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The Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® is no longer available to new cardmembers.
Amazon and Walmart are the two biggest retailers in the U.S., and both offer customers many reasons to shop regularly, from their low prices on everyday products to free two-day shipping. And if you find yourself swiping your credit card at either retailer, it might be time to consider one of their store credit cards. But does one stand out from the bunch?
Amazon offers four cards: the Prime Visa (see rates and fees), the Amazon Visa, the Amazon Prime Store Card and the Amazon Store Card.
Walmart offers two cards: the Walmart Rewards Card and the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®*.
The two co-branded Amazon Visa cards and the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®* are accepted everywhere, whereas the two Amazon store cards and the Walmart Rewards card can only be used at the respective retailers.
Below, Select breaks down what you need to know about the four Amazon and two Walmart credit cards, from membership requirements and rewards to fees and added perks. For our comparison, we'll focus on the consumer cards mentioned above, though there are business versions available.
Amazon vs. Walmart cards
Membership requirements
Amazon credit cards
Out of the four Amazon cards, two require Prime membership — the Prime Visa and the Amazon Prime Store Card. Prime currently costs $139 for an annual membership or $14.99 per month. You may be able to piggyback off someone else's Prime membership through Amazon Household by simply joining a Household that has a Prime membership. This will qualify you to apply for one of the Amazon Prime Rewards cards.
If you decide to cancel Prime or are removed from an eligible Prime Household, your card will be downgraded to the non-Prime version of your card, either the Amazon Visa or the Amazon Store Card. These cards come with the same rewards structure as the two Prime cards, but with lower rewards rates.
Similar to most store cards, the Amazon store cards are only accepted at select Amazon properties. You can only use the Amazon store cards on Amazon.com, Audible.com and select Pay with Amazon merchants. You can't use the store cards at the Amazon-owned Whole Foods Market or for some other Amazon transactions, such as video rentals and digital add-on subscriptions, like Showtime.
Walmart credit cards
There are no membership requirements for the Walmart Rewards Card and Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®*. But like most store cards, you can only use the Walmart Rewards Cards at Walmart-owned properties, which includes Walmart and Murphy USA fuel stations.
Rewards and redemption
The Amazon and Walmart cards offer competitive rewards programs that benefit different types of consumers. Here's the breakdown:
- Prime Visa: Earn 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market; unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare); and 1% back on all other purchases. Receive a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members.
- Amazon Visa: Earn 3% cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market; 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores; and 1% back on all other purchases. Receive a $50 Amazon.com gift card upon approval.
- Amazon Prime Store Card: Earn 5% back on Amazon.com. There is no welcome offer for this card.
- Amazon Store Card: No cash-back rewards, but new cardholders receive a $80 Amazon.com gift card upon approval.
- Walmart Rewards Card: Earn 5% back at Walmart.com, Walmart app, Walmart Grocery Pickup and Delivery; and 2% back at Walmart stores, Walmart and Murphy USA fuel stations. New cardholders also earn 5% back on in-store purchases when using Walmart Pay for the first 12 months after approval (after, earn 2%).
- Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®*: Earn 5% back at Walmart.com, Walmart app, Walmart® Grocery Pickup and Delivery; 2% back at Walmart® stores, Walmart and Murphy USA fuel stations, restaurants and travel; and 1% back everywhere else. New cardholders also earn 5% back on in-store purchases when using Walmart Pay for the first 12 months after approval (after, earn 2%).
The card with the best rewards depends on where you do most of your shopping. When it comes to groceries and household goods, both cards are pretty similar, so the best choice for these purchases varies on the store you primarily shop at. If you shop at Whole Foods Market and/or Amazon, choose an Amazon Visa card. Whereas if you shop at Walmart, choose a Walmart card.
Looking at the other rewards categories, the rewards rate on restaurants is the same for cards from each retailer at 2%, while gas station spending appears the same (2%) — but there's a catch on what purchases qualify for the 2% rate with the Walmart cards. The cards limit 2% rewards to gas at Walmart and Murphy USA fuel stations. If you travel, the Capital One Walmart Rewards card offers the highest rewards rate at 2% on travel purchases.
Comparing the welcome bonus offers, Amazon stands out for offering an instant $50 to $200 Amazon gift card upon approval, depending on the card you open. In comparison, both Walmart cards offer 5% back on in-store purchases when using Walmart Pay for the first 12 months after approval (after, earn 2%).
Both Amazon and Walmart cardholders can redeem rewards at any time for a variety of options, including statement credits and gift cards. Plus you can apply rewards at online checkout on Amazon.com and Walmart.com, respectively. Like most cards, the redemption rates vary based on how you redeem rewards.
Winner: Tie — the Amazon and Walmart cards offer similar rewards and redemption options, so the best choice relies on where you do your shopping.
Fees
Annual fee
All cards have no annual fees, though the Amazon Prime cards require a Prime membership.
Special financing and APR
The options are limited to the two Amazon Visa cards if you want a 0% APR period. These cards offer no interest for six months on Amazon purchases of $50 or 12 months on purchases of $250 or more when you use the card to Amazon.com or at eligible retailers with Amazon Pay. Here are the current offers:
- 6 equal monthly payments no interest on Amazon.com purchases of $50 or more
- 12 equal monthly payments on Amazon.com purchases of $250 or more
After the no-interest periods end, there's a 18.74% to 27.49% variable APR. Take note that these cards charge deferred interest, which means you'll incur a charge for all the interest you accrued since you made the purchase — if you don't pay off your balance before the interest-free period ends.
The Walmart cards also don't offer any intro 0% APR periods. There is a 26.99% variable APR for the Walmart Rewards Card and a 17.99% to 26.99% variable APR for the Capital One Walmart Rewards card*.
Foreign transaction fee
The Amazon Visa cards and Capital One Walmart card all have no foreign transaction fees. The Amazon store cards and Walmart store card can't be used outside the U.S.
Winner: The Amazon and Walmart cards break even on the annual fee and foreign transaction fees. However, if you want to take advantage of no-interest periods, choose one of the Amazon visa cards since they're currently providing special financing.
Added benefits
The Prime Visa and Amazon Visa offer:
- Extended warranty protection
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Travel and emergency assistance
- Travel accident insurance
- Roadside dispatch
- Baggage delay insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Purchase protection
- Access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection
- Visa Signature concierge service
Amazon store cardholders don't receive these perks.
The Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®* offers:
- Extended warranty protection
- Car rental insurance
- Travel assistance services
- Travel accident insurance
- Emergency roadside assistance
- Baggage delay insurance
- Trip cancellation and trip protection insurance
- Price protection
- Capital One experiences, which offer special access to culinary, music and sporting events
The Walmart Rewards Card doesn't offer these perks.
Winner: Tie — the Amazon Rewards Visa cards and Capital One Walmart card offer a similar variety of travel and purchase protections. The main differences are that the Amazon Rewards Visa cardholders receive lost luggage reimbursement and access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection, while the Capital One Walmart cardholders get trip cancellation and trip protection insurance.
Bottom line
Ultimately the best credit card for you depends on whether you prefer to shop at Amazon or Walmart since both retailers offer no-annual-fee-cards that provide up to 5% back in rewards on purchases made with them.
If you shop at both stores and can't decide on which card to choose, here's a simple breakdown:
- If you frequently order from Amazon, buy groceries at Whole Foods Market and Prime Fresh, and/or want to benefit from special financing, choose one of the Amazon cards.
- If you shop at your local Walmart store or on Walmart.com, go for a Walmart card.
- If shop regularly at both stores, you may want to consider opening a card with Walmart and Amazon.
You can benefit from earning generous rewards on Amazon or Walmart purchases with a card from one or both of the retailers. However, if you want to maximize rewards on other purchases, such as groceries and gas, you may want to consider alternative rewards cards that provide higher rewards rates on those types of spending.
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a great choice for both groceries and gas with 6% cash back* at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%) and 3% cash back* at eligible U.S. gas stations. Cardholders also earn 6% cash back* on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back* on eligible transit and 1% cash back* on other purchases. This card comes with a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (see rates & fees). Terms apply.
Learn more:
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
* Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
*Information about the Walmart Rewards Card and the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuers of the cards prior to publication. If you purchase something through Select links from the Amazon Cards, we may earn a commission.
We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases made through Amazon links.
