The Amex Platinum Card – How To Use the Monthly Digital $20 Entertainment Credit [2024]

Updated: March 14, 2024, 10:19am CDT

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The Amex Platinum Card – How To Use the Monthly Digital $20 Entertainment Credit [2024]

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By now we all know that The Platinum Card^® from American Express is a premier player in the travel rewards card arena. With premium travel benefits any traveler would love, statement credits that help offset its $695 annual fee (rates & fees), and a long list of perks, it’s no wonder the card continues to grow in popularity.

One of the card’s most recently added benefits is the digital entertainment credit of up to $20 per month (up to $240 per year). Although the credit isn’t applicable to all digital entertainment expenses, we’ll dig deeper into which services trigger this credit, some little-known pricing options, and how to ensure you’ll receive the maximum value.

If you have the Amex Platinum card or are considering it, you’ll want to be sure to explore your options for using your monthly entertainment credit. Note that terms apply and enrollment may be required, so be sure to check your American Express account.

Let’s look at how the credit works, including which services and products are eligible, specific details about each of those providers, and estimated pricing to help you decide how to use your credits.

How Does the Amex $20 Digital Entertainment Credit Work?

The Amex Platinum card’s digital entertainment credit of up to $20 per month is valid only for specific purchases and subscriptions. Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your card on 1 or more of the following: Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal.

You must enroll for the entertainment credit benefit before signing up for a subscription or making a purchase. Register by logging into your Amex Platinum card account online. Click the Rewards & Benefits box, then select the Benefits tab. Scroll down to find the $240 Digital Entertainment Credit option, and click on Get Started.

You may make your purchase of a weekly, monthly, or annual subscription with 1 eligible vendor or multiple eligible providers. Still, the maximum credit is $20 per calendar month and $240 in a calendar year. If you do not use the credit each month, the amount for that month will be forfeited.

Purchases made with a mobile app do not qualify.

Now let’s look closer at your options for using the credit with the partner providers.

Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, and The Disney Bundle

Family watching Disney Plus — Image Credit: Disney

If there’s a Disney or sports fan in your family, or you want access to a variety of movies and TV shows, you’ll love the options offered by Disney Plus that qualify for the entertainment credit.

Here are the options you’ll have from this provider.

Disney+ — $7.99 per month or $79.99 for an annual subscription
ESPN+ — $6.99 per month or $69.99 for an annual subscription
Hulu —- $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year with ads; $12.99 per month without ads
The Disney Bundle — $13.99 per month for Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu with ads; $19.99 per month for Hulu without ads
Disney+, Hulu Live TV (with ads), ESPN+ Bundle — $69.99 per month
Disney+, Hulu Live TV (without ads), ESPN+ Bundle — $75.99 per month

The best value, of course, is The Disney Bundle, but individual subscriptions do qualify for the entertainment credit, up to $20 total per month, up to $240 per year.

Be sure to enroll in the offer before your purchase by logging in to your online Amex Platinum card account.

Hot Tip: Qualified college students can sign up for ad-supported Hulu for just $1.99 per month.

The New York Times

The New York Times has been around since 1851, has won 130 Pulitzer Prizes, and is read worldwide.

With such a widespread readership, it can be quite annoying to find a NYT article quoted online, and when you try to access it, you discover that only subscribers can view it. This scenario won’t happen to you anymore.

A digital subscription to the NYT is affordable and even more so with your Amex digital entertainment credit. Here are your options for subscribing to the publication either digitally and/or in print:

Digital Version — Frequently offered at $1 per week for the first year, then the price increases to $17 every 4 weeks.

Delivery of The New York Times newspaper includes unlimited access to the digital version and 2 subscriptions to share. Here are your options for having the publication delivered:

Weekend — Saturday and Sunday delivery, regular price $10 per week, 50% off = $5 per week
Three-Day — Friday, Saturday, and Sunday delivery, regular price $15 per week, 50% off = $7.50 per week
Weekday — Monday through Friday delivery, regular price $15 per week, 50% off = $7.50 per week
Daily — Monday through Sunday delivery, regular price $20 per week, 50% off = $10 per week

Hot Tip: If you love The New York Times Cooking or The New York Times Games, you can subscribe to unlimited access for just $40 per year. Pay with your Amex Platinum card, receive just 1 of your $20 monthly Amex digital entertainment credits and get an entire year’s subscription for a net $20.

Peacock TV

Family watching TV — Enjoy access to thousands of hours of programming with Peacock TV. Image Credit: Ketut Subiyanto via Pexels

Let’s wind down our Amex digital entertainment credit options by looking at Peacock TV and its offerings. Peacock is owned and operated by NBC, so it’s no surprise the streaming service is named after the NBC logo.

While you can access basic Peacock TV streaming for free, you’ll need to purchase a subscription for the premium versions.

Here are your options for signing up with Peacock:

Free Access — Watch thousands of hours of TV, exclusive programs, news, sports, kids shows, and Spanish language TV with complimentary access
Premium Access — $4.99 per month; includes all the basic viewing access plus live sports, hit movies, live events, and expanded access to kids’ shows and movies
Premium Plus Access — $9.99 per month; enjoy your Peacock TV subscription ad-free and watch select streaming on your mobile device

If you’re a customer of COX or Xfinity, you may have access to Peacock TV for free.

Hot Tip: Check out Peacock TV’s annual plans — at $49.99 for an entire year, you could use just 1 of your $20 digital entertainment monthly credits and be pay a net amount of $29.99 for an annual Peacock Premium subscription.

Securing the Amex Platinum Card

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome OfferEarn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros

The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment (airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit)
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
Access to Amex International Airline Program
No foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

Cons

$695 annual fee (rates and fees)
Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card^®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
$200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card^®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
$300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
$189 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card^®. Learn more.
$100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 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^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card^®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
$695 annual fee.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: See Pay Over Time APR
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

If you don’t yet have the Amex Platinum card, those with excellent credit may qualify and receive a generous American Express welcome offer once meeting minimum spending requirements after card approval.

The Amex Platinum card is packed with valuable premium benefits that can save money, make travel more comfortable, and provide protection when you need it. We estimate the card’s value to be nearly $5,000 each year if you utilize all the perks.

Final Thoughts

The Amex Platinum card‘s digital entertainment credit of up to $20 monthly is great if you’re already paying for 1 or more of these subscriptions. If you’re not currently subscribed to any of these services, you might translate the benefit as getting a complimentary digital access to The New York Times, and premium Peacock TV access.

Additionally, don’t forget to check out any discounted annual plans that these digital entertainment providers may offer. Just 1 of the $20 monthly digital entertainment credits could potentially make an annual plan a greater value.

Of course, there are several combinations for which you could subscribe, but the bottom line is that you find value when using the credit for a subscription service you’ll actually use and enjoy.

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

Featured Image Credit: American Express

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Amex digital entertainment credit worth it?

If you currently pay for a subscription or find value in enrolling in a new subscription with any of the eligible providers, it can be worth it.

Economically, it makes sense to use the entire $240 in annual credits, but you may need to subscribe to more than 1 service to receive the full amount.

You’ll also want to follow up on any special pricing you received to be sure the service doesn’t renew at a higher amount.

How do I use the Amex $20 monthly digital entertainment credit?

In order to be eligible for the credit, you must enroll in the benefit via your Amex Platinum card online account.

Go to the Rewards & Benefits section, select Benefits, and then select the $240 digital entertainment credit option. To finish enrollment, click the Get Started button.

Make the purchase with any of the eligible vendors using your Amex Platinum card, and receive a statement credit of up to $20 per calendar month.

Does The Business Platinum Card® from American Express have a digital entertainment credit?

No. The $20 monthly digital entertainment credit is a benefit on the personal Amex Platinum card.

Is the Amex digital entertainment credit the same as the Amex streaming credit?

No. The digital entertainment credit offered on the Amex Platinum card is only valid for purchases with service providers that include Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal.

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About Christine Krzyszton

Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.

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