Credit Card News
Manchester United and Cardless Introduce Credit Card with Interesting Fan Perks
In recent years, there have been a number of intriguing co-branded card offerings that fall outside of what most people might expect. Now the FinTech Cardless is looking to further shake things up with its latest offering. Recently, Cardless and the football (or soccer to Americans) club Manchester United announced a unique credit card offering for the U.S. market.
In addition to including discounts on United merchandise, the card also rewards ridesharing, streaming, and restaurant spend. At the top of the list, the Manchester United Credit Card will earn 5x points at restaurants and bars — however, this will only apply on days when the team has an official match. Meanwhile, the card also earns 5x points on streaming services and rideshares year-round. Plus, it earns 1x points on all other purchases and cardholders can save 10% at the Official Manchester United Megastore, Red Cafe, and United Direct3.
Also notable is the Manchester United Credit Card’s current welcome bonus. Currently, cardholders who spend $1,000 on the card in their first three months will score a free Manchester United Home Shirt. More accurately, those who reach this initial spending threshold will receive a Fanatics gift card equal to the amount of the Home Shirt. Elsewhere, those who spend at least $500 a month on the card will earn up to $5 per month in statement credits toward Peacock Premium, which will allow them to watch Man Utd matches along with other Premier League streams.
Of course, with the Manchester United card earning points instead of direct cashback, it’s important to note how the card’s currency converts — especially because it will depend on when you sign up. While the card’s points would typically be redeemable to statements credits at a rate of half a cent per point, those who sign up for the card and make their first purchase before April 30th can lock in a 1-cent per point redemption rate for as long as they’re a cardholder. Similarly, those who apply within the stated window will be able to redeem points for Manchester United gift cards at a rate of 1.25 cents per point instead of the standard 1 cent per point.
Overall, the Manchester United Credit Card from Cardless is certainly an intriguing product — even for those who aren’t major fans of football. With top-tier rewards for streaming, rideshare, and dining, it could be lucrative for many. However, that value proposition also comes with some major asterisks, starting with the redemption rate. While the one-cent per point rate would make this one of the best-earning cards in these categories (at least among cards with no annual fee), once the rate normalizes at half a cent per point, the card will fall to the middle of the pack. On top of that, there is the note that the dining category multiplier only applies on days when Manchester United has a match. Therefore, the use for this benefit is actually far more limited than it might seem at first glance. Still, it’s truly interesting to see Cardless thinking outside of the box in terms of co-branded options, rewards, sign-up bonuses, etc. and it will be worth watching for what they come up with next.
