Here's How I Save $200+ Every Year at Amazon

I do a lot of my shopping on Amazon. The average Prime member spends $110 per month on Amazon, according to data from Upgraded Points. My average monthly Amazon spending is about $300 to $350. And that total was even higher when I lived in an area where I could get groceries delivered with Amazon Fresh.

Since Amazon shopping is one of my bigger expenses, I've focused on saving what I can there. Amazon already has low prices on most of the products it offers, but one easy move helps me save another $200-plus every year.

How I save big with the Prime Visa

Amazon offers a couple of credit card options. If you're not a Prime member, you can get the Amazon Visa, although it has limited value. If you're a Prime member, then you're eligible for the Prime Visa, which is a card I'd highly recommend.

The Prime Visa earns 5% back on your Amazon.com purchases. That's an excellent rate, and the best I've found for Amazon spending. For every $100 you spend, you get $5 back. This card also has several other bonus categories. Here's a rundown:

• It earns 5% back on Amazon Fresh purchases. If you live in a service area, you can also save quite a bit on grocery deliveries this way.
• It earns 5% back in-store at Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases (Chase is the card issuer for the Prime Visa).
• It earns 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, local transit, and commuting (including rideshare).
• It earns 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon with Prime Card Bonus

In my case, my yearly Amazon spending normally comes out to about $4,000 or more. Thanks to the card's 5% rate, I earn $200 or more back per year.

If your Amazon spending is more in line with the average of $110 per month ($1,320 per year), you'd earn $66 in yearly cash back with the Prime Visa. Not as much, but this card has a $0 annual fee, so you don't need to pay anything to get it.

New cardholders also receive an instant Amazon gift card upon approval for the Prime Visa. The gift card amount varies, but it's currently $100. So on top of the 5% back, you also get an instant $100 to use at Amazon.

An easy addition to your Amazon wallet

Another reason I'm a big fan of the Prime Visa is how easy it is to use. As soon as you're approved for the card, it's added to your Amazon account as a payment method. You don't need to wait for the physical card to arrive in the mail to start using it on Amazon.

It's also a breeze to redeem your cash back. The cash back you earn is available on Amazon.com as early as the next day. With some credit cards, it takes a month for your rewards to be available.

You can put your cash back toward Amazon purchases. If you have $30 in rewards available, and you're making a $100 purchase, you could use your cash back to bring the cost of the purchase down to $70. By the way, you can also redeem your rewards as cash back through Chase instead of using them on Amazon purchases. Rewards aren't available as quickly as they are on Amazon, though.

If you're a Prime member, the Prime Visa is almost certainly worth getting. You don't need to use it for all your spending. I use mine for my Amazon shopping, and other quality credit cards for everything else. But its cash back rate can help you save quite a bit on Amazon, especially if you're a big spender there.