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 and 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?
Image Credit: American Express
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: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times.
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.
Audible
Sit back, relax, and enjoy an audiobook with your Audible subscription. Image Credit: cottonbro via Pexels
While there’s a lot to be said for cozying up with a good book and a cup of coffee on a rainy day, listening to an intriguing novel while on a long-haul flight without having to carry a heavy book certainly has its benefits.
Leading digital platform company Overdrive tells us that over 506 million ebooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines were checked out by readers in 2021. Library systems surpassed 1 million digital checkouts in 2021¹ — and this is just a portion of the digital literary marketplace.
That’s why digital media company Audible is so popular. It’s a subscription-based service that allows Amazon account members to download an app and listen to podcasts, audiobooks, guided wellness, and original content.
Here are your options for a subscription to Audible:
- Plus — $7.95 per month for unlimited access to thousands of titles in the Plus Catalog
- Premium Plus — $14.95 per month for the Plus Catalog + 1 premium credit
- Premium Plus with Extra Credits — $22.95 per month for the Plus Catalog + 2 premium credits
- Premium Plus Annual — $149.50 per year for the Plus Catalog + 12 premium credits
- Premium Plus Annual with Extra Credits — $229.50 per year for the Plus Catalog + 24 premium credits
Individual audiobook purchases on Audible are also eligible for the digital entertainment credit.
Not sure if you’ll use Audible frequently enough to warrant subscribing? Sign up for a 30-day free trial of Audible Premium Plus to test it out.
Hot Tip: If you have an Amazon Prime account, you will have additional access to Audible Originals and some Prime audiobooks (via Prime Reading). Prime members also receive 2 free premium selection titles when signing up for a free 30-day trial of Audible Premium Plus.
Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, and The Disney Bundle
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
Always check for special pricing before subscribing to The New York Times. Image Credit: 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.
SiriusXM
Listen to what you want, when you want, with SiriusXM radio. Image Credit: SiriusXM
If you’re a road warrior or just spend a lot of time commuting to/from work in your vehicle, having quality radio programming could be of value to you. SiriusXM radio is known mainly for its premium programming sans commercial interruption.
In addition to its popular entertainment subscriptions, you may not know that SiriusXM also offers specialty subscriptions for mariners and those in aviation.
Here are your options for subscribing to SiriusXM radio:
Personal Subscription Options
All packages come with access to over 300 channels. Car + Streaming Select All Access includes the ability to customize your stations with your own selected content/music plus 2 dedicated Howard Stern channels.
Specialty Subscription Options
- SiriusXM Marine — Starts at $14.99 per month; receive weather radar, forecasts, surface temps, fish mapping, and more
- SiriusXM Aviation — Starts at just $29.99 per month; receive satellite-based weather with coast-to-coast coverage
Eligible purchases do not include SiriusXM Safety, Telematics Connected Vehicle services, SiriusXM Business subscriptions, ads, or Pandora.
Peacock 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
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome offer of up to 150,000 points with the Amex Platinum card! (The current public offer is 80,000.)
If you don’t yet have the Amex Platinum card, those with excellent credit may qualify and receive a generous welcome bonus 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 Audible Plus subscription, free digital access to The New York Times, a SiriusXM radio subscription, and premium Peacock TV access, all for around $2 net per month.
Let’s break down the economics.
- Audible Plus subscription — $7.95 per month
- Unlimited digital access to The New York Times — $1 per week (approximately $4 per month)
- SiriusXM Car + Streaming Select subscription — $4.99 per month
- Peacock TV Premium Access subscription — $4.99 per month
That’s a total of around $22 per month. If you utilize the $20 credit, you’re paying about $2 per month for all of those services.
Here’s another option for using your $20 per month entertainment credit:
- The Disney Bundle — $13.99 per month
- Unlimited digital access to The New York Times — approximately $4 per month
- Peacock TV Free Access
- SiriusXM Car + Streaming Select subscription — $4.99 per month
This combination totals approximately $23 a month, or about $3 net out-of-pocket.
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, please click here.
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