Best Credit Cards for Entertainment – Best Credit Cards for Your Entertainment Spending in 2024

Are you someone who loves going out to movies, concerts, dining, travel, and other forms of entertainment? Or maybe you just enjoy a nice dinner out now and then? Whatever your definition of “entertainment,” there’s a credit card out there that can reward you for pursuing your passion. Having the right credit card can help you earn rewards and get more value from your entertainment spending.

In this blog post, we will cover the top credit card options for maximizing rewards on your entertainment purchases in 2024. From cash back to travel points, from no annual fee to premium perks, we’ve got you covered. Let’s get started.

What is Considered Entertainment Spending?

Before we get into the best cards, let’s define what typically falls under “entertainment” spending for credit card purposes:

Movie theaters
Live shows/concerts/sporting events
Amusement parks/tourist attractions
Dining out at restaurants
Streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, etc.)
Gym memberships
Travel expenses (flights, hotels, rental cars)

Different credit card issuers may have slightly varying definitions, but the above categories are generally considered entertainment.

Why Use a Credit Card for Entertainment Purchases?

Before we jump into the best cards, let’s quickly review why it makes sense to put your entertainment expenses on a credit card:

Earn Rewards: The right credit card can earn you cash back, points, or miles on movie tickets, concert tickets, dining out, streaming services, and more. Over time, those rewards can really add up.
Bonus Categories: Many cards offer bonus reward rates (e.g. 4X points) for spending in entertainment categories.
Sign-Up Bonuses: New credit cards often come with lucrative welcome offers worth hundreds in cash or travel after meeting a minimum spending requirement.
Consumer Protections: Credit cards provide more robust purchase protection, extended warranty, and other benefits compared to debit cards or cash.
Build Credit: Using a credit card responsibly by paying on time and keeping balances low can help build your credit score.

Of course, the key is paying your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges. As long as you do that, using a credit card for entertainment can be a win-win.

Best for Dining and Entertainment: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Rewards Rate: Unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment purchases
Welcome Offer: Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within 3 months of account opening
Annual Fee: $0
0% Intro APR: 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (then 18.24% – 28.24% variable APR)

The Capital One SavorOne is hard to beat if your main entertainment spending revolves around dining out and going to events/attractions. The 3% cash-back rate applies to a broad range of purchases like restaurants, movie theaters, concerts, sporting events, theme parks, bowling alleys, and more.

You’ll also earn an impressive 3% back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart) to cover your food purchases for entertaining at home. All other purchases earn an unlimited 1% cash back.

With no annual fee and a solid welcome bonus, the SavorOne is a strong entertainment rewards card for the annual fee-averse. You can redeem cash back for statement credits, bank account deposits, gift cards, and more.

Best for Streaming Subscriptions: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

Rewards Rate: 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 6% at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%), 3% at U.S. gas stations and transit
Welcome Offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months
Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
0% Intro APR: 12 months on purchases from date of account opening (then 19.24% – 29.24% variable APR)

For households that spend a lot on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc., the Blue Cash Preferred is an excellent choice. You’ll earn a market-leading 6% cash back on eligible U.S. streaming subscriptions.

This Amex card also features bonus categories for U.S. supermarket and gas purchases, making it a great all-around card for household spending. The annual fee is $95, but it’s waived the first year.

Cash back is earned as “Reward Dollars” that you can redeem for statement credits, merchandise, gift cards, or cash back at retailers like Amazon. There are also periodic limited-time offers like statement credits for select services.

Best for General Entertainment: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Rewards Rate: Unlimited 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 3% at grocery stores, 1% on other purchases
Welcome Offer: Earn a $300 cash bonus after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
Annual Fee: $95
0% Intro APR: None

If you want to maximize cash back across dining, events, attractions, and more, the Capital One Savor may be worth its $95 annual fee. You’ll earn:

4% cash back on dining and entertainment purchases
3% back at grocery stores
1% back on all other purchases

The entertainment category is quite broad, including everything from movies and concerts to bowling alleys, tourist attractions, campgrounds, and more. Eligible streaming services like Netflix also qualify.

While the SavorOne is a $0 annual fee version offering 3% back on dining and entertainment, the regular Savor version could still come out ahead for heavy entertainment spenders due to the higher 4% rate.

Best for Travel Rewards: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Rewards Rate: 5X points on travel purchased through Chase, 3X on dining, 2X on entertainment purchases
Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Annual Fee: $95
Other Benefits: Points worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase, transfer to 14 hotel and airline partners

For frequent travelers seeking a premium travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is consistently a top choice. In addition to elevated earnings in the travel and dining categories, you’ll also earn:

2X points on entertainment purchases like movies, concerts, tourist attractions, etc.
1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases

The sign-up bonus of 60,000 points after meeting the minimum spending requirement is worth $750 in travel booked through Chase.

While the Sapphire Preferred isn’t marketed as an entertainment card per se, it can certainly rack up rewards for that type of spending. Redeem points for travel, gift cards, cash back, and more at a value of 1 cent per point. Or get potentially higher value by transferring to Chase’s travel partners.

Best for Live Events & Concerts: Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

Rewards Rate: 5% cash back in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle (up to $500 spent)
Welcome Offer: Earn $200 cash back after spending $750 within 3 months of account opening
Annual Fee: $0
0% Intro APR: 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (then 18.24% – 28.24% variable APR)

The Citi Custom Cash Card is incredibly flexible, allowing you to earn 5% back (on up to $500 spent per billing cycle) in your top spending category each month. One of those eligible 5% categories is “entertainment,” which includes:

Live entertainment purchases like concert, sporting event, and theater tickets
Movies, plays, music, dance, and more

Other potential 5% categories include restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, travel, transit, streaming services, and more. So even if live events aren’t your top category in a given month, you can still earn bonus cash back on other entertainment purchases.

With no annual fee, a solid sign-up bonus, and an introductory 0% APR promotion, the Citi Custom Cash packs a ton of value for entertainment enthusiasts. Cash back is earned as ThankYou Points that can be redeemed for statement credits, direct deposits, gift cards, and more.

Best for Movie Buffs: U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card

Rewards Rate: 5% cash back in two categories of your choice each quarter (up to $2,000 combined per quarter), 2% in one category, 1% on everything else
Welcome Offer: Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening
Annual Fee: $0

If movies are your main entertainment vice, the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature is a card to consider. That’s because “movies” is one of the available 5% cash back categories that you can choose each quarter.

With this card, you’ll earn:

5% back in two categories you choose each quarter (on up to $2,000 combined spending)
2% back in one category of your choice
1% back on all other purchases

So you could select “movies” as a 5% category, plus a category like “restaurants” for dining out before or after the theater. Other possibilities like “ground transportation” or “streaming services” could align well too.

The huge advantage is flexibility — you can change your 5% categories every 3 months based on your upcoming expenses. There’s also a decent welcome bonus for new cardholders.

Best for Simple Cash Back: Citi Double Cash Card

Rewards Rate: Unlimited 2% cash back (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay)
Welcome Offer: No bonus currently, but cash back is earned from day one
Annual Fee: $0

While not marketed as an “entertainment” card, the Citi Double Cash is a strong choice for earning cash back on entertainment purchases with no bonus categories to track. You’ll earn:

Unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay your bill)
No confusing categories or activation required

The consistent 2% rate applies to restaurants, movies, concerts, delivery services, streaming subscriptions — you name it. Cash back comes in the form of ThankYou Points that you can redeem for statement credits, gift cards, travel, etc.

Of course, 2% isn’t the highest rate out there for categories like dining and entertainment. But if you prioritize simplicity and flexibility in your rewards, the Double Cash is hard to beat. The $0 annual fee and straightforward earning structure make it an excellent “everything else” card.

Best for Travel Perks & Experiences: The Platinum Card from American Express

Rewards Rate: 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines and through Amex Travel, 5X on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel
Welcome Offer: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months
Annual Fee: $695 (see rates & fees)
Travel Perks: $200 annual airline credit, lounge access, $200 in Uber credits, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit, hotel elite status, and more

While the eye-popping $695 annual fee (see rates & fees) may seem outrageous for entertainment purposes, The Platinum Card from American Express can make sense for some serious entertainment and travel enthusiasts.

On the rewards side, you’ll earn 5X Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with airlines and via Amex Travel, as well as prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Travel. Entertainment purchases like concerts, movies, and dining don’t earn bonus points.

You’ll receive up to $200 in annual Uber credits and $200 in annual airline fee credits. Plus lounge access, hotel elite status, and more travel perks can enhance your entertainment/travel experiences. The 80,000-point welcome offer is worth $800 in gift cards too.

High annual fee aside, if you’ll maximize all the travel credits and perks, the Amex Platinum can be worth it for frequent travelers with ample entertainment spending.

Other Entertainment Credit Card Options

A few other credit cards for entertainment enthusiasts to consider:

Sony Visa Credit Card – Earns 5X rewards points on Sony purchases and entertainment like movies, plays, music, parks, etc. Redemption for Sony products/services.
PlayStation Visa Credit Card – Earn 5X points on PlayStation purchases, 3X at restaurants and select services like cable/internet. Redeem for PlayStation games, subscriptions, hardware, etc.
Savor Rewards from Capital One (no longer available to new applicants) – Legacy version of the Savor card with bonus categories for entertainment and live events.

Tips to Consider When Choosing the Right Entertainment Credit Card

When choosing the right entertainment credit card, consider:

Your biggest entertainment expense categories
Whether you want a general rewards card or one geared specifically toward entertainment
How much you’re willing to pay in annual fees
If you want simplicity or are okay with tracking bonus categories

Conclusion

Hopefully, this post has given you a clear picture of some of the best credit cards for maximizing entertainment spending in 2024. As you can see, there are plenty of rewarding options out there — from cash back to travel points to specialty perks.

No matter which card you choose, just be sure to pay your balance in full each month. That way, you can truly enjoy the rewards and entertainment experiences without stress over interest charges.