What Amazon credit cards do to your credit score
Amazon credit cards work like any other credit card — they help your score grow if you pay on time, and they hurt it if you don't. The two Amazon cards (the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature and the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature) report to the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. That means every payment you make, every balance you carry, and every late payment shows up on your credit report and affects your score.
The real difference between an Amazon card and any other card is not how it impacts your score, but how straightforward it is to build good habits with it. If you use the card for everyday purchases and pay the full balance each month, your score will improve over time because you are demonstrating that you can borrow and repay reliably. If you carry a balance and pay interest, or if you miss payments, your score will drop — and that damage applies equally whether you are using an Amazon card, a Chase card, or a card from your bank.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon credit cards report to all three credit bureaus, so your payment history and balances affect your credit score the same way any other card would.
- Opening a new Amazon card temporarily lowers your score by a few points because the issuer pulls a hard inquiry and adds a new account to your credit history.
- Paying your Amazon card bill in full and on time every month is the single most effective way to raise your score with this card.
- Carrying a balance on an Amazon card costs you interest and raises your credit utilization ratio, both of which lower your score.
The hard inquiry and new account hit
When you explore for an Amazon credit card, Chase (the issuer) performs a hard inquiry — a formal check of your credit report to decide whether to approve you. This inquiry shows up on your credit report and typically lowers your score by a few points, usually between 5 and 10 points. The impact is temporary and fades over a few months, but it is real and when ready.
At the same time, if you are approved, Chase opens a new account in your name. A new account also lowers your score because it reduces your average account age — credit bureaus reward people who have managed accounts for a long time, and a brand-new account pulls that average down. Again, this effect is temporary. After about six months of on-time payments, the damage from the new account begins to reverse.
If you already have several credit cards or if your score is below 670, the hard inquiry and new account can be more painful. If your score is above 750, the dip is usually barely noticeable within a few months.
How payment history affects your score with an Amazon card
Payment history is the single largest factor in your credit score — it makes up about 35 percent of most scoring models. Every payment you make on your Amazon card, whether on time or late, is reported to the credit bureaus and becomes part of your record.
If you pay your full statement balance by the due date every month, you build a perfect payment history. This is the fastest way to raise your score with an Amazon card. The bureaus see that you borrowed money and repaid it in full, which is exactly the behavior they reward. Over time — usually 6 to 12 months of perfect payments — this pattern will noticeably improve your score.
If you miss a payment, even by a few days, it gets reported as late and stays on your credit report for seven years. A 30-day late payment (one month overdue) damages your score more than a 60-day late payment damages it less than a 90-day late payment damages it even more. The damage is heaviest in the first few months after the late payment, then gradually fades, but it never fully disappears during those seven years.
Credit utilization and carrying a balance
Credit utilization is the percentage of your available credit that you are actually using. If your Amazon card has a $5,000 limit and you carry a $1,500 balance, your utilization on that card is 30 percent. Credit utilization makes up about 30 percent of your credit score, so it matters significantly.
Credit bureaus prefer to see utilization below 30 percent. If you carry a balance on your Amazon card that pushes your utilization above that threshold, your score will drop. The higher the utilization, the bigger the drop. If you max out the card (100 percent utilization), the damage is substantial.
Carrying a balance also means you pay interest. Amazon card interest rates vary based on your creditworthiness, but they typically range from 18 to 24 percent annually. If you carry a $1,500 balance for a year, you will pay roughly $270 to $360 in interest alone — money that does nothing for your credit score. Paying the full balance each month avoids interest entirely and keeps your utilization low, which benefits your score.
How long it takes to see score improvement
If you open an Amazon card and use it responsibly, you should see your score begin to recover from the hard inquiry and new account hit within three to six months. At the six-month mark, you will have enough payment history for the bureaus to see a pattern, and your score will likely be higher than it was the day you applied.
Significant improvement — the kind that moves you from one credit tier to another (for example, from "fair" to "good") — usually takes 12 to 24 months of consistent, on-time payments and low utilization. The longer you hold the card and use it responsibly, the more it helps your score. After two years, the hard inquiry falls off your report entirely and stops affecting your score at all.
Comparing Amazon cards to other rewards cards
Both Amazon credit cards (Prime and non-Prime versions) have the same impact on your credit score as any other Visa Signature card from Chase or any other issuer. The difference between them is not credit score impact, but rewards and annual fees. The Amazon Prime Rewards card has an annual fee of $39 (waived for the first year if you are a Prime member), while the regular Amazon Rewards card has no annual fee. Neither card's rewards rate affects your credit score — only your payment behavior does.
If you are choosing between an Amazon card and another rewards card purely for credit score reasons, the choice does not matter. What matters is whether you will use the card responsibly. A card you never use does not help your score. A card you use but pay late or max out hurts it. The best card for your credit score is the one you will actually pay in full every month.
What happens if you close your Amazon card later
If you open an Amazon card, build good payment history, and then close it, your score will take a temporary hit. Closing an account removes available credit from your total, which raises your utilization ratio on your remaining cards. It also removes the payment history you built, though the account stays on your report for up to 10 years and continues to show that you paid on time.
For this reason, if you open an Amazon card to build credit, it is usually better to keep it open and use it occasionally (even just a small purchase every few months) rather than close it. The card costs nothing to keep open if you have no annual fee, and keeping it open preserves your credit history and available credit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does explore for an Amazon card hurt my credit score?
Yes, temporarily. The hard inquiry lowers your score by a few points when ready, and opening a new account lowers it a bit more. The combined effect usually amounts to 5 to 15 points, depending on your current score and credit history. This damage fades over a few months, and after six months of on-time payments, your score will likely be higher than before you applied.
Can I raise my credit score by using an Amazon card?
Yes. If you use the card for purchases and pay the full balance on time every month, you build a strong payment history, which is the largest factor in your score. Most people see noticeable improvement within 6 to 12 months of consistent, responsible use.
What credit score do I need to get approved for an Amazon card?
Chase does not publish a minimum credit score for Amazon cards, but approval is more likely with a score of 670 or higher. If your score is below 620, approval is unlikely. If you are denied, you can reapply after three to six months of improving your credit.
Does paying my Amazon card early help my credit score?
Paying early does not help your score more than paying on time does, but it does lower your utilization faster. If you pay your balance before your statement closes, your utilization will be lower when it is reported to the bureaus, which can help your score slightly.
If I have multiple credit cards, does an Amazon card help my score more?
No. Having multiple cards does not help your score more than having one card, as long as you pay all of them on time. What matters is your overall payment history and utilization across all your cards combined. An Amazon card helps your score the same way any other card does.