Best credit cards for streaming services of November 2024

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Whether you binge the latest season of your favorite show in one sitting, stream movies or watch your favorite football team, you likely pay for at least one streaming subscription. The cost of all these streaming subscriptions can add up, but if you use the right rewards credit card, you can earn cash back or points that can help offset some of the price of streaming your favorite content.

To help you find the right card, we narrowed down the cards that offer additional streaming subscription benefits. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose these cards.)

Who’s this for? The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card is a great fit for anyone who wants to earn cash back in customizable categories and take advantage of an excellent intro-APR offer.

Standout benefits: You can enjoy a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles (after that, a variable 18.99% – 29.24% APR applies), so if you have high-interest debt to pay off, this may be the card for you. There is a balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount of each transfer ($5 minimum) and balance transfers must be completed within the first 60 days to qualify for the intro APR.

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The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a great card for your streaming subscriptions, but it’s also rewarding for much more.

Rewards

• 6% cash back on up to $6,000 per year in purchases at U.S. supermarkets (then 1%)
• 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
• 3% cash back on transit
• 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

Welcome bonus

Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of account opening.

Annual fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

In addition to the cashback you can earn on eligible streaming service purchases, you can earn up to $84 in Disney bundle credit every year. You can qualify for $7 each month when you spend $9.99 or more a month on an eligible auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription (enrollment required).

You can also utilize a 0% intro APR offer for 12 months from the date of account opening on purchases and eligible balance transfers (completed within the first 60 days of account opening), after that a variable 18.49%-29.49% APR applies. There is a balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount of each transfer with a $5 minimum (see rates and fees).

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The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express packs a lot of value for a card that doesn’t have an annual fee (see rates and fees).

Rewards

• 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
• 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
• 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

Welcome bonus

Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months.

Annual fee

$0 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

You can save on interest by taking advantage of this card’s intro APR offer for the first 15 months from account opening for purchases and eligible balance transfers (balance transfers must be completed within the first 60 days of account opening to qualify). Once the intro APR expires, a variable 18.49%-29.49% APR applies. There is a balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount of each transfer with a $5 minimum (see rates and fees).

In addition to the Disney Bundle credit, this card offers up to $180 in Home Chef each year. You can receive up to $15 in statement credit per month with an auto-renewing Home Chef subscription (enrollment required).

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The Prime Visa is available exclusively to Amazon Prime members and has no caps on the bonus cash back you can earn for eligible Amazon purchases.

Rewards

• 5% cash back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods and on travel purchased through Chase Travel^SM
• 2% cash back at gas stations
• 2% cash back at restaurants
• 2% cash back on local transit and commuting
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Receive a $200 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval.

Annual fee

$0 (Prime membership required)

Notable perks

The Prime Visa has a solid array of shopping and travel protections, including purchase protection and extended warranty protection, baggage delay insurance, roadside assistance, travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement and travel and emergency assistance.

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The Platinum Card® from American Express offers much more than just a digital entertainment credit, including airport lounge access, elite status benefits and more.

Rewards

• 5X points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year)
• 5X points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
• 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership.

Annual fee

$695 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

The American Express Platinum card’s statement credit offers don’t stop with digital entertainment, you’ll also have opportunities to earn credits for:

• Airline fees: Up to $200 in credits per calendar year with an airline you select (enrollment required)
• Uber: Up to $200 in Uber Cash each year ($15 Uber Cash each month, $20 Uber Cash in Dec.; enrollment required; Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.)
• Walmart+: Up to $155 in credits (Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee per month; subject to auto-renewal)
• Hotels: Up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. Certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade.
• Saks 5th Avenue: Up to $100 in statement credits annually ($50 semi-annually; enrollment required)
• CLEAR® Plus: Up to $199 in credit per calendar year for a CLEAR membership (subject to auto-renewal)
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® application fee (through a TSA official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Equinox: Up to $300 credit per calendar year (enrollment required)

Just by having this card, you can enhance your next hotel stay or rental car experience. You can enroll for Gold status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, which gets you bonus points on eligible stays, room upgrades (when available), and more. You can also receive complimentary elite status with Avis, Hertz and National (terms and limitations apply; enrollment required.).

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The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature Card has a long list of bonus cash-back categories you can choose.

Rewards

• 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories you choose
• 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Travel Center
• 2% cash back on one everyday category you choose each quarter
• 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn a $200 bonus after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

This card’s 2%-cash-back categories are limited to gas stations and EV charging stations, restaurants or grocery stores. However, it has an exceptionally long list of 5%-cash-back categories to choose from. If you want to earn 5% cash back on streaming, choose the “TV, internet and streaming service” category, and for your second quarterly category, some of the best options are:

• Cell phone providers
• Fast food
• Department stores
• Electronics stores
• Home utilities
• Select clothing stores
• Sporting goods stores
• Movie theaters
• Furniture stores
• Gyms and fitness centers
• Ground transportation

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When deciding which credit card to use to pay for your streaming services, think about what type of rewards you want to earn. Cashback is simple. You’ll always know exactly what you’re getting when you pay with a cash-back card that earns 2% or better.

Travel rewards have a higher potential value than cash back, but can be trickier to redeem. If you’re willing to learn how to make the most out of transfer partners, travel rewards can help you book luxury hotels and premium cabin flights with your miles or points.

With any card, it’s important to know which services qualify for its streaming benefits. Be sure that the service or services you subscribe to will qualify for bonus rewards. If you’re getting a card because of the streaming service credits it offers, dig into the fine print first to ensure your subscriptions are eligible.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards for streaming services.

To determine which cards offer the best value for streaming services, CNBC Select analyzed over 250 major credit cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions that are widely available in the U.S.  

We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards, annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back). 
 
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.  

For the cards that offered a rewards program, we considered consumer spending data forecasts from location intelligence firm Esri to determine where U.S. consumers are spending the most money, like on dining and travel. We used this to help determine what bonus categories are most useful for consumers. Since the value of a point or mile varies based on what they can be redeemed for, we also considered things like transferability and the ability to redeem for cash-back. 

When choosing the best credit cards for streaming services, we focused on cards that earn additional rewards and offer credits for streaming services or similar benefits.

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For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, click here.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

Information about Amazon Visa credit card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication; if you purchase something through CNBC Select links, we may earn a commission.