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Whether you can’t get enough of “The Office” or are still binging “Game of Thrones,” streaming services can be a great way to get your entertainment fix. But with so much great content available, you’ll likely need to sign up for more than one service.
According to a study from Vindicia, the average subscriber in the United States uses 3.4 services, with each one costing $8.53 per month, on average. Over the course of a year, that means the average person spends nearly $350 on streaming services.
If you spend a significant amount of money on services like Netflix, Hulu, or HBO Now, it may make sense to sign up for a new credit card. There are several cards on the market that offer unique benefits for subscribers, helping you save money.
Here’s a quick guide to the best credit cards for streaming services.
Choosing the best credit card for streaming services
If you’re looking for the best rewards credit card, it’s important to keep in mind how much you spend on streaming services — and you may not even know. A recent study found that 84% of survey respondents underestimated how much they spent on subscription services. On average, they said they spent $79.74 per month. But in reality, the average spend was actually $237.33 per month — a 197 percent increase.
If you subscribe to two or more streaming services, look for a card that offers you extra rewards for those subscription fees. Depending on the card, you could earn up to 6% cash back on streaming service subscriptions and get other benefits like cell phone protection.
| Card | Rewards rate | Annual fee |
| Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services |
$95 (waived first year) (See rates and fees) (Terms apply) |
| Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card | Up to 3X points | $0 |
| Capital One SavorOne Rewards Credit Card |
Up to 8% cash back | $0 |
| Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card | Up to 5% cash back | $0 |
| Apple Card | Up to 3% cash back | $0 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | Up to 3X points | $95 |
1. Blue Cash Preferred by American Express
While the Blue Cash Preferred card does have a $95 (waived first year) annual fee, it offers the highest rewards rate on streaming services. With this card, you’ll earn:
- 6% cash back on up to $6,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year, after that 1X) and select U.S. streaming services
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and eligible transit purchases
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Eligible streaming services that earn cash back at the 6% rate include Apple Music, Hulu, ESPN+, Spotify, and YouTube Premium. Visit American Express’ website for the full list of qualifying services. Cash back is received in the form of statement credits.
To put those numbers in perspective, let’s say you spent $5,000 on groceries and $200 per year on streaming services and used your Blue Cash Preferred card to pay for it. You’d earn 6% cash back on the $5,200 you spent, giving you a total of $312 in statement credits — a huge payoff.
#1 Cash Back at Supermarkets
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Intro Offer
$150 statement credit
Annual Fee
$95
Rewards Rate
up to 6% cash back
Benefits
- Earn $150 cash back after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months
- Earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases in the first 6 months, for up to $200 back
- 6% cash back on U.S. streaming services and at U.S. supermarkets
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit
- $95 annual fee. Terms apply.
Drawbacks
- Has annual fee after first year
- Has foreign transaction fee
- Earn $150 cash back (in the form of a statement credit) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months; plus, earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases in the first 6 months, for up to $200 back
- 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1X) and on U.S. streaming services, 3% at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit, and 1% on other purchases
- Intro purchase 0% offer: 0% for 12 months then 13.99% to 23.99% (variable)
- Terms apply
2. Wells Fargo Propel by American Express
With the Wells Fargo Propel card, you’ll earn 3X points per $1 spent on eligible dining, transportation, travel, and streaming services. You’ll also earn 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
The following services are eligible for the 3X rewards rate:
- Apple Music
- Hulu
- Netflix
- Pandora
- Sirius XM Radio
- Spotify Premium
The Wells Fargo Propel card has a $0 annual fee, and you can earn 20,000 points when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months of opening an account — that’s a $200 value!
This card also offers cell phone protection, which is a great perk since so many people access streaming services from their smartphones. If your phone is damaged or stolen, you’ll get up to $600 in coverage, subject to a $25 deductible. To qualify for this perk, use your card to pay for your monthly cell phone bill.
An Amazing Free Card for Travelers
Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card
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Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card
Intro Offer
20,000 points
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
up to 3X points
Benefits
- 3X points on several popular categories
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
- No foreign transaction or currency conversion fees
- Terms apply
Drawbacks
- American Express cards aren’t as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard
- Extra bonus points do not apply to grocery store purchases
- Earn 20,000 points when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months
- 3X points on eligible dining, transportation, travel, and streaming service purchases; and 1X points on other purchases
- Intro purchase 0% offer: 0% for 12 months then 14.49% to 24.99% (variable)
- Intro balance transfer 0% offer: 0% for 12 months then 14.49% to 24.99% (variable)
3. Capital One SavorOne Rewards Credit Card
This card is not only great for subscriptions to eligible music or video streaming services, but it's also great for food purchases whether you're planning to eat out or cook at home. With the Capital One SavorOne Rewards Credit Card, there's a $0 annual fee, and you’ll earn:
- 3% cash back at dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Other card perks include a 0% APR on purchases for 15 months and no foreign transaction fees.
Cash Back With No Annual Fee
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Intro Offer
$200
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
up to 8% cash back
Benefits
- $200 early spend bonus
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR on purchases
- 3% unlimited cash back on dining, entertainment, streaming, and groceries
Drawbacks
- Minimal travel benefits
- Earn a $200 one-time cash bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months
- 8% cash back with Vivid Seats; 3% unlimited cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target), plus 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Intro purchase 0% offer: 0% for 15 months then 14.99% to 24.99% (variable)
4. Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature
If you have an Amazon Prime membership, consider signing up for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card to earn rewards at Amazon. There’s a $0 annual fee, and you’ll earn:
- 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market
- 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card also comes with a generous welcome offer — new cardmembers get a $100 Amazon gift card upon approval. Cardholders also get automatic access to thousands of titles on Prime Video included with their $119 Prime membership, so there’s no need to shell out extra money to pay for a streaming service.
5. Apple Card
With the Apple Card, you’ll earn:
- 3% daily cash on Apple purchases and purchases with select partners when using Apple Pay, including your Apple Music subscription and your iCloud storage plan
- 1% daily cash on everything else
- daily cash on
The ability to earn 3% daily cash — cash back rewards you can use right away — on subscriptions and services through Apple is a nice perk that can pay off. For example, if you had a family Apple Music account, you’d pay $14.99 per month, or $179.88 per year. If you used the Apple Card to pay for that subscription, you’d earn $5.39 in rewards. That’s more than you’d get with most general rewards cards that typically only offer 1.5% cash back.
The Apple Card also has a $0 annual fee.
6. Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee, but you have plenty of ways to earn bonus points, including:
- 2X points per $1 spent on travel (not booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards)
- 3X points per $1 spent at eligible dining, delivery, takeout, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 5X point per $1 spent on Lyft rides (through March 2022) and travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
For this card, earning bonus points on select streaming services means you won't get the bonus rate on every service. Certain services, such as Netflix and Hulu, are thought to qualify, but Chase hasn't yet released the full list.
New, Higher Sign Up Bonus - Worth $1250 Toward Travel
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Intro Offer
100,000 points
Annual Fee
$95
Rewards Rate
up to 5X points
Benefits
- Best offer ever! 100,000 point sign-up bonus
- 5X points on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 25% more value when redeeming rewards for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 10% anniversary point bonus each year
- $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through Ultimate Rewards
- Premium travel protection benefits
Drawbacks
- Has annual fee
- Typically need to spend thousands to reap rewards
- Earn 100,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
- 5X points on Lyft rides (through March 2022) and travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards; 3X points on eligible dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases; 2X points on travel; and 1X points per $1 on all other eligible purchases
Why we chose these cards
To find the best cards for streaming services, we looked at dozens of credit cards that offer rewards, including cash back, points, and travel miles. We chose cards that offered a higher rewards rate on streaming services with a relatively small annual fee, or no fee at all. We also looked for cards that offered a higher rewards rate on purchases beyond streaming services so you can get the most value for the card.
The bottom line on the best credit cards for streaming services
When looking for a new credit card, take into consideration your spending habits and financial priorities. There’s no one best credit card for everyone, so think about if you want a travel rewards card or if you value cash back the most.
By doing your research, you can find the best credit card for you and earn a higher rewards rate on streaming services. That way, you can enjoy your next Netflix binge guilt-free.
A Simple Cashback Card for Day-to-Day
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Intro Offer
$100 statement credit
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
Up to 20% cash back
Benefits
- Earn $100 cash back after spending $2,000 in the first 6 months
- Earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases in the first 6 months, for up to $150 back
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets
- No annual fee. Terms apply.
Drawbacks
- No travel rewards
- Grocery rewards are capped
- Rewards dollars can’t be used toward the minimum payment due
- Earn $100 cash back (in the form of a statement credit) after spending $2,000 in the first 6 months; plus, earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases in the first 6 months, for up to $150 back
- 20% cash back at Amazon.com during the first six months (up to $150), 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 a year, 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores, and 1% cash back on other purchases
- Intro purchase 0% offer: 0% for 15 months then 13.99% to 23.99% (variable)
- Terms apply
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