Amazon Secured Store Credit Card

Amazon Secured Store Credit Card Review

The Amazon Secured Credit Card is a credit builder retail card for Amazon Prime members that want to earn cash back on purchases on the site and build credit with responsible use and on-time payments.

Build Credit on Amazon Purchases

It seems that every online retailer has an impressive range of credit card options designed to meet the needs of its customers. Internet giant Amazon is no different. Amazon, like other retailers, already provides an impressive selection of cards to target nearly every sector, including cash back credit cards, travel rewards cards, student credit cards, and even business cards. The company also offers a secured credit card. The Amazon Prime Store Card Credit Builder card is specially designed for those with either bad or no credit.

The Amazon Prime Store Card Credit Builder, also known as the Amazon Secured Card, offers Amazon shoppers with bad credit scores (or no credit history) the opportunity to earn 2% back on Amazon purchases (with a valid, active Amazon Prime membership).

Earning 2% cash back with the secured card isn’t the same earning rate as the unsecured Amazon Prime retail credit card – also from Synchrony. That card, also a closed-loop credit card, earns 5% back on Amazon purchases (with an eligible Prime membership). So how does someone go from the Secured Amazon Card to the regular retail card?

Build Credit – and Get Your Deposit Back

A secured credit card operates much like other credit cards with responsible use; you can build or rebuild your credit. But secured credit cards differ because they require a security deposit to be submitted to the bank, which is held as collateral for the account.

The Amazon Prime Store Card Credit Builder Card requires an initial cash deposit of $100 to open, with a maximum of $1,000. Deposits for the Amazon Secured Card can be made in $50 increments and will be returned to the account holder when the account is closed and no balance is due.

Another way to reclaim the card’s security deposit is by making 12 on-time monthly payments. Making those 12 minimum payments on time, in collaboration with responsible use and credit growth, may result in Synchrony returning the deposit and switching the card account to the unsecured Amazon Prime Store Card.

Amazon Store & Visa Card Comparison

Special Promotional Savings and Financing

Since the Secured Amazon Card works with Amazon purchases, the card’s exceptional APR offers the chance for promotional financing not available to other Amazon customers. The card features a fixed APR of 10% on purchases – far below the national average for a retail card – and more than half the interest rates with the no annual fee unsecured store card.

Cardholders also enjoy 10% savings on select Prime purchases. The special savings apply to eligible products on Amazon Gift Guides, subject to availability.

The secured store card also offers the same great promotional financing as Synchrony’s unsecured Amazon store card. That means cardholders enjoy the following options for either. “Pay In Equal Amounts” or 0% APR:

Credit Building Features

While the Amazon Secured Store Card is a closed-loop credit card (meaning it will only work on purchases made at Amazon.com and Amazon physical stores), it does provide credit-building tools to help accountholders.

Cardholders enjoy access to TransUnion CreditView™ Dashboard to track their credit score, for example. This complimentary tool can help cardholders monitor their credit journey and track their progress – potentially leading towards an unsecured Amazon card in the future.

Synchrony Ratings

How does Synchrony stack up as a credit card issuer? Here is a selection of ratings for the bank:

Should You Apply for the Amazon Secured Store Card?

The Amazon Prime Store Card Credit Builder card is an Amazon Prime secured card, but it differs from other secured cards in various ways. First, it offers cardholders some benefits – something many secured cards do not do. The card gives users 5% back on all purchases at Amazon.com. It also allows for deferred interest payments in installments and special financing options on select big-ticket purchases.  These equal pay financing benefits run for up to 24 months. The card also offers those who sign up a $10 Amazon gift card – another nice treat. Second, the card differs from other secured cards in that applicants cannot apply for it directly. Instead, they must apply for the unsecured Amazon.com Store Card. Those who fail to qualify for the traditional store card are then under consideration for the secured card. Third, the card differs because it offers a much quicker route into a typical, unsecured store credit card than comparable options. Cardholders who meet specific requirements can upgrade to the Amazon.com Store Card in as little as seven months based on the following criteria:

• They make seven consecutive on-time payments on the Prime Store Card Credit Builder card and make all other payments on time. Their credit has no recent bankruptcies, foreclosures, repossessions, or delinquent accounts.Their credit score meets the internal credit criteria of Synchrony Bank – the card issuer.

Fourth, the card has no annual fee – something relatively uncommon among secured credit cards. Finally, the very idea of an Amazon secured credit card is, in and of itself, something new. While there have been many similar cards targeted towards those with poor or no credit in the past, this is the first time that a retailer has launched such a product. So far, the Prime Store Card Credit Builder card sounds like a no-brainer for those looking to improve their credit standing, right? Well, there are also reasons you should think twice about applying for this card. The biggest drawback to the Prime Store Card Credit Builder card is that it can only be used at Amazon.com. If you are a big spender at Amazon, that shouldn’t be a problem, but if you aren’t, this likely isn’t the card for you.