A plan hatched by the Washington Redskins for season ticket holders to use only a co-branded credit card to renew their tickets has been sidelined.
The purpose of the reward card, distributed by league sponsor MBNA America Bank, was to build brand loyalty and increase its fan base. However, MasterCard said the decision to block the Redskins was along the lines of its usual corporate policy, which does not allow merchants to restrict what brand of MasterCard it can accept, Redskins spokesman Michael Sitrick said.
The Redskins reversed the loyalty program plan last week and will now accept any MasterCard, but will not accept Visa, Discover or American Express as it had in past seasons.
The NFL and MBNA America Bank launched the co-branded credit card program last August, which allows consumers to earn NFL rewards when using the card. For each dollar spent on the MBNA NFL Extra Points credit card, fans earn one point redeemable for a range of rewards, including VIP experiences, dinner or golf with coaches and players; sideline passes; behind-the-scenes tours; access to VIP training camps; tickets to individual games and the Super Bowl; memorabilia and merchandise.
The card is available with the team logo of any of the 32 NFL clubs, or the NFL shield.
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