American Express (AmEx) has introduced a co-branded credit card in partnership with sports platform Fanatics.
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“Inspired by Topps trading cards, the first-of-its-kind credit card design lets fans select their favorite player from a roster of more than 500 NBA, NFL, UFC and WWE athletes — with more leagues and players to come,” Fanatics said in a Monday (Nov. 9) news release. “This is made possible by Fanatics’ longstanding relationships with leagues and players associations.”
Starting Monday, fans in the U.S. can sign a waitlist for the card, with invitations to apply set to go out later this year.
The card earns FanCash—Fanatics’ loyalty currency—on “fandom purchases and everyday spending,” redeemable on Fanatics platform for authentic apparel, trading cards, collectibles, tickets, and access to events, the release added.
A report on the launch by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quoted Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst at LendingTree. He said the partnership is noteworthy because card issuers typically use controversial areas like gambling and prediction markets.
The Fanatics card can’t be used to place bets directly, and many major betting sites don’t accept credit cards to comply with state laws designed to keep gamblers from rapidly compounding debt, the WSJ added.
However, the card could end up rewarding people who may use cash to fund their gambling, then charge other costs to their credit card, said Bruce McClary , spokesman at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling .
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