Spending on entertainment often makes up a large portion of consumer spending in the US – more than gas and clothing.
But while entertainment expenses have been a historically popular type of spending, some cards clearly offer rewards for entertainment spending. In part, this is probably due to the ambiguity of the category itself.
Which buy code as entertainment?
Recreational spending could theoretically include a lot of different things. And many of the things that you think would fall under that umbrella end up being encoded differently on the credit card statement.
Theme parks, ski passes, and dinner shows are all expenses that can easily be codified into travel or dining depending on the card, the specific merchant, and where you make the purchase.
You can get more niches in the entertainment category, specifying which cards might be best suited for things like streaming service, buy amazon, music festival And Sports events.
In this guide, we’ll go over cards that offer rewards for more general entertainment spending.
The best credit cards to maximize your entertainment spending
| Card | welcome bonus | Entertainment reward ratio | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card | $300 after you spend $3,000 in the first three months of account opening. | 4% cashback (or 8% if purchased through Capital One Entertainment.) | $95. |
| Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | $200 after you spend $1,000 in the first three months of account opening. | 3% cashback (or 8% if purchased through Capital One Entertainment.) | $0. |
| US Bank Cash + Visa Signature Card | $150 after you spend $500 in the first three months. | 5% cash back on your first $2,000 on combined qualifying purchases each quarter for two categories of your choice. | $0. |
Information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Bank of America Visa + Cash Signature Card has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
What is Capital One Entertainment?
Capital One Entertainment is Capital One’s ticketing platform, providing access to music, sports and dining events. The two Capital One cards mentioned in this guide offer 8% cashback on ticket purchases through the platform. However, the inflated refund rate does not include:
(i) Tickets purchased through the pre-sale site exclusively for Capital One cardholders (www.capitalone.com/pre-sales); (ii) tickets purchased directly through the ticketing services of Capital One Hall or Capital One Arena; and (iii) food reservations or purchases through Capital One Dining.
Sign up for our daily newsletter
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Welcome Bonus: Earn $300 cash bonus after spending $3,000 in first three months.
Reward rate: Earn 8% cash on purchases of Capital One Entertainment, 4% on popular dining, entertainment and streaming services, 3% at grocery stores (excluding supermarkets like Walmart and Target) ) and 1% for everything else.
How is entertainment defined?: Capital One defines leisure purchases quite broadly. According to the Capital One website, purchase entertainment included movie tickets, plays, concerts, sporting events, tourist attractions, amusement parks, aquariums, zoos, dance clubs, bowling alleys, billiards rooms, shops tapes and video rental locations.
Memorize: Additionally, Capital One only allows you to carry two Capital One-branded personal cards at a time and also tends to limit you to only one new card every six months, which includes both corporate and business cards. individual. If you are interested in this card, keep these restrictions in mind when you plan an application strategy.
Check Capital One Savor Card Review For more details.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Welcome Bonus: Earn $200 cash bonus after spending $1,000 in first three months of account opening.
Reward rate: Earn 8% cash on purchases of Capital One Entertainment, 3% on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding supermarkets like Walmart and Target), plus 1% off all other purchases.
How is entertainment defined?: Capital One defines entertainment the same on both Savor cards, which means you’ll get rewarded with tickets to movies, plays, concerts, sporting events, attractions, theme parks. , aquarium, zoo, dance club, bowling alley, billiards room, record store and video rental venue.
Memorize: Capital One Savor may charge an annual fee, but anyone who spends a significant portion of their budget on have dinner and entertainment can still get better value from that card even with an annual fee. The enjoy a is the most suitable for beginner and those with smaller budgets.
Check Capital One SavorOne Card Review For more details.
Application link: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Bank of America Cash+™ Visa Signature® Card
Welcome Bonus: Earn $200 worth of rewards after you sign up online and spend $1,000 on qualifying purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.
Reward: Earn 5% cash back by choosing from two of 12 seller categories each quarter for your first $2,000 combined purchases, 2% for a daily category, like gas stations, grocery store or restaurant and 1% everywhere else.
How entertainment is defined: Bank of America offers two entertainment-related categories that earn 5% cash: movie theaters; and television, internet and streaming services. This includes popular services like Netflix, Hulu, and Max. You can opt into both entertainment categories each quarter to maximize cashback if you so choose.
Memorize: This card offers an attractive cashback rate for the card with no annual fees. Don’t forget, you have to opt-in every quarter and choose your preferred rewards category to earn a higher percentage of rewards.
Check Bank of America Visa + Cash Card Review For more details.
Consider a fixed rate card
Another option for entertainment spending is fixed interest card. There are many in the market ranging from refunds ARRIVE travel rewards for those who serve small business owner.
Regular visitors can use Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase. Business travelers can try Capital One Spark Miles for Business, also earn 2 miles for dollars on every purchase. Both only charge a $95 annual fee (was waived the first year for Spark Miles). There are also free annual versions of both cards for any beginner on a smaller budget.
If cashback is your style, a card like Citi® Double Cash Card (seemeals and fees) or Unlimited pursuit of freedom is also a viable option. Citi Double Cash earns 2% on every purchase (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay your bill), while Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5% back on all non-bonus categories. both are free card every yearand you can pair them with others on their issuing team to maximize your redemption options and value.
Don’t forget the exclusive access privileges
There’s more to credit card maximization than just rewards (although earning rewards is largely part of that equation).
Some top travel card offers exclusive privileges for entertainment events. Some issuers hold invite-only events that give you access to buy hard-to-buy tickets at specific prices premium credit card. In those cases, it may be reasonable to use a card that doesn’t necessarily earn an entertainment reward for that purchase. It all depends on what you find more valuable in each situation.
Related readings: Cards provide VIP event access
bottom line
Keep in mind that some purchases may not be encrypted in the entertainment category, depending on how and where you make your purchases. For example, Disney tickets It’s entirely possible to code into entertainment, travel, or something else, depending on how you get your tickets.
Whether you’re a roller coaster enthusiast, a fan of stand-up comedy, or something in between, it’s good to have a card that earns you extra rewards for those purchases and/or offers a chance to win. association for an enhanced experience.
Additional reporting by Ryan Wilcox, Benji Stawski and Mike Cetera.
