NFL Extra Points Card: Fumble or Touchdown?

Jason Steele — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 10:36:54 +0000

Because teams play only eight regular season football games at home, tickets to America's favorite games can be incredibly hard to obtain and increasingly expensive. According to the Team Marketing Report, the average cost of an NFL ticket is $92.98, assuming you could find one. But wait — Barclays offers its NFL Extra Points credit card that can earn rewards in the form of tickets to any regular season game and even the Super Bowl.

How the Card Works

NFL Extra Points cardholders earn rewards for spending in the form of points in the NFL rewards program. You earn 1 point per $1 spent on most transactions, with 2 points earned per $1 on NFL or team purchases, such as game tickets and merchandise purchased in-stadium and at team Pro Shops.

Redeeming Points

When it comes time to spend your points, you have several options.

Points can be redeemed for game tickets, gift cards at the NFL shop, or as statement credit or cash.

Other Benefits

NFL tickets aside, this card does offer a handful of other valuable features:

Special financing on football tickets. When cardholders use this card to purchase tickets to football games from any participating NFL ticket team office, they will be eligible for financing on tickets.

20% off at NFLShop.com. All cardholders receive a 20% discount at NFLShop.com.

Visa Signature benefits. As a Visa Signature card, NFL Extra Points cardholders are eligible for travel accident insurance, purchase protection policies, and a concierge program.

As always, I strongly recommend against getting a rewards card if you do not plan on paying all of your balances in full. Those of us who have credit card debt should look for a product with the lowest interest rate and not be tempted to spend more to earn rewards.

Considerations

Only one point per dollar on most purchases. This nominal rate of rewards is like getting 1% cash back. Other cards offer bonus points for gas, groceries, or other common purchases. (See also: Best Credit Cards for Everyday Purchases)

Unsure Super Bowl seats. Before I go on a quest to earn points for Super Bowl tickets, it would be nice to know approximately how good those seats will be.

Foreign transaction fee. You should reconsider if you plan on using your card for foreign transactions because the fee will cancel out any rewards you earn and end up costing you more. Instead choose a card with no foreign transaction fees to save yourself some money on foreign purchases. (See also: Best Cards with No Foreign Transaction Fees)

Who This Card Is Best For

Since there is no annual fee for this card, it may be tempting to conclude that cardholders have nothing to lose by applying. Instead, you should consider what other rewards you could have earned if you spend the same amount of money on a different reward card. But if you would rather have NFL tickets, then this is the card for you. Since these are some of the most sought after and expensive tickets in the world of sports, this credit card can represent an excellent way for NFL fans to attend the game of their choice.

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