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Walmart+ is adding a Paramount+ Essential subscription starting in September — and Amex Platinum cardholders can get it for free.
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The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with complimentary Walmart+ membership.
Starting September 2022, Walmart+ will include a free Paramount+ Essential Plan subscription.
Walmart+ also offers free delivery, gas and prescription discounts, and early access to deals.
Read Insider’s guide to the best rewards credit cards.
The Platinum Card® from American Express has added a ton of new benefits in the past year or so, many of which may seem a little niche or unusual for a premium card. One of these is a complimentary Walmart+ subscription; cardholders receive a statement credit for the membership fee each month when they charge it to their card**.
Walmart+ is actually pretty useful and can save you money with perks like free grocery delivery and discounts on gas. And now there’s an additional benefit coming to the service — starting in September, Walmart+ members will get access to a free Paramount+ Essential streaming subscription.
While this isn’t technically a direct The Platinum Card® from American Express benefit, it’s a new reason to consider taking advantage of its free Walmart+ membership**. Here’s what to know about this new perk.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Free Paramount+ with Walmart+ and Amex Platinum
Getting a free Paramount+ Essential subscription with Walmart+ is a nice deal, particularly if you already subscribe to the service. Paramount+ Essential is the service’s cheapest plan (normally $4.99 per month) and comes with access to on-demand streaming content including new and classic Paramount, Miramax, and MGM movies, Paramount original programming, sports events, and shows from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV, and The Smithsonian Channel.
Unlike Paramount’s Premium plan, the Essential subscription is ad-supported, so your streaming will be interrupted now and then with commercials. It also doesn’t come with access to live CBS programming, so if that’s important to you, the free subscription might not be a fit.
Walmart hasn’t yet shared details about how Walmart+ will give access to this new benefit or if members will have an option to upgrade to the Premium plan for an additional fee.
How to activate free Walmart+ with the Amex Platinum
If you’re already a The Platinum Card® from American Express member but aren’t yet using Walmart+, it’s quite easy to set up. There’s no activation of the benefit required — all you need to do is sign up for a Walmart+ monthly membership** and add your The Platinum Card® from American Express as the payment method. Make sure you select a monthly membership (not annual), otherwise, the credit won’t apply.
You’ll usually see a credit for the membership fee a few days after the transaction posts to your account. Here’s our full guide to using the Amex Platinum Walmart+ credit for step-by-step instructions.
Getting free Paramount+ isn’t the only reason to consider using the The Platinum Card® from American Express’s Walmart+ benefit. Walmart+ comes with other handy features that can save you time and money (and even help you snag deals before the general public). Members receive:
Free delivery (if it’s available in your area) on orders of $35 or more — including groceriesFree shipping with no order minimumGas discounts at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, and Murphy stations — up to 10 cents per gallonEarly access to Black Friday and other limited-time deals — four hours earlier than non-membersPrescription discountsWalmart Scan&Go — scan with the Walmart app as you shop and pay with your phone
Your savings from Walmart+ really depend on how often you use the service (I’ve only saved about $17 this year in gas discounts), but every little bit helps. Plus, it’s a good way to offset the The Platinum Card® from American Express’s hefty The Platinum Card® from American Express annual fee just a little, and the new free Paramount+ subscription is a nice addition.
The Amex Platinum offers other credits for streaming
Even if Paramount+ isn’t your streaming service of choice, you could save some cash with the Amex Platinum’s digital subscription credit**. After enrolling in the benefit, cardholders can receive up to $20 per month in statement credits toward the following digital subscriptions when they pay with their card:
HuluESPN+Disney+ (including the Disney+ Bundle, which comes with Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+)PeacockAudibleSiriusXMThe New York Times
If you’re not yet a The Platinum Card® from American Express holder, it’s a good time to consider opening the card, because it’s offering a whopping The Platinum Card® from American Express (worth around The Platinum Card® from American Express in travel, based on Insider’s valuations).
Just be sure you can maximize other benefits, like annual airline fee credits**, monthly Uber Cash**, and Saks Fifth Avenue credits**, to make the Amex Platinum’s annual fee worthwhile. Here’s our full Amex Platinum card review with all the details.