How To Save $500 a Year in Streaming Service Fees With These 2 Cards

Just 2 cards in my wallet, the Platinum Card^® from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, save me a combined $500 each year on streaming subscription service fees.

Most evaluations of these cards focus solely on the travel benefits they offer. While those are great and a major reason why they have a spot in my wallet, travel benefits are also aspirational — meaning you have to actually book a trip to unlock the value.

However, both cards offer multiple everyday lifestyle benefits that save me real money on purchases I’m already making, such as streaming subscriptions. This easily offsets bills already in my monthly budget.

Here’s a look at how I use these 2 cards to save $500 every year in subscription service fees.

Amex Platinum Card’s $300 Digital Entertainment Credit

The Amex Platinum Card’s digital entertainment credit gives cardholders up to $25 back each month, or $300 annually, on eligible subscriptions. Eligible subscriptions include Disney+ (and the Disney+ bundle), ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV.

BEST LOUNGE CARD

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Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

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

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Platinum Card^® from American Express

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

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount — all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.

As High as 175,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,850

Annual Fee

$895

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, the Platinum Card^® from American Express is a top choice.

The card offers premium perks like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and several annual card credits. The Amex Platinum card is easily worth the annual fee for frequent travelers who use the lounges and travel credits, and hard to justify for those who won’t.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far): Get access to over 1,550 worldwide lounges, including Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5 points per $1 spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5 points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $895 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags).

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Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards^® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel^®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts^® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel^® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
• With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 Delta Sky Club visits (subject to visit limitations) when flying on an eligible Delta flight, Priority Pass™ membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. *As of 01/2026
• $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card^® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card^® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
• $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
• $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel^® using the Platinum Card^®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights™ by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® to pay for eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. As a Platinum Card^® Member you have special access to reservations on select nights at participating sought after Resy restaurants in select cities through Platinum Nights™ by Resy. Simply add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile to book your reservation.
• $219 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your Platinum Card^®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card^® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• Start your vacation sooner and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts^® through American Express Travel^®, enjoy noon check-in, when available, and guaranteed 4pm late check-out.
• $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Get up to a $12.95* statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Platinum Card^®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.
• Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
• $895 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

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

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American Express Membership Rewards

I treat this credit as a direct offset against subscriptions I would have paid for regardless. My household already has a couple of these services running, namely Disney+, ESPN+, and Paramount+, so charging them to my Amex Platinum card and letting the statement credits hit each month effectively offsets $300 of the annual fee I pay for my card.

To be clear, this isn’t free money if you subscribe to something you don’t actually want just to trigger the credit. It’s valuable specifically because it applies to services I was already going to pay for.

Free Streaming With a Complimentary Walmart+ Membership

The Amex Platinum card also includes a complimentary Walmart+ membership, covered by a statement credit of up to $12.95 per month, which covers the full cost of a monthly Walmart+ plan. This comes with benefits you might expect when shopping with Walmart, such as free store delivery, free shipping, fuel discounts, free pharmacy delivery, and more.

That said, I live in New York City, where there are no Walmarts nearby, and I don’t use them for any of my online shopping needs. So then why is a Walmart+ membership useful for me?

Walmart+ includes a perk called its video streaming choice, which gives members a free subscription to either Paramount+ Essential (a $7.99-a-month value) or Peacock Premium (a $10.99-a-month value), both of which are ad-supported. Walmart+ members can choose one through Walmart’s benefits hub and can switch between the two every 90 days.

Since I already have Paramount+ and other services covered by my digital entertainment credit, I selected Peacock Premium, which covers my monthly subscription cost there as well. Remember that Walmart+ is included as a complimentary benefit to my Amex Platinum card, so getting a Peacock Premium subscription to boot is purely additive on top of the discounts I’ve received from my digital entertainment credit.

Since the cost to subscribe to Peacock Premium would otherwise be $10.99 per month, this saves me another $131.88 annually, or $431.88 total when combined with my up-to-$300 annual digital entertainment credit.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card’s Apple TV Benefit

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card received a refresh in June 2026, and with that came a complimentary 1-year Apple TV subscription worth up to $156, available to both new and existing cardholders.

BEST FIRST TRAVEL CARD

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

75,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,500

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.24% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, gas, EV charging, vacation homes, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance and emergency evacuation. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), gas, EV charging, vacation homes (such as Airbnb and Vrbo), and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Emergency Evacuation and Transportation and more
• Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 – a value of $156.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for 12 months when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck^® or NEXUS application.
• Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24% - 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

If you’re already a cardholder who wasn’t aware of this addition, you need to activate it yourself. Simply log in to your account on the Chase app or Chase.com, head to the benefits and rewards section, and link your Apple account before December 31, 2026.

If you’re already paying for Apple TV directly through Apple, activating the Chase benefit automatically suspends your paid subscription rather than charging you twice, and your existing plan simply resumes at the going rate once the complimentary year runs out.

Again, since Apple TV would otherwise cost $12.99 per month, I receive an additional $155.88 in value here, which easily offsets the $95 annual fee I pay for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card on its own. It brings my total saved annually to $587.76.

Bonus Value: Earning 3x Points on Streaming Purchases

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card also earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points on certain streaming purchases from a wide range of platforms, including:

• Apple Music
• Apple TV
• Disney+
• ESPN+
• Fubo TV
• HBO Max
• Hulu
• Netflix
• Pandora
• Paramount+
• Peacock
• Showtime
• SiriusXM
• Sling
• Spotify
• YouTube Premium
• YouTube TV
• Vudu

While this won’t move the needle as much as the above credits do, it at least allows you to maximize any additional subscriptions you pay for that aren’t covered by the above credits, like Netflix, HBO Max, or Spotify.

My Annual Savings

Here’s how the math shakes out for a household that’s already paying for a reasonable mix of streaming services:

• Amex Platinum card’s digital entertainment credit: Up to $300 per year
• Walmart+ included streaming (Paramount+ or Peacock): $96 to $132 per year
• Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s Apple TV benefit: $156 per year
• Bonus value from 3x points on streaming purchases: Varies

Add it up, and you land up to $588 a year in savings, depending on whether you fully max out the $300 digital entertainment credit and which Walmart+ streaming service you choose. Again, this is only valuable to you if you are already paying for these streaming subscription services.

Why This Makes Both Annual Fees Easier To Justify

Combined, the Amex Platinum card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card cost $990 a year in annual fees. These subscription credits alone, before any of the other card benefits come into play, can offset more than half of that expense.

This can change the justification math considerably because, instead of needing to optimize many of the other card perks to earn back the cost of the annual fees, I’m already most of the way there through bills I was paying regardless.

From that starting point, all of the other great perks, such as airport lounge access, hotel and rental car elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, hotel and other statement credits, purchase protections, and transfer partners, all become upside rather than the sole justification for keeping either card.

Final Thoughts

While travel benefits are still the main reasons I’d recommend the Amex Platinum card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card to serious points-and-miles travelers, they aren’t the only factors worth keeping in mind.

Between the Amex Platinum card’s $300 digital entertainment credit and free streaming service via Walmart+, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s new Apple TV benefit and 3x streaming category, I’m offsetting over $500 a year in subscriptions I was already going to pay for — and that’s part of the reason why both of these cards have permanent spots in my wallet.