The Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® is no longer available to new applicants.
The Prime Visa (see rates and fees) and Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® are both strong cash back credit cards with no annual fee, but they're geared toward different shoppers. One card focuses on Amazon purchases, while the other offers an abundance of both everyday and niche spending categories.
If you're struggling to decide between these cards, CNBC Select breaks down everything you need to know about their welcome bonuses, rewards, benefits and more.
The Prime Visa is only available to Amazon Prime members ($139 for an annual membership and $14.99 for a monthly membership) but is very rewarding for Amazon purchases.
- High rate of return at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases
- Offers an automatic gift card welcome bonus after card approval
- Option to earn rewards or take advantage of 0% promo APRs
- Includes a wealth of travel insurance protections
- Requires an Amazon Prime membership for approval
- If you choose the promo APR, you won't earn rewards on those purchases
- Rewards can't be pooled with other Chase credit cards
Rewards
- Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
- Unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
- 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
- Unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Prime Visa vs Wells Fargo Attune
Annual fee
Neither the Prime Visa nor the Wells Fargo Attune charges an 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 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 within the Prime Visa's 5% cash back categories to recoup a $139 Prime membership annual fee.
Winner: Wells Fargo Attune
Welcome bonus
The Prime Visa offers a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval, exclusively for Prime members. The Wells Fargo Attune, on the other hand, offers 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, as you can only use it for eligible Amazon purchases. However, it's also an easier to earn welcome bonus since there's no spending requirement, and you can buy almost anything on Amazon.
Winner: Prime Visa
Rewards
Since the Prime Visa and Wells Fargo Attune are both cash back credit cards, they're easier to compare; the rewards you earn with both cards have the same value and similar redemption options:
Prime Visa and Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® rewards comparison
| Prime Visa | Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. (The official, overarching bonus categories include self-care; select reports, recreation and entertainment; and impactful purchases.) That's a healthy return compared to most cards, which earn 1% to 2% in rewards on those purchases.
The Prime Visa offers a top-tier 5% return on Amazon purchases, including Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh. It's a more rewarding card for Amazon spending (especially if you already pay for a Prime membership), but it's also a better card for restaurant and gas station purchases, thanks to its 2% rate on those 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 offer similar redemption options.
The cash back you earn with the Prime Visa is worth 1 cent per point, and you can redeem Prime Visa rewards for eligible Amazon purchases, 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, merchandise, travel or at checkout when you pay with PayPal.
What pushes the Attune into the winning spot is the ability to pool rewards with premium Wells Fargo cards. 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 pool rewards earned with Attune with either of those cards. This lets you indirectly earn transferable travel rewards.
Winner: Wells Fargo Attune. 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 has a smaller list of protections, including:
- Cell phone protection (subject to a $25 deductible)
- Mastercard concierge services
- Mastercard ID Theft Protection™
- Rental car insurance
If travel insurance perks are important to you, the Prime Visa easily wins within this category.
Winner: Prime Visa
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Which card should you get?
The Prime Visa and Wells Fargo Attune 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 thanks to its high return at Amazon and other Amazon brands.
The Wells Fargo Attune 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, and you can pair it with a Wells Fargo travel card to unlock transfer partner travel.
Prime Visa and Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® overview
| Prime Visa | Wells Fargo Attune℠ World Elite Mastercard® | |
|---|---|---|
| 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); | 4% cash rewards on sports, recreation and entertainment; planet-friendly purchases; and self-care |
| Intro APR | None | Yes, for purchases |
| Standout benefits | Travel and purchase protections, no foreign transaction fees | Cell phone protection, 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 I need for a 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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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.
