualify for the 3 points. For instance, if you see items sold by Amazon Marketplace (which is common), beware, you'll just receive 1 point per dollar spent. I was so disappointed because the fine print (pasted below) isn't explicit about this, so I feel a little misled.

One plus about this card is that you can redeem the points for statement credits (example: 5,000 points = $50 statement credit), which is a nice option if you don't want gift cards or travel-related rewards.

In case you're interested, here's the fine print:

"You will earn 3 points for each $1 of eligible net purchases made at Amazon.com (including digital downloads, Amazon.com Gift Cards, Amazon Fresh orders and Amazon Prime subscription). Purchases made at Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.ca, or any other website operated by Amazon.com, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not eligible for 3 points."

Update (October 2013): Chase revised the language on the agreement to reflect the 3 points just as expected, without all those exclusions. Thanks Chase and Amazon!

This Card is a joke, Chase is charging interest every single month in the range of 1 - 1.5% this a loan sharking business and Amazon should stand up to their customers against this predatory practice.