Get 4% cashback at Amazon with this new card without an annual fee or a Prime membership.

As Amazon Prime Day nears, you might be searching for the optimal credit card to utilize for your purchases during the sales event.

If you don't have an Amazon Prime membership and won't be participating in Prime Day, a new option worth considering is a card that offers up to 4% cash back on your Amazon purchases.

How to get 4% back on Amazon

The Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard®, which was recently released without an annual fee, features several bonus categories that offer unlimited 4% cash rewards, including "Select Sports, Recreation, and Entertainment." Within this category, Attune cardholders earn 4% cash rewards at bookstores.

Isn't it convenient that Amazon.com, the largest bookstore, is also eligible for 4% cashback on purchases made with the Attune card? While Amazon sells more than just books, the CNBC Select team and online reports classify purchases from Amazon.com and Amazon Marketplace (orders sold by third-party sellers) as bookstore purchases, making them eligible for the 4% cashback offer.

If you have a Wells Fargo travel card like the $95-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card or the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card, you can convert your cash rewards from the Attune into transferable travel points, potentially increasing the value of your rewards. This means you can effectively earn 4X travel rewards points on Amazon purchases year-round, which is unmatched.

What are merchant category codes?

Knowing your credit card's merchant category code can help you maximize your benefits and earn the best return possible on your spending.

When it comes to earning credit card rewards, it's important to note that not all stores qualify for bonus points. For example, superstores like Walmart and Target are not typically categorized as grocery stores or supermarkets, so you may not receive the same rewards when shopping at these stores using a card that offers bonus points on groceries. Instead, you may want to consider using a card that offers a flat 2X points on all spending, which can be a better option for those who shop at a variety of stores.

Currently, Mastercard categorizes Amazon and Amazon Marketplace purchases as MCC 5942, which is the code for bookstores. However, this code may change at any time, as seen with American Express categorizing Amazon purchases as "other."

Amazon purchases may be coded differently with Mastercard, such as Prime Video being a streaming category, while the Attune card earns 4% back on streaming. Similarly, purchases from Amazon Fresh may be categorized differently.

Before making larger purchases, it may be beneficial to conduct a small test purchase to ensure proper coding.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card vs. Wells Fargo Attune Card

The Attune card offers a 4% cashback rate for Prime members, which is slightly less than the 5% cashback rate available on Amazon spending with the Prime Visa.

Both the Attune card and Prime Visa do not charge annual fees, but to be eligible for the Prime Visa, a Prime membership ($139 per year) is necessary.

If you have the basic Amazon Visa without a Prime membership, you will receive 3% back on Amazon spending, while anyone can get a 4% return on Amazon spending with the Attune card.

The Wells Fargo Attune World Elite Mastercard is a great option for those looking to avoid interest on their Amazon purchases for the first 12 months after account opening, as it offers a 0% intro APR on purchases. After that, the variable APR is 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99%.

The Prime Visa card offers less flexible rewards compared to the Attune card. While Prime Visa points cannot be combined or converted to Chase's Ultimate Rewards® points, Attune cardholders can pair it with a Wells Fargo Autograph credit card to make cash back transferrable to travel partners, allowing for higher-value redemptions.

Although the Attune offers a slightly lower return of 4% on the Prime Visa compared to 5%, its potential to transfer points and enjoy benefits such as cell phone insurance and an introductory APR may make it a better choice for some.

Alternative cards to use for Amazon purchases

If tracking bonus categories for your Amazon purchases isn't appealing or your credit needs improvement, consider these alternative options.

• The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a no-annual-fee card that provides a straightforward 2% cash rewards on all purchases and a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR after). Additionally, there is a balance transfer intro fee of 3% for 120 days from account opening, followed by up to 5% (minimum $5).
• The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers 1.5% cash back on every purchase and has no annual fee, making it accessible to individuals with fair or average credit scores, unlike many other rewards cards that require a good or great credit score for approval.

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Our goal at CNBC Select is to deliver top-notch service journalism and in-depth consumer advice to our readers, enabling them to make well-informed decisions when it comes to their finances. Each credit card article we publish is the result of thorough reporting by our team of expert writers and editors, who possess extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content independently, without any input from our commercial team or external third parties. We uphold the highest journalistic standards and ethics in everything we do.

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