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.

Card	Rewards rate	Annual fee
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit, and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter (Terms apply)
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card	3% cash back on dining and entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®); 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats (through 11/14/2024); and 1% cash back on all other purchases	$0
Prime Visa	5% cash back at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases; 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations, and on local transit and commuting; 1% cash back on all other purchases	$0
Apple Card	3% cash back on Apple purchases and when you use Apple Pay for purchases from select partners, 2% on other purchases made with Apple Pay, and 1% cash back on everything else	$0
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and eligible online grocery purchases; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points per $1 on all other eligible purchases	$95

Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express

While the Blue Cash Preferred card does have a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter, 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 (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services
• 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and eligible transit purchases
• 1% cash back on all other eligible 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.

Explore more benefits and features in our Amex Blue Cash Preferred card review.

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 like Walmart® and Target®)
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Other card perks include a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months (then 19.74% - 29.74% (Variable) APR) and no foreign transaction fees.

Explore more benefits and features in our Capital One SavorOne Rewards review.

Prime Visa

If you have an Amazon Prime membership, consider applying for the Prime Visa to earn rewards at Amazon. There’s a $0 annual fee, and you’ll earn:

• 5% cash back at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel
• 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations, local transit and commuting
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

The Prime Visa card also comes with a generous welcome offer — new cardmembers get a $150 Amazon gift card upon approval (plus earn 5% cash back on up to $2,500 in your first 3 months). Cardholders also get automatic access to thousands of titles on Prime Video included with their $139 Prime membership, so there’s no need to shell out extra money to pay for a streaming service.

Explore more benefits and features in our Prime Visa review.

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.

Explore more benefits and features in our Apple Card review.

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 other travel purchases
• 3X points per $1 spent at dining, select streaming services, and eligible online grocery purchases
• 5X point per $1 spent on travel purchased 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. Only subscriptions paid for, or purchases made with the following select merchants will qualify: Apple Music, Apple TV, Disney+, ESPN+, Fubo TV, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Paramount+, Peacock, Showtime, SiriusXM, Sling, Spotify, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV and Vudu.

Explore more benefits and features in our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.

Methodology

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.