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 Benefits section, select the $240 digital entertainment credit option, and click the Get Started icon. 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 Audible, Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The Disney Bundle, The New York Times, SiriusXM, and Peacock.

Home › Credit Cards › Reviews › Amex Platinum Card

The Amex Platinum Card – How To Use the Monthly Digital $20 Entertainment Credit [2022]

Christine Krzyszton

- UPDATED: April 8, 2022 |

Credit Cards

We may be compensated when you click on links from one or more of our advertising partners. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone. Terms apply to offers below. See our Advertiser Disclosure for more details.

We’ve all respected The Platinum Card® from American Express as a premier player in the travel rewards card arena. With premium travel benefits a traveler would love, statement credits that serve to help offset that annual fee, and a long list of benefits, it’s no wonder the card has been so popular.

One of the card’s most recently added benefits is the monthly digital entertainment credit of up to $20 (up to $240 per year). While the credit isn’t applicable to all digital entertainment expenses, we’re going to dig deeper into which services trigger this credit, some little-known pricing options, and how to make sure 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 take a look at how the credit works, which services and products are eligible, some information on each of those providers, and some typical pricing to help you decide how to use your credits.

Table of contents

How Does the Amex $20 Digital Entertainment Credit Work?
Securing the Amex Platinum Card
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

How Does the Amex $20 Digital Entertainment Credit Work?
Securing the Amex Platinum Card
Final Thoughts

How Does the Amex $20 Digital Entertainment Credit Work?

Enroll Amex Entertainment Credit — You’ll need to register for the digital entertainment credit before you sign up for a subscription or make a purchase. Image Credit: Amex

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 prior to signing up for a subscription or making a purchase. Register by logging into your Amex Platinum card account online. Under the Benefits tab, select 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 several eligible providers, but 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

Man with headphones on plane — 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 430 million digital magazines and books were checked out from libraries and schools in 2020, a 33% increase over 2019¹ — 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

Family watching Disney Plus — Image Credit: Disney

If there’s a Disney or sports fan in your family, or you just 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 prior to 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, won 130 Pulitzer Prizes, and is read throughout the world.

With such a widespread readership, it can be quite annoying to find an 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

If you’re a road warrior, take a lot of road trips, 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 mostly 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

Streaming Platinum — Free 3-month trial, then $10.99 per month, for those without a car radio
Car + Streaming Select — Special offer of $4.99 per month for 1 year, then $16.99 per month
Car + Streaming All Access — Special offer of $8.25 per month for 1 year, then $21.95 per month

All packages come with access to over 300 channels. Car + Streaming Select All Access includes the ability to customize your own 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

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, for the premium versions you’ll need to purchase a subscription.

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 currently 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 paying a net $29.99 for an annual Peacock Premium Access subscription.

Securing the Amex Platinum Card

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

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

Final Thoughts

The 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 may be offered with these digital entertainment providers. Just 1 of the $20 monthly digital entertainment credits could potentially make an annual plan a greater value.

Of course, there are a number of 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.

6 comments

William April 9, 2022
I think this doesn’t apply to yearly subscriptions. You have to be on the monthly payment plan to get the credit from Amex…even though Disney Bundle cheaper paying annually.
- Jarrod West April 9, 2022
  Hi William,
  Correct, it is a $20 monthly credit towards one or more of the eligible services.
  - Yuffie June 14, 2022
    I was told the Walmart+ charge is a part of the $20 monthly credit. Is that right?
    - Christine Krzyszton June 14, 2022
      Hi Yuffie. No, Walmart+ is not eligible for the Monthly Digital $20 Entertainment credit. There is, however, a separate Walmart+ credit. Here is the information on that credit: https://upgradedpoints.com/credit-cards/reviews/american-express-platinum-card/walmart-plus-credit/
Leticia June 23, 2022
Can I add my credit card to my husband current Disney bundle and still get the credit monthly?
- Jarrod West June 23, 2022
  Hi Leticia,
  You sure can!

Earn Points

Use Points

Business Credit Card Reviews

Business Guides

Air Travel Guides

Airline Points

Earn & Use Hotel Points

Hotel Loyalty Program Reviews

The Amex Platinum Card – How To Use the Monthly Digital $20 Entertainment Credit [2022]