Amazon has expanded its credit card offerings in Europe, announcing new partnerships in Germany and the UK aimed at providing customers with more ways to earn rewards while shopping.
In Germany, Amazon has teamed up with Santander to introduce the Amazon Visa credit card, which offers no annual fee and various rewards for purchases made on and off Amazon.de, with additional perks for Prime members.
Meanwhile, in the UK, Amazon and Barclays have introduced a co-branded credit card that lets customers earn rewards on everyday spending, which they can redeem for gift cards on Amazon.co.uk.
These new credit card offerings in Germany and the UK highlight Amazon’s strategy of leveraging partnerships with established financial institutions to expand its presence in key European markets.
The cards
Both credit cards share a common approach, offering customers incentives to increase their spending on Amazon’s platforms while also providing rewards for purchases made elsewhere. In Germany, the Amazon Visa card, facilitated by Santander’s Zinia platform, offers one per cent rewards on Amazon.de purchases and 0.5 per cent rewards on other transactions. Prime members earn enhanced rewards, receiving two per cent back during select shopping events, which they can redeem directly for purchases on Amazon.de.
In the UK, the Amazon Barclaycard provides similar benefits, with customers earning one per cent rewards on Amazon purchases and 0.5 per cent on everyday spending outside Amazon during the first year. After this period, rewards on non-Amazon purchases drop to 0.25p per cent.
Prime members receive an additional two per cent back on Amazon purchases during designated shopping events. Notably, the UK card also offers a £20 Amazon.co.uk gift card as a sign-up bonus and includes a zero per cent APR on all purchases for the first six months.
The companies expressed a lot of ‘delight’ and ‘excitement’ in both regions.
The UK comment
“We’re excited to introduce the Amazon Barclaycard – designed to offer cardmembers ways to earn rewards for their Amazon purchases and every day activities with no annual fee,” said John Boumphrey, Amazon UK country manager. “Delivering value to our customers is incredibly important to us, so we’re delighted to introduce a new payment option that allows customers to save and earn on Amazon.”
Steve Weston, head of everyday money management at Barclays, also commented: “We’re delighted to introduce the Amazon Barclaycard, the perfect credit card for anyone who loves to shop at Amazon and wants to be rewarded for doing so on their everyday spend. This partnership highlights our commitment to deliver compelling offers for customers as part of our strategy to grow our UK credit card business.”
The Germany comment
Ana Botín, chairman of Grupo Santander, said: “We are delighted to partner with Amazon in offering customers in Germany a way to earn rewards on their spending with the Amazon Visa card. Zinia, our digital consumer finance platform, continues to expand its capabilities and clients base while remaining committed to building strong relationships with top-tier merchants like Amazon throughout our markets.”
While Rocco Bräuniger, country manager, Amazon Germany, also added: “We are excited to introduce Amazon Visa, a new payment option with no annual fee that offers attractive rewards to customers for their online and stationary retail purchases, and extra rewards for Prime members. We’re delighted to collaborate with Zinia in making it easier for all customers to shop and save and bringing even more value to the Prime membership.”
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