What Amazon credit cards do to your credit score

Amazon credit cards work like any other credit card for your credit score. Opening an account creates a hard inquiry on your report, which typically lowers your score by a few points for a few months. Once the account is open, your score moves based on how you use the card: paying on time helps it, carrying a balance hurts it, and the total credit limit you're given affects how much available credit you have.

Amazon offers two main cards through Chase: the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card and the Amazon Prime Store Card. Both pull from your credit report when you request them, and both report your payment history and balance to the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The difference is that the Store Card only works at Amazon and Whole Foods, while the Rewards card works everywhere.

The credit score impact depends almost entirely on your habits after approval. A card that sits unused or is paid in full each month will help your score over time. A card where you carry a high balance or miss payments will damage it.

Key Takeaways

  • explore for an Amazon credit card triggers a hard inquiry that may lower your score by a few points, but the effect usually fades within three to six months.
  • Once approved, your payment history and credit utilization on the card are reported to all three credit bureaus and directly shape your score going forward.
  • Paying your Amazon card bill on time every month is the single most important factor in whether the card helps or hurts your credit score.
  • Keeping your balance well below your credit limit — ideally under 30 percent of the limit — helps your score more than carrying a high balance does.
  • Closing an Amazon credit card after you stop using it can lower your score by reducing your total available credit, so leaving it open is often better.

The hard inquiry and what it costs you

When you request an Amazon credit card, Chase runs a hard inquiry on your credit report. This is a formal check of your credit history and shows up on your report for two years, though it only affects your score for about three to six months. The typical impact is a drop of five to ten points, depending on your current score and credit history.

Hard inquiries are different from soft inquiries, which don't affect your score at all. When you check your own credit or a company checks your credit for a pre-approved offer, that's soft. When you formally request a new line of credit, that's hard. Amazon credit card applications always trigger a hard inquiry because you're asking Chase to lend you money.

If you've had multiple hard inquiries in a short time — say, explore for three cards in two months — the damage adds up. However, inquiries for the same type of credit within 14 to 45 days (depending on the scoring model) sometimes count as a single inquiry, so spacing out applications by several weeks can reduce the total hit.

How payment history and balance affect your ongoing score

After the card is open, two things matter most: whether you pay on time and how much of your credit limit you're using. Payment history makes up about 35 percent of your credit score. Missing a payment by even one day can be reported to the bureaus and will lower your score. Missing a payment by 30 days or more creates a mark that can stay on your report for seven years.

The second factor is credit utilization — the percentage of your total credit limit that you're actually using. If your Amazon card has a $2,000 limit and you carry a $1,500 balance, your utilization on that card is 75 percent. High utilization signals to lenders that you're stretched thin, and it lowers your score. Most scoring models reward utilization below 30 percent. Paying down your balance before your statement closes is one way to keep utilization low without closing the card.

The good news is that utilization changes month to month. If you pay your balance down, your score can improve within a billing cycle or two. Payment history, by contrast, is permanent — a late payment stays on your report for seven years, though its impact fades over time.

Amazon Store Card versus Amazon Prime Rewards Card

Both Amazon cards report to the credit bureaus the same way, so the credit score impact is identical. The difference is where you can use them and what rewards you earn. The Amazon Prime Store Card works only at Amazon and Whole Foods, while the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card works anywhere Visa is accepted.

From a credit score perspective, the Store Card has one small advantage: because it's limited to Amazon and Whole Foods, it's easier to keep your utilization low if you don't spend heavily at those retailers. If you use the Rewards card everywhere, a higher balance is more likely, which can push your utilization up.

However, the Rewards card offers more flexibility. You can use it for everyday purchases at any merchant, which means you can spread your spending across multiple cards and keep utilization low on each one. Neither card is inherently better for your credit score — it depends on how you use it.

What happens if you close your Amazon card

Closing a credit card after you stop using it seems logical, but it can hurt your score. When you close an account, you lose that credit limit, which reduces your total available credit. If you had a $2,000 limit on the Amazon card and $8,000 in total limits across all cards, closing it drops your total to $6,000. Your utilization on your other cards stays the same in dollars, but as a percentage it goes up.

For example, if you carry a $2,000 balance on other cards, your utilization was 25 percent before ($2,000 ÷ $8,000). After closing the Amazon card, it's 33 percent ($2,000 ÷ $6,000). That increase can lower your score, even though you didn't spend any more money.

Closed accounts also stay on your credit report for up to ten years, but they stop helping your credit mix and payment history over time. The longer you keep an account open, the longer your positive payment history on that account helps your score. If you want to keep the Amazon card but don't use it, leaving it open with a zero balance is usually the best choice for your credit score.

How to use an Amazon card to build credit

If you're building credit from scratch or recovering from past damage, an Amazon card can help if you use it strategically. Make a small purchase each month — a coffee, a subscription, anything — and pay it off in full before the due date. This creates a pattern of on-time payments and keeps your utilization near zero, both of which improve your score over time.

Avoid the temptation to carry a balance to "build credit faster." That's a myth. Carrying a balance costs you interest and lowers your score; paying in full does the same credit-building work without the cost. Your score improves from the payment history alone, not from the interest you pay.

If you're denied for an Amazon card because your score is too low, you might be offered the Amazon Prime Store Card instead, which has less strict approval requirements. It reports to the bureaus the same way, so it can still help you build credit. After six to twelve months of on-time payments, you may be able to request the Rewards card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does explore for an Amazon credit card hurt my credit score?

Yes, but only temporarily. The hard inquiry lowers your score by a few points for three to six months. After that, the inquiry stops affecting your score, though it stays on your report for two years. The bigger impact comes from how you use the card after approval.

Will my Amazon credit card score impact change if I don't use it?

Not negatively. An unused card with a zero balance doesn't hurt your score — it actually helps by keeping your total available credit high and your overall utilization low. The only reason to close it would be if the annual fee bothers you, but Amazon's cards have no annual fee.

How long does it take for an Amazon card to improve my credit score?

You should see improvement within two to three billing cycles if you pay on time and keep your balance low. The payment history starts reporting when ready, and utilization updates each month. Larger improvements take longer — six to twelve months of perfect payment history creates a noticeable shift.

Can I get approved for an Amazon credit card with bad credit?

It depends on how bad. Chase's Rewards card typically requires a score in the 670 to 700 range, though some people with lower scores have been approved. The Store Card has more lenient requirements. If you're denied, you can reapply after three to six months of credit improvement, or look at cards designed for people rebuilding credit.

What's the difference between the two Amazon cards for credit building?

Both report to the bureaus identically and help your credit the same way. The Store Card is easier to get approved for, while the Rewards card offers more places to use it. For credit building, either one works — the key is consistent on-time payments and low utilization.