Sports affinity cards let you give money to your team without having to pay for it yourself. They also have other perks that sports fans might like. Find out if you should get one.
Affinity cards are a special type of credit card that is linked in some way to the cardholder's lifestyle. They offer benefits that are more tailored to the cardholder than the usual 0% balance transfer offers and the like. Affinity programmes include charity credit cards, where every time the card is used, a donation is made to a certain charity, and travel rewards cards, which let you earn points that you can use at a hotel chain or airline that you use often.
The sports team affinity card, for fans of a certain football team or other sports club, is another type of card that is becoming more and more popular.
The most obvious difference between a sports card and a regular one is how it looks. Usually, a sports card will have the logo or badge of the team that was chosen. In and of itself, this is something that many fans want because it shows how much you support your team and is sure to get comments from other fans.
The most important thing about sports affinity cards may be how much money they can save you. In a way similar to how charity credit cards work, a sports card lets you help your team's finances without costing you anything directly. The card issuer will give a small percentage of everything you spend to the team linked to your card account. This may not seem like much for a single cardholder, but if thousands or tens of thousands of people use the card regularly, the money can add up quickly.
When a team starts a sports affinity card programme, they often use the money they get to pay for the club's long-term health. They do this by investing in youth academies and development. This means that by using the card for everyday purchases, you're helping to make sure your team will be successful for a long time.
Not only can using your card help your team, but it can also give you personal perks like discounts on club merchandise, a rewards programme where you can earn points to pay for tickets, or even priority access to big games, depending on the card.
So, is there anything bad about it? As with all credit cards that offer enticing benefits to get people to apply, the benefits need to be paid for in some way. Usually, this is done by charging a higher standard APR or interest rate. There isn't much chance that you'll find any kind of affinity card in the "best value" or "lowest APR" tables. If you use your card to borrow money instead of just as a convenient way to pay, the higher costs of the card may make the sports benefits less important.
Still, if you don't plan to keep a big balance on your card from month to month, the headline interest rate might not be as important to you as the fact that your card will show both visually and financially that you support your team.
