Ask for cash back from Amazon card

[lucky penny]

Suppose you have earned $100 in rewards. Your friend has also earned the same amount. You both find a $100 item you want to purchase. You use your rewards to buy the item. You have the item and no rewards. Your friend buys the item w/ the AMZN Chase card. She gets $5 in rewards.
The $100 in existing rewards can be used as a statement credit so no cash needs to be paid on the AMZN Chase bill (or she can get $100 in cash and use that to replenish the bank acct used to pay the bill). In either case, she is $5 in rewards ahead of you.

Thanks! After reading the earlier posts, I didn't quite get it but this explanation made it clear to me.

 

[Lazyfabs]

thanks for tip. doesn't appear one can set it up to automatically be a statement credit or did i miss something or does one have to go in monthly to get statement credit?

 

[cathy63]

thanks for tip. doesn't appear one can set it up to automatically be a statement credit or did i miss something or does one have to go in monthly to get statement credit?

As far as I know, there's no way to make the Chase rewards automatically show up as a statement credit. You don't have to do it monthly though. The points will sit there until you get around to using them, so if you miss a month it's no big deal, you'll just get a bigger statement credit the next time.

 

[Lsbcal]

I will probably convert to cash about every 3 months.

 

[easysurfer]

Thanks for the tip.

I do confess though, the thought of just using the points directly to make a purchase is tempting. Not the best financial move, but I compare just using points to pay to handing a key off to valet parking.

Costs more, but convenient. Goes against LBYM, but convenient. Decisions ... decisions .

 

[CaptTom]

Costs more, but convenient. Goes against LBYM, but convenient. Decisions ... decisions .

I don't get it. Same product. Two choices:

A. Click here to use points (and pay more)
B. Click here to use credit card (and pay less)

Heck, I'll go out of my way to save a buck. But in this case, it's not out of my way at all. I try to avoid turning down free money. Just the way I was raised I guess.

 

[Lsbcal]

I think in using the points to buy stuff it is more a matter of feeling like you are getting a sale pricing, or something for nothing. Not really logical but we aren't exactly logical creatures.

 

[lucky penny]

I think in using the points to buy stuff it is more a matter of feeling like you are getting a sale pricing, or something for nothing. Not really logical but we aren't exactly logical creatures.

Exactly.

 

[easysurfer]

I don't get it. Same product. Two choices:

A. Click here to use points (and pay more)
B. Click here to use credit card (and pay less)

Heck, I'll go out of my way to save a buck. But in this case, it's not out of my way at all. I try to avoid turning down free money. Just the way I was raised I guess.

I was actually comparing click to use points vs click to sign on to CC account and apply cash back credit to outstanding balance.

The analogy was like hand of key to valet vs find place to park and the walk to the event.

I know, how much effort does it take to click to sign in and apply cash back? Enough for me to have to contemplate a decision.

 

[CaptTom]

I was actually comparing click to use points vs click to sign on to CC account and apply cash back credit to outstanding balance.

Point taken. We all have different routines. I'm logging on to my CC account web site at least once a month anyway. No big deal to add the points redemption while I'm in there. And in this case, I use the Amazon card so I don't even have to do that, but with other rewards cards I do have to add a few extra clicks every month or two.

 

[kaneohe]

You do not get any rewards points for whatever portion of your purchase was paid for with an Amazon gift card.

Can you pay statement balance w/ AMZN gift card instead of buying item directly w/ GC?

 

[Sunset]

Thanks for the tip. I always do this at Costco, but it didn’t occur for me to do the same with Amazon. No idea why I didn’t make that connection.

How do you do this at Costco ??

 

[audreyh1]

Can you pay statement balance w/ AMZN gift card instead of buying item directly w/ GC?

I think not. I don’t see how.

 

[audreyh1]

How do you do this at Costco ??

You redeem any CC reward/executive rebate in cash instead of using it for purchases at checkout. You always use your credit card at checkout for the CC rewards.

I’ve done this for years. I always take my rebates/rewards in cash. It usually turns out to be all the cash I need for a whole year, and I don’t do any ATM withdrawals in the US, lol!

Last year my credit card reward was large enough and I already had plenty of cash, so I got them to issue a check so that I could mobile deposit it. That had me waiting for a while.

On the Costco VISA it’s not possible to use rewards for statement credit nor to pay for annual membership, which is what I would really like. The rules are go to Costco and redeem as cash or use at checkout.

 

[FDC319]

This thread was enough to get me out of bed "early" on a Sunday.

With a little over $5400 spent at Amazon last year, I would have saved about $13.50. More than a decent 6 pack of beer wasted. I'll have to keep an eye out for it after this next billing cycle.

A shame that there is not an automatic way to apply to the statement balance on the Chase Amazon card.

Amazon is the only card I use which I used to apply points towards purchases, but this is definitely filed away for future reference.

 

[CaptTom]

This thread was enough to get me out of bed "early" on a Sunday.

With a little over $5400 spent at Amazon last year, I would have saved about $13.50. More than a decent 6 pack of beer wasted. I'll have to keep an eye out for it after this next billing cycle.

A shame that there is not an automatic way to apply to the statement balance on the Chase Amazon card.

Sorry to ruin your Sunday morning

Is there any benefit to using the Amazon Chase card over the (Synchrony Bank) Amazon "Store" card? I think I have both, because they were each offering sign-up bonuses. I'm a sucker for free money. Anyway, it's easy enough to sign up, then just set it and forget it.

And yes, $13.50 doesn't seem like much. But all totaled, my various cash-back card purchases net me over $50 per month, often well over. Maybe not enough to change my life, but if it requires no real effort on my part, I'll take it.

 

[FDC319]

Is there any benefit to using the Amazon Chase card over the (Synchrony Bank) Amazon "Store" card? I think I have both, because they were each offering sign-up bonuses. I'm a sucker for free money. Anyway, it's easy enough to sign up, then just set it and forget it.

I believe there used to be a difference in the rewards, but eventually one caught up with the other and for the most part they have a similar reward structure now. I just have the Chase card, but the only thing I'll use it on is at Amazon.

 

[tulak]

Last year my credit card reward was large enough and I already had plenty of cash, so I got them to issue a check so that I could mobile deposit it. That had me waiting for a while.

I didn’t know you could do that. Usually my reward isn’t that large, but it’s nice to know that I can get a check and deposit it instead. That might come in handy in the future.

Thanks for the answer Audrey. I actually learned about this from a post you made here a few years ago. Otherwise, I’d probably still be using my rewards towards purchases!

 

[cathy63]

Is there any benefit to using the Amazon Chase card over the (Synchrony Bank) Amazon "Store" card?

Usually a "store" card can only be used at that specific store. I don't have the Synchrony card, so I'm just assuming it's only for purchases made at amazon.com? The Chase card is a regular Visa card with no foreign transaction fee. They also sometimes have bonus offers like 5% back at restaurants.

 

[Lsbcal]

It is true that 5% of 5% of purchases is usually a small amount. But if you live to 120 you could really have something.

No?

 

[audreyh1]

Sorry to ruin your Sunday morning

Is there any benefit to using the Amazon Chase card over the (Synchrony Bank) Amazon "Store" card? I think I have both, because they were each offering sign-up bonuses. I'm a sucker for free money. Anyway, it's easy enough to sign up, then just set it and forget it.

And yes, $13.50 doesn't seem like much. But all totaled, my various cash-back card purchases net me over $50 per month, often well over. Maybe not enough to change my life, but if it requires no real effort on my part, I'll take it.

I got the Amazon store card when they offered 5% cash back to prime members and the Chase Amazon card was only 3% at Amazon. The store card has been more convenient - no expiration date, the automatic redemption of rewards on the statement, no matter how small. Initially there was no physical card, but later they decided to send one.

So I stopped using the Chase card, even when they went to 5% to match the store card.

 

[audreyh1]

I didn’t know you could do that. Usually my reward isn’t that large, but it’s nice to know that I can get a check and deposit it instead. That might come in handy in the future.

Thanks for the answer Audrey. I actually learned about this from a post you made here a few years ago. Otherwise, I’d probably still be using my rewards towards purchases!

Well I asked at Costco customer desk and they said they could do it but it might take a while. Someone had to walk to the back offices and it still took a while.

 

[Chuckanut]

When shopping at Amazon, make sure to select 0 for "points to apply" when making each purchase.

To redeem for cash:
- Login to Chase.com on a computer (it also works on a phone, but it looks different than described below.)
- If you have more than one account, click on Amazon card in the left-hand list to make it the active account
- In the details window on the right, click on See Balance under Amazon Prime Rewards
- Click on Redeem and select Redeem Rewards from the dropdown
- Select Redeem for Cash Back on the next screen

If you have other Chase accounts, you can also deposit the cash there. It doesn't have to go towards your Amazon card statement.

Thanks for this information. I have been doing similar for my Discover Card, but somehow it never occurred to me that I could do the same for my Amazon CC.

FWIW to rewards card fans, Discover is currently giving 5% reward on grocery store purchases for this quarter. Not bad. Next quarter it's 5% back on gasoline, Uber, Lyft and 'Wholsesale clubs'.

 

[easysurfer]

Point taken. We all have different routines. I'm logging on to my CC account web site at least once a month anyway. No big deal to add the points redemption while I'm in there. And in this case, I use the Amazon card so I don't even have to do that, but with other rewards cards I do have to add a few extra clicks every month or two.

Maybe I'll use this method the same day I pay my monthly bills. That way, it won't feel too much like I'm making the extra effort to save a few $.

 

[Joylush]

And I thought I knew everything! Great tip!