One Credit Card.... And You're Done (Amazon Mastercard)

Member Name: alexlea88

Product:	Amazon Mastercard
Date:	08/11/09 (89 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Collect points for shopping, either at Amazon or elsewhere.

Disadvantages: Not the greatest rate of cashback. Customer services are a bit pushy.

I signed up for an Amazon MasterCard as I usually use an American Express Nectar card, but Amex isn't accepted everywhere. This card fills in the gaps!

I had originally signed up for a Amazon MasterCard when it was run by Halifax, but earlier this year, Halifax and Amazon parted company and the card reverted back to a Halifax card. Put off by the lack of points and cashback on offer, I closed the account. A few months later I noticed from the Amazon website that they had started their own card in conjunction with bank of America.

As with my Amex, I pay the full amount off each month and only put things on there that I would usually by anyway (despite the ridiculous £4,900 limit they provided straight off). I only have the card for when retailers don't accept my Amex and to make a bit of cash through normal purchases. The Amazon card doesn't have the greatest rate of cashback/ points, offering 1% back (in the form of Amazon vouchers) for purchases on Amazon and 0.5% back for purchases elsewhere. Even so, they do offer £15 credit when you sign up, which makes it worthwhile just for that, given that I don't use it that much. The point redemption theshold (£10) is also lower than the previous incarnation of the Amazon Mastercard (it used to be (£15).

Given that I pay off the full amount each month, I can't comment of interest rates and balance transfer fees, as I don't use them, but there doesn't seem to be anything above the ordinary. Customer centres are standard, although they have tried to give me the hard sell in terms of balance transfers and payment protection, so watch out! Online banking is available and straightforward as well.

All in all, a straightforward and relatively prosperous little card, especially if you use Amazon a lot. Otherwise, there may well be other credit cards put there that are best for you. As with most things, you will need to shop around and find one that suits your needs.

Summary: A nice little earner, but better cashback rates out there.