The 5 Best Credit Cards for Streaming Services (aka Binge Watching)

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.

1. Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

While the Blue Cash Preferred card does have a $95 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

Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

Learn How to Apply

See rates and fees

Intro Offer

Earn a $350 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months

Annual Fee

$95

Rewards Rate

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

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn a $350 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months
• 6% cash back on 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

Drawbacks

• Has annual fee
• Has foreign transaction fee

Card Details

• Earn a $350 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months
• 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% APR offer: 0% for 12 months then 16.24% to 26.24% (variable)
• Terms apply

2. Capital One SavorOne Cash 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 such as Walmart® and Target®)
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Other card perks include a 0% APR on purchases for 15 months (then 16.49% to 26.49% variable) and no foreign transaction fees.

Cash Back With No Annual Fee

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Learn How to Apply

Intro Offer

Earn a $200 one-time cash bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment and Vivid Seats purchases; 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 3% on dining, entertainment, streaming services, and grocery stores (excluding superstores such as Walmart® and Target®); and 1% on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• $200 early spend bonus
• No annual fee
• 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then 16.49% to 26.49% variable APR; 3% fee on balances transferred within the first 15 months, no fee when transferred at the regular APR
• 3% unlimited cash back on dining, entertainment, streaming, and groceries (excluding superstores such as Walmart® and Target®)

Drawbacks

• Minimal travel benefits

Card Details

• Earn a $200 one-time cash bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months
• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment and Vivid Seats purchases; 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 3% on dining, entertainment, streaming services, and grocery stores (excluding superstores such as Walmart® and Target®); and 1% on all other purchases
• Intro purchase 0% APR offer: 0% for 15 months then 16.49% to 26.49% variable
• Intro balance transfer 0% APR offer: 0% for 15 months then 16.49% to 26.49% variable

3. Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card

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.

4. 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
• 2% daily cash on other Apple Pay purchases
• 1% daily cash on everything else

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.

5. Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

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 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.

Our #1 Travel Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

Learn How to Apply

Intro Offer

Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$95

Rewards Rate

5X points on Lyft rides 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

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• 60,000 point sign-up bonus
• 5X points on Lyft rides and 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

Card Details

• Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
• 5X points on Lyft rides 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 the best cashback credit cards, and the best travel credit cards that earn 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

Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express

Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express

Learn How to Apply

See rates and fees

Intro Offer

Earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in the first 6 months

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year in each category), 2% cash back at select U.S. department stores, and 1% cash back on other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Introductory APR offer for purchases and balance transfers
• cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and on online retail purchases (up to $6,000 in each category)
• Annual fee of . Terms apply.

Drawbacks

• No travel rewards
• Grocery rewards are capped
• Rewards dollars can’t be used toward the minimum payment due

Card Details

• Earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in the first 6 months
• 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year in each category), 2% cash back at select U.S. department stores, and 1% cash back on other purchases
• Intro purchase 0% APR offer: 0% for 15 months then 16.24% to 27.24% (variable)
• Intro balance transfer 0% APR offer: 0% for 15 months then 16.24% to 27.24% (variable)
• Terms apply

Author Details

Kat Tretina Kat Tretina is a freelance writer based in Orlando, Florida. Her work has been published by publications like The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, MarketWatch, and more. She specializes in producing content around paying down debt, increasing income, and maximizing credit cards. You can view her work at www.KTretina.com, or contact her on Twitter @KatTretina.

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