Prime Visa and Wells Fargo Attune have vastly different cost and reward structures. Here’s how to make the right pick for you.Prime Visa and Wells Fargo Attune have vastly different cost and reward structures. Here’s how to make the right pick for you.
The Prime Visa and Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® are strong cash-back credit cards for Amazon purchases and beyond. However, the benefits and purchases that are the most rewarding for each card differ, making it important to choose the one that best aligns with your spending habits.
If you’re struggling to decide between these cards, CNBC Select breaks down everything you need to know about their benefits, rewards, welcome bonuses and more.
Information about the Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
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Earn 4% cash rewards on fitness and wellness; 4% cash rewards on select sports, recreation, and entertainment (including live shows and sporting events); 4% cash rewards on gardening and floral stores, as well as pet supplies, boarding and grooming; 4% cash rewards on public transit, EV charging stations, and select thrift stores. Plus earn 1% cash rewards on other purchases
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Earn $100 in cash rewards when you spend $500 in qualifying purchases during the first 3 months after account opening.
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0% on purchases for the first 12 months after account opening
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19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% variable based on your creditworthiness
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Introductory fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, for 120 days from account opening. After that, up to 5% for each balance transfer, with a minimum of $5.
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3% of each transaction converted to U.S. dollars
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Excellent/Good
Terms apply
Prime Visa vs Wells Fargo Attune
Annual fee
The Prime Visa and Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® come with a $0 annual fee. However, the Prime Visa requires an Amazon Prime membership which costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year (cheaper plans are available for young adults, students and qualified government assistance recipients).
You may have, or want, a Prime membership to take advantage of the free shipping, Prime Video or other features. However, if you wouldn’t otherwise pay for Prime, the membership fee can offset a big chunk of your credit card rewards. It would take $2,780 in purchases that earn 5% cash back (Amazon, Whole Foods, Chase Travel, etc.) to recoup a $139 Prime membership annual fee.
Winner: Wells Fargo Attune
Welcome bonus
The Prime Visa offers a $100 Amazon gift card instantly when you’re approved for the card. The Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® provides a $100 cash rewards bonus after you spend $500 in purchases in the first three months.
An Amazon gift card is a more restrictive bonus than cash rewards. However, you can buy almost anything on Amazon, and the Prime Visa card’s welcome bonus is easier to earn because there’s no spending requirement.
Winner: Prime Visa
Rewards
The Prime Visa and Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® are cash-back credit cards. This makes the cards easier to compare because the rewards you earn have the same value and similar redemption options.
| Amazon.com | 5% cash back | Up to 4% cash rewards* |
| Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh | 5% cash back | 1% cash rewards |
| Chase Travel | 5% cash back | N/A |
| Gas stations | 2% cash back | 1% cash rewards |
| Restaurants | 2% cash back | 1% cash rewards |
| Local transit and commuting | 2% cash back | 1% cash rewards (4% cash rewards for passenger railways, buses, public transit) |
| Fitness and Wellness (spa, gym, etc.) | 1% cash back | 4% cash rewards |
| Sports, recreation, entertainment | 1% cash back | 4% cash rewards |
| EV charging and thrift stores | 1% cash back | 4% cash rewards |
| All other purchases | 1% cash back | 1% cash rewards |
*While Amazon isn’t specifically listed as a bonus category, reports suggest that Amazon.com purchases fall under the bookstore category, which earns 4%.
The Wells Fargo Attune has a variety of bonus spending categories that are rare to find with other rewards credit cards. Purchases at antique shops, garden supply stores, florists, game and hobby stores, barber shops, massage parlors and more all earn 4% cash rewards.
That’s a healthy return compared to most cards which earn 1% to 2% in rewards for those purchases. Plus, you’ll get 4% cash rewards at bookstores, including Amazon.com and Amazon Marketplace (based on the CNBC Select team’s experiences and online reports).
The Prime Visa offers a top-tier 5% return on Amazon purchases, including Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh. So it’s a more rewarding card for Amazon spending, especially if you already pay for a Prime membership. It’s also a better card for restaurant and gas station purchases.
Winner: Wells Fargo Attune. This is a close call, but the Prime Visa is only slightly more valuable in a few categories.
Redemption options
The Prime Visa and Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® offer similar redemption options.
The cashback you earn with the Prime Visa is earned as points and each point is worth one cent. You can redeem Prime Visa rewards for eligible Amazon purchases or cash back, gift cards or travel through Chase.com.
The cash rewards you earn with the Wells Fargo Attune can be redeemed for statement credits toward previous purchases, gift cards, a deposit into an eligible Wells Fargo account, at checkout when you pay with PayPal, merchandise and travel. If you have a Wells Fargo card that enables transfers to travel partners, such as the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card or Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card, you can combine the rewards you earn with the Attune card. This lets you indirectly earn transferrable travel rewards with a Wells Fargo Attune card.
Winner: Wells Fargo Attune, because pairing it with specific Wells Fargo credit cards increases the value of the rewards.
Benefits
Eligible Prime Visa cardholders earn 10% cash back (or more) on select Amazon.com purchases. You can also utilize the following insurance perks:
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty
- Travel accident insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Baggage delay insurance
- Rental car insurance
- No foreign transaction fees
The Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® has a smaller list of protections, including:
- Cell phone protection
- Mastercard concierge services
- Mastercard ID theft protection
- Rental car insurance
Winner: Prime Visa
Compare savings accounts
Which should you get?
The Prime Visa and Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® are both excellent cash-back cards, but they serve different types of shoppers.
The Prime Visa is a good fit for anyone who does most of their online shopping with Amazon and values the benefits of an Amazon Prime membership. If you’re already paying for Prime, this card is a great complement because it earns a high return at Amazon and other Amazon brands.
The Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® is a better fit if you have less brand loyalty to Amazon but occasionally shop on the site. It earns 4% cash rewards on an incredible list of purchases, including bookstores (like Amazon). You can also pair this card with a Wells Fargo travel card that enables points transfers (like the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card or Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card) and unlock the option to convert cash rewards into airline or hotel rewards.
| Credit score requirement | Good to excellent | Good to excellent |
| Welcome offer | Yes | Yes |
| Annual fee | $0 (Prime membership required) | $0 |
| Rewards | 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership; 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare); 1% back on all other purchases. | 4% cash rewards on fitness and wellness, on select sports, recreation, and entertainment (including live shows and sporting events), on gardening and floral stores, as well as pet supplies, boarding and grooming and on public transit, EV charging stations, and select thrift stores. Earn 1% cash rewards on other purchases. |
| Intro APR | None | Yes, for purchases |
| Standout benefits | Travel and purchase protections, no foreign transaction fees | Travel and purchase protections |
FAQs
Is the Amazon Prime Store Card worth it?
Similar to the Prime Visa, the Amazon Prime Store Card is available only to Prime members and offers a high rate of return at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market (with in-store code). However, you can’t use it for purchases outside of Amazon. So it’s less useful than the Prime Visa, which can be used anywhere Visa cards are accepted.
What cards get you 5% back at Amazon?
The Prime Visa and Amazon Prime Store Card both earn 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods. The Affinity Cash Rewards Visa® Signature credit card also earns 5% cash back at Amazon on up to $1,000 in Amazon purchases per month.
What credit score do you need for the Wells Fargo Attune card?
The Wells Fargo Attune card typically requires a good to excellent credit score, which is a FICO Score of 670 or higher.
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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit cardproducts. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
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Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
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