Amex Digital Entertainment Credit
The Amex Digital Entertainment Credit is one of my favorite card benefits in recent memory. Many bemoaned the Platinum card’s 2021 annual fee increase, but the newer benefits provide others with real value. And now is a great time for Platinum cardholders to focus on their Digital Entertainment Credit strategies. Let’s dive in!
Resetting the Amex Digital Entertainment Credit
The Amex Digital Entertainment Credit provides consumer Platinum cardholders a monthly $20 statement credit on purchases directly made with certain partners. Currently, these partners include: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal.
Within those parameters, cardholders can get creative. Here’s how to do so.
Deals Abound
Many Digital Entertainment Credit partners have recently rolled out Black Friday (or BF-adjacent) deals. As of this writing, Hulu is offering the service with ads for 99 cents monthly for one year. This price point is optimal for adding on other services, effectively broadening the use of the credit. The Wall Street Journal is available for 50 cents weekly for one year, and The New York Times is just $1 weekly for six months. Peacock is $1.99 monthly for a year.
SiriusXM’s deals are similar to what I’ve seen periodically throughout the years, and existing customers can leverage another strategy to lower prices there. I’ll review that now.
SiriusXM Chat FTW
Historically, I’ve lowered my SiriusXM rate by calling in after a promo period. But the past two times, I’ve used SiriusXM’s chat feature to negotiate an optimal rate. Like my experience last year, I was able to obtain a new promo rate a few weeks ago in a matter of minutes – much shorter than a phone call.
Move Around The Pieces
Many hobbyists hold multiple Platinum cards, perhaps with a second player in the household. Based on all of the promo rates, move around the services/charges to different Platinums, ensuring to use as much of the credits on each card as possible. You may find going over $20 is optimal, especially if you’re a normal subscriber to certain services. Regardless, Platinum cardholders significantly discounting a collection of these services during the Black Friday sales timeframe is a no-brainer.
Take Notes
Picking up these great deals comes with additional responsibility. The limited-time deals come with different terms and conditions. With multiple services and strategies, this can get even more convoluted. Stay organized! Keep track of usernames, emails, terms and conditions, and Platinum cards associated with each service. Based on changes, you may need to cancel/shift services to other Platinum cards to avoid taking on unnecessary charges.
Don’t Forget to Stack!
Many online shopping portals offer rewards on Digital Entertainment Credit partners. For instance, I’m currently seeing 1,200 miles (and Loyalty Points) on the American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping Portal for Wall Street Journal and Disney+ subscriptions. A new SiriusXM subscription scores 500 miles. Check your favorite portals for more options!
Amex Digital Entertainment Credit – Conclusion
Collectively, my wife and I hold four consumer Platinum card accounts. Our plan is similar to last year’s. In addition to our recently-negotiated SiriusXM rate, we’ll take advantage of whatever Black Friday promos come about with the other partners. We’ll put our preferred services on our two Schwab Platinum cards, given we plan to hold those cards indefinitely. Lower-priority services will go on our two vanilla Platinum cards, which we’ll probably close later in 2024.
Now’s the best time to reconsider your own Amex Digital Entertainment Credit strategy. What are your plans?
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