Remember the time when radio and television were free? True, we had to deal with commercials but was that such a high price to pay?
Today, we can listen to or watch almost anything we want if we pay for the right service. At home, at work, in the car, at the gym or even when while traveling anywhere around the world, our music and tv shows are only as far away as our connected device. This convenience comes at a price, a subscription (or multiple subscriptions) to streaming services.
Like any recurring expense, you should be trying to maximize the rewards you earn for the money you spend on streaming video, online music subscriptions and satellite radio. There used to be only one card to rule them all in this category, but now you have a few choices.
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The Chase Ink Cash Business Card
The Chase Ink Business Cash earns 5X/5% on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary (not calendar) year:
- office supply stores (in-person and online)
- internet, cable and phone services
In my experience, the Ink Cash rewards 5X back on almost all streaming services and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
For example, on this statement, I had charges totaling $662 from SiriusXM, Spotify and our cable/internet provider.
I received the usual 1 point per dollar on all purchases plus an additional 4 points for all of the charges for cable/streaming/satellite services. This has been my experience for Sirius XM and Spotify charges over the last several years and is confirmed by this article on Doctor of Credit.
I transfer points from our Ink Cash card to our Sapphire Reserve card every couple of months to maximize their value through bookings on the Chase travel portal or transferring points to partner programs.
If you have a business and are under Chase’s 5/24 limit, it might make sense to pick up an Ink Cash just to take advantage of this opportunity depending on how much you spend on streaming services. With your payments to Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, Disney+ subscriptions along with Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify and SiriusXM Satellite radio, it’s possible to rack up plenty of extra points.
I would have felt safe with solely this recommendation if it wasn’t for another cashback card.
American Express Blue Cash Preferred
The American Express Blue Cash Preferred offers 6% cash back on select US streaming services including the following:
- Amazon Music Unlimited
- Apple Music
- Apple TV +
- AT&T Now
- Audible
- CBS All Access
- Disney+
- ESPN+
- Fubo TV
- HBO Now
- Hulu
- iHeartRadio
- Kindle Unlimited
- Luminary
- MLB.TV
- NBA League Pass
- Netflix
- NHL.TV
- Pandora
- Prime Video
- Showtime
- Sling TV
- SiriusXM Streaming and Satellite
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- YouTube Music Premium
- YouTube Premium
- YouTube TV
Other Options
There are a few other no-annual-fee options out there you can use to earn a decent return on spending for streaming services:
- The Wells Fargo Propel American Express card earns 3x points on popular streaming services.
- The US Bank Cash+ card lets you pick two categories each quarter where you’ll earn 5% cashback. One of the categories is internet streaming services.
Final Thoughts
If you’re able to get a Chase business card, the Ink Cash is the best card for streaming music and video and satellite radio charges because it does not have an annual fee, and you can transfer the points earned to other Ultimate Rewards accounts. If you have a decent amount of spending, the 6% cashback with the AMEX Blue Cash Preferred might be an excellent option for you. Otherwise, the Wells Fargo Propel or US Bank Cash+ are no-annual-fee alternatives.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
4 comments
The SoFi debit card gives 20% Cashback on Netflix, among others
I’m honestly deficient on my knowledge of the debit cards out there. I’ll give it a look.
Given the credit from the Amex Platinum on streaming, I’d actually say that’s the best card for streaming, since it’s free up to $20/mo.
True, but I didn’t include it because it’s not a permanent benefit. It’s also only an advantage if you pay monthly for services.