What is the best credit card for streaming subscriptions?

Amex Blue Cash Preferred offers 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc.) — the highest rate available. For no annual fee, the Citi Custom Cash gives 5% on your top spending category, which can include streaming.

Which streaming services qualify for 6% cash back?

Amex Blue Cash Preferred's 6% covers Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+, Peacock, Sling, YouTube TV, Spotify, SiriusXM, and Pandora. Apple Music and Apple TV+ typically do not qualify.

Does Amazon Prime count as a streaming subscription?

Amazon Prime membership ($139/yr) typically does not code as a streaming subscription — it codes as membership/retail. However, if you subscribe to Prime Video as a standalone service ($8.99/mo), that may qualify. The Amazon Prime Visa Signature gives 5% on all Amazon purchases including Prime.

Best no-annual-fee card for subscriptions?

Citi Custom Cash gives 5% on your top spending category (up to $500/month) — if streaming is your top category, you earn 5% with no annual fee. Capital One SavorOne gives 3% on streaming with no cap and no annual fee.

Can I use multiple cards for different subscriptions?

Yes. You can set different subscriptions to bill on different cards to maximize rewards. For example, use Blue Cash Preferred for Netflix/Hulu (6%), Amazon Prime Visa for Prime (5%), and Apple Card for Apple services (3% via Apple Pay).

Best Credit Cards for Streaming & Subscriptions (2026)

The average American pays for 4–5 streaming subscriptions totaling $50–80/month ($600–960/year). With the right card, that's $36–58/year in cash back on money you're already spending. The Amex Blue Cash Preferred leads with 6% on streaming, but several no-AF options earn 3–5%. Use our calculator to find your best match.

Important: Not all subscriptions code as "streaming." Amazon Prime membership codes as retail, Apple services require Apple Pay for 3%, and gym memberships code differently than media subscriptions. We break down what counts below.

Top 4 Cards for Streaming & Subscriptions

Amex Blue Cash Preferred

Streaming

$57/yr

on $80/mo streaming

Streaming Rate

Annual Fee

$95

Also Earns

6% groceries, 3% transit

Highest streaming rate at 6%. The $95 AF is offset by grocery + streaming rewards.

Citi Custom Cash

Calculate Your Subscription Rewards

Enter your monthly subscription spend to see which card earns the most:

Monthly Streaming & Subscriptions

Per year estimates. Full calculator: Rewards Tool

What Counts as "Streaming"

Not all subscriptions are created equal in the eyes of credit card issuers. Here's what codes as streaming vs. what doesn't:

✅ Qualifies as streaming: Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+, Peacock, HBO Max, Paramount+, Apple TV+ (standalone), Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, Sling, SiriusXM, Pandora
❌ Does NOT qualify: Amazon Prime membership (codes as retail), gym memberships (codes as health/fitness), newspaper subscriptions (codes as publishing), meal kits (codes as food), cloud storage (codes as business services)
⚠️ Varies by issuer: Amazon Prime Video standalone ($8.99/mo) sometimes codes as streaming. Apple services via Apple Pay get 3% on Apple Card regardless of category.

The Multi-Card Strategy

Since no single card maximizes every subscription, consider splitting your subs across cards:

Amex Blue Cash Preferred (6%) → Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Spotify, SiriusXM
Amazon Prime Visa (5%) → Amazon Prime, Prime Video, Audible
Apple Card (3% via Apple Pay) → Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+
Citi Double Cash (2%) → Everything else (gym, meal kits, newspapers)

This multi-card approach sounds tedious, but it takes 10 minutes to set up once and earns you $50–80/year on subscriptions you'd pay for anyway. Set each subscription to auto-pay on the right card and forget about it.

The Citi Custom Cash Trap

The Citi Custom Cash gives 5% on your top spending category each month. If you spend more on groceries ($400) than streaming ($80), streaming won't be your top category — and you'll only earn 1%. The card works great for streaming-heavy months (like when you add a new service), but it's unreliable as a dedicated streaming card unless streaming consistently dominates your spending.