Update 3/11/24: SiriusXM is getting removed on May 8, 2024. Hat tip to FM
Update 9/3/23: Audible is getting removed from October 2, 2023 and beyond. They added Wall Street Journal instead.
Original Post:
American Express has just launched a number of new benefits for Platinum cardholders. In this post we will explain the new $240 digital credit. This credit allows cardholders to get up to $20 in statement credits per month when they make purchases with participating partners. You need to enroll in this benefit first (enrollment link here). The participating partners are as follows:
- Peacock
Audible(removed from October 2, 2023, and beyond)- SiriusXM
- The New York Times
- Hulu
- Disney+
- Disney+ bundle (with Hulu and ESPN+)
- ESPN+
- Wall Street Journal (added in August 2023)
You need to allow 6-8 weeks for the credits to post, but it will likely credit much quicker than that.
Peacock
The credit can be used on all Peacock subscriptions (Peacock Premium & Premium Plus). Gift card purchases are specifically excluded.
- Peacock Premium is $4.95 per month
- Peacock Premium Plus is $9.95 per month
Audible
Credit can be used on all Audible subscriptions (Audible Plus & Audible Premium Plus) as well as audiobook purchases. Audible has two membership tiers:
- Plus: $7.95
- Premium Plus: $14.95
More information about Audible can be found here (our affiliate link).
SiriusXM
All purchases made directly with SiriusXM online, telephone or direct mail purchases. It excludes SiriusXM safety, security or Telematics services (Connected Vehicle), SiriusXM for Business subscriptions, SiriusXM ad sales or Pandora. SiriusXM has three different membership tiers (plus a bunch of additional options):
- Streaming: $10.99 per month
- Car + streaming select: $16.99 per month
- Car + streaming all access: $21.99 per month
New York Times
Unfortunately purchases from NYtimes store are excluded, as are gift card purchases. Subscriptions (digital, print, NYT Cooking, and New York Times Game) are all eligible. New York Times digital subscription is $4.25 per week (billed at $17 every four weeks).
Best Uses Of The Credit
The best use of this credit will obviously be if you’re already subscribed to any of these services or would like to subscribe to them. At the moment we don’t know if things like gift card purchases will work, although they are specifically exclude in the terms that doesn’t always mean it’s enforced (although with American Express who knows if they will do a claw back ten years from now).
I can’t see any interesting portal plays at the moment (looks like Mr Rebates has $5 on Peacock), but SiriusXM sometimes has deals where you can get free echo dots and or similar devices when signing up.
I think most people that just want to ‘set & forget’ this credit will end up doing a combination of Peacock and Audible. Obviously some will find SiriusXM and New York Times useful as well. Overall this credit as it currently stands is extremely disappointing, fingers crossed we can find some better uses of it.
Hopefully they never get rid of Disney and Hulu option. Right now I have 2 Plat cards, which I use for:
Disney Duo Premium bundle at 19.99 which includes Disney+ and Hulu both without adsHulu with ads, plus an HBO add-on (in order to access HBO), at $23.98Im actually starting to like Hulu a lot, since it has a good balance of original content with new released or classic movies, kind of like how Netflix was a few years ago (until they lost a lot of good shows, and started focusing only on originals).
HBO is a bit more niche since I only use it to watch HBO originals, but most of my favorite shows have already ended a couple months ago, and there’s not enough non-original content that interests me enough.
Disney+ is nice since their app works in many more countries – great for traveling, and they will have content that usually shows up on Hulu when accessing internationally. HBO and Hulu don’t work internationally unless you had offline content and strategically turn on airplane mode before entering the apps.
I do plan to cancel 1 of the 2 plats later this year, and will probably keep the Disney Duo bundle.
Keep your eyes out for the Black Friday Hulu w/ ads $0.99/month offer. You can add HBO to that for a total cost of $18.98 that will be fully covered by Amex.
I just have one Amex Platinum, but I switch back and forth between Disney Duo Premium and HBO + Hulu (ads) when I feel like it.
When I’m not using HBO, I remove the add-on and put the $0.99/month Hulu charge on one of the cards that reimburses $1 or less (e.g. Capital One, Barclays, etc.).
They need to add something to replace XM. This credit is already a hassle to use. Getting harder and harder to justify having this card. The guest access for Centurion lounges being taken away unless you spend $75k on the card also really devalued it for me. Also a pain to use AMEX points vs Chase. Unless you book way in advance and can use transfer partners AMEX points are pretty much worth 1cent each.
All around awful card truly. Sorry if you’re being duped into keeping it past SUB thinking you’re “elite”.
I wonder who actually keeps Platinum past a year.. With restaurants at airports saying they don’t take Amex priority pass? Now cutting XM? And that huge fee? Be
Amex core demographic is now the crazy coupon ladies.
Who subscribes to Audible? lol
Here is a way to maximize the $20 a month credit. Google NYT for $1 a week and WSJ for the same. That’s $8/month. Leaves you a $12 credit. I use my son’s college email for $2/month Hulu. Leaves $10. And that $10 I use towards ESPN+.
ESPN+ sucks. Anything that you want to watch on ESPN is blacked out on ESPN. They even exclude sports draft coverage
Didn’t know so many people used their Amex credit for xm when you can have unlimited 3 month trials by faking GPS locations.
Big oof
This might be the end of me and the Plat. I use XM and really like it.
Same here, the coupon game is getting old, especially as things you use get cut.
I only pay $7.99 for XM as if you call up once a year they give you that price
they now lowered that to 4.99 when i wnet to cancel the other day
Do you have an active subscription and are just calling them once a year stating you are cancelling your subscription and they offer your existing plan at the $7.99 per month rate for what, a year?
Shorting their stock tomorrow.
How’s that worked out for you? 😀