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Both cards have similar welcome offer values and potential rewards earnings for the average spender, but the Prime Visa doesn’t provide intro APR offers or bonus cash back.
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card could be more rewarding if your spending is at online retailers, grocery stores and wholesale clubs.
The Prime Visa card carries one of the highest year-round rates for Amazon purchases and groceries at Whole Foods Market, plus a solid roster of unlimited reward categories.
Despite being a co-branded card, Amazon’s Prime Visa card is a top-tier cash back credit card, thanks to its variety of unlimited rewards categories and stellar rewards rate for online and grocery purchases via Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market. This puts it in a unique role to compete head-to-head with the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card, one of the only other cards with a diverse category roster that includes online shopping and grocery categories.
Their everyday rewards potential make them two of the best cards for online shopping, and our rewards spending calculations show that the average person can rake in a surprisingly similar cash back value each year with either. Unless you prefer stronger travel protections, or you already bank with Bank of America, the card that comes out on top entirely depends on your card feature preference and whether you mainly shop with Amazon and Whole Foods or with a wider variety of online and grocery retailers.
Main details
Prime Visa
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Welcome bonus
Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Rewards rate
Prime Card Bonus: Earn 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
Earn unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
Earn unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
Earn 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice.
Earn 3% cash back after the first year from account opening in your choice category.
Earn 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. Earn 6% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. After the 3% first-year bonus offer ends, you will earn 3% and 2% cash back on these purchases up to the quarterly maximum.
Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Intro APR
None
0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases See terms on balance transfers made in the first 60 days (3% intro balance transfer fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4%) 18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
Annual fee
$0 (Amazon Prime membership required; $139 per year or $14.99 per month)
$0
Prime Visa vs. Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards highlights
Both of these cash back credit cards are top-tier for online shopping, but each one has an edge with its other additional rewards categories.
The Customized Cash card can be much more versatile for its wider category roster and comprehensive online shopping category — especially since it isn’t a co-branded card.
However, the Prime Visa can be lower maintenance (and potentially more rewarding) since it doesn’t require you to rotate out its categories, and it packs a stronger rewards rate on Amazon purchases and groceries (as long as you shop with Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh).
Welcome Bonus Winner
The Bank of America Customized Cash card is at a slight advantage when it comes to first-year value. However, the Customized Cash ultimately has the upper hand since its cash rewards offer isn’t chained to a specific retailer like an Amazon gift card.
Granted, the Prime Visa card’s offer is easier to obtain since it’s instantly awarded upon approval, and the Customized Cash card offer requires spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days. This spending requirement likely isn’t a deal-breaker, though, since a $500 to $1,000 spending requirement in the first three months is the norm for this value — and pretty easily attainable for the average spender.
Rewards Rate Winner
Interestingly, the average spender would earn the same $359 in rewards with both cards, based on our spending model research and an estimated annual spend of $15,900 (and assuming the spender maximizes the Customized Cash card’s full 3 percent and 2 percent categories’ spending cap). The Prime Visa technically packs a higher rewards rate on online shopping and groceries (via Amazon and Whole Foods), but whether it’s actually more rewarding greatly depends on your spending habits.
If the bulk of your online shopping is with Amazon, or if you’re a frequent Whole Foods Market or Amazon Fresh grocery shopper, the Prime Visa card might be the better option. The 2 percent cash back at restaurants and gas stations — although not 3 percent back — could also make this card more lucrative since these categories won’t have to be swapped out like the Customized Cash card requires.
The rewards program for the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card lets you rack up rewards on online and grocery purchases outside Amazon retailers, which could seal the deal for a wider number of applicants. You can choose one category (gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drugstores or home improvement) to earn 3 percent cash back and swap it each month to fit your upcoming expenses.
The extra 2 percent cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs is an excellent layer of additional, everyday rewards, but one of the Customized Cash card’s best advantages is how comprehensive its categories are.
For example, the shopping category includes a range of staples and specialty retailers beyond Amazon.com, including:
Target.com
Walmart.com
Apple.com
Netflix
Ticketmaster
Etsy.com
BestBuy.com
However, the Customized Cash card’s 3 percent and 2 percent categories share a $2,500 spending cap per quarter, which could hobble your rewards potential if you’re a big spender. In that case, the Prime Visa could rake in more rewards because its bonus categories are unlimited.
Annual Fee Winner
Though both cards charge a $0 annual fee, you’ll still need an Amazon Prime membership (at least $139 per year) to get the Prime Visa.
The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card doesn’t charge an annual fee, but you’ll need Preferred Rewards status to earn the best rewards.
Foreign Transaction Fee Winner
The Prime Visa charges no foreign transaction fees, while the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card charges a typical 3% foreign transaction fee. The Prime Visa card is a much better option if you travel overseas.
However, both cards are better suited for everyday purchases, so you might want to consider a dedicated travel rewards credit card if you travel frequently.
Which card earns the most?
Determining which of these credit cards earns the most rewards depends on your monthly spending habits. The Prime Visa is hands-down the best card for shopping on Amazon, making it the better choice if that’s where you make the bulk of your online purchases.
The Prime Visa can net decent rewards on eligible commuting expenses and groceries, but the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card is the better pick if you want more versatile online shopping and everyday categories.
Prime Visa vs. Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards spending example
Let’s use the monthly spend example below to see whether the Prime Visa or Bank of America Customized Cash will be more rewarding:
$1,000 on online shopping: $400 at Amazon, $600 with other merchants
$700 on groceries: $300 at general grocery stores, $300 at wholesale clubs and $100 at Whole Foods Market
$300 on transportation: $205 at gas stations and $95 on public and other transportation
$400 on dining
Prime Visa
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Online shopping
$20 (5% back on Amazon purchases) $6 (1% back on other online purchases)
$12 (3% back on Amazon purchases) $18 (3% back on other online purchases)
Groceries
$5 (5% back at Whole Foods Market) $3 (1% back at wholesale clubs) $3 (1% back at other grocery stores)
$2 (2% back at Whole Foods Market) $6 (2% back at wholesale clubs) $6 (2% back at other grocery stores)
Transportation
$4 (2% back on gas station purchases) $2 (2% back on public transit and other commuting purchases)
$2 (1% back on gas station purchases, when not selected for 3%) $1 (1% back on public transit and other commuting purchases, when not selected for 3%)
Dining
$8 (2% back at restaurants)
$4 (1% back at restaurants, when not selected for 3%)
Total rewards
$51
$51
Both cards can earn the same rewards value based on these spending estimates, but differences in your spending throughout the rest of the year can easily sway your decision. The Bank of America Customized Cash will likely rack up more rewards if you spend more with online retailers other than Amazon — like Walmart.com, Target.com and specialty stores like Etsy. It could also be the better pick if groceries are a big part of your budget, and if you don’t want to rework your grocery shopping around Whole Foods.
Consider the Prime Visa if most of your online shopping is with Amazon and the year-round, unlimited transit and dining rewards will be more lucrative for you than the Customized Cash card’s flexible category structure.
Why should you get the Prime Visa card?
If you’re a regular Amazon shopper, the Prime Visa could be the best Amazon card if you’re looking to maximize reward earnings on your existing spending habits. Here are some other factors to consider that may make the Prime Visa card worth it.
The Prime Visa card comes with a few surprising benefits for a co-branded retail credit card.
On top of a few basic protections like purchase protection and extended warranty coverage, this is one of the few no annual fee cards to carry lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000 per passenger) and baggage delay insurance (reimbursement up to $100 per day for three days).
Although these handy travel perks aren’t as helpful for online shoppers, they could give you some peace of mind if you plan on taking advantage of the Chase Travel℠ rewards category.
Like other Visa Signature credit cards, you may be able to enjoy Signature Luxury Hotel Collection benefits, including automatic room upgrades (when available), complimentary breakfast and late checkout. These potential perks likely won’t be a big influence on your decision, though, considering how common Visa Signature cards can be. In fact, the Bank of America Customized Cash card can also be a Visa Signature card.
The Prime Visa card markets itself as a cash-earning card, but you’re actually earning points that can be redeemed at 1 cent apiece toward cash back, travel, gift cards or Amazon purchases. Unfortunately, you can’t use points on certain Amazon products and services, including Amazon Fresh orders and digital downloads like music, certain Kindle purchases and Amazon Appstore apps. This is a bit of a shame since small purchases like digital items could be a good use for Amazon points.
If you’re not keen on redeeming points through the Amazon ecosystem, your best option may be to redeem points for cash. You can receive cash back in the form of statement credits or an eligible bank account deposit, so your rewards redemption options are essentially on par with many typical cash back cards’ reward options.
However, the Customized Cash card may offer a few more handy cash back options if you already have an eligible account with Bank of America. This may not be a deal-breaker unless you’re a big fan of automatic cash back redemption.
You’ll need good to excellent credit to qualify for the Amazon Prime Visa, which typically means a FICO Score of 670 or higher. Applicants with higher credit scores have the best odds of approval for the card.
Why should you get the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards?
With a pool of reward categories to choose from, intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers and no annual fee, the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card may be worth it — especially if you already bank with the issuer.
The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card centers around cash back, with few frills beyond standard features and other typical Visa Signature card perks.
However, the Customized Cash card has two key perks over the Prime Visa that could sway a number of applicants: intro APR offers and Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program.
The intro APR lengths are typical, but these offers could save money on potential interest costs, considering the Prime Visa doesn’t provide intro APR periods at all.
The Preferred Rewards program is the real main attraction since becoming a member could increase your rewards rates by 25 to 75 percent. These boosts could elevate the Customized Cash card far above the competition — up to 4.5 percent on choice category purchases, 3 percent at grocery stores and wholesale clubs along with 1.5 percent on other purchases.
However, you’ll need at least a $20,000 daily average account balance for a 25 percent boost and $100,000 in the bank for the 75 percent boost.
The Prime Visa has the upper hand when it comes to travel perks, since the Customized Cash’s only relevant perk through Bank of America is the Museums on Us admission. On the other hand, the Customized Cash certainly has the edge when it comes to rewards-related perks. Although it’s not necessarily for online shopping, the Customized Cash card even has a promotional offer rewards program like the Prime Visa card: BankAmeriDeals.
As the name suggests, the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card only allows you to redeem your points for cash rewards. You can choose a direct deposit to a Bank of America checking or savings account, statement credit or credit to a qualifying Merrill account. You can also redeem rewards for a check or as a Merrill 529 account contribution.
Because the Prime Visa doesn’t offer a higher redemption value for travel or Amazon purchases, redeeming for cash back via either card is just as valuable. However, the Customized Cash could be more efficient since you have the option to set your cash back to redeem for direct deposits automatically at certain times or reward intervals ($25 cash back minimum for automatic redemptions).
This credit card typically requires a FICO Score of 670 or higher for acceptance. The higher your credit score, the more likely your application will be approved, although approval is never guaranteed.
The bottom line
Both cards are neck-and-neck in terms of potential rewards value for the average spender, but determining how much you shop with Amazon brands vs. other retailers will help you determine which card will be the better pick.
If you’re an avid Amazon shopper and already subscribe to Prime, the Prime Visa card can pack enough rewards potential to potentially make up for your annual membership cost. Plus, its above-average travel protections and unlimited rewards rates could make it more lucrative than the Bank of America Customized Cash card if the bulk of your online and grocery shopping is with an Amazon brand.
Of course, if you want a solid rewards value for online shopping and groceries beyond Amazon and Whole Foods, you may prefer the Customized Cash card. This card is an attractive option with perhaps the widest variety of online and grocery retailers available. Although the Customized Cash doesn’t carry as many simultaneous reward categories as the Prime Visa, it can provide a higher rewards rate on its more inclusive, swappable categories. The Customized Cash could also be the smarter pick if you need time to pay off an existing balance or if you qualify for Bank of America Preferred Rewards status.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card information was last updated on August 5, 2025.
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