5 Things to Know About the Banc of California Los Angeles Football Club Mastercard

Do you bleed black and gold for the Los Angeles Football Club? You might want to check out the Banc of California Los Angeles Football Club Mastercard®.

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The $0-annual-fee card, issued by Elan Financial Services, earns decent rewards, but it’s also packed with perks that any superfan would get a kick out of.

Here are five things to know about the card.

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1. You can earn points (at a solid rate) and buy points (at a bad one)

Whether it’s a soccer ball, a jersey or “The 3252” tattoo you’ve been yearning for, every purchase you make with the Banc of California Los Angeles Football Club Mastercard® earns 1.5 points per $1 spent. That’s a nice assist for your wallet. Points are worth a penny each and can be redeemed for cash back, travel, merchandise or gift cards through the card’s Rewards Center portal at www.myaccountaccess.com, or by calling the Rewards Center at 888-229-8864.

Earning 1.5% back is more or less the gold standard for flat-rate rewards cards, although it’s possible to find higher rates, especially if you’re willing to keep track of tiered rewards structures or rotating bonus categories.

The card’s terms note that it’s also possible to purchase points, which is unusual for a rewards card. But it’s a costly rate of 3 cents per point, and there are several other caveats:

• You must purchase a minimum of 500 points.
• You must purchase in increments of 100.
• There’s a cap of 20,000 purchased points per year.
• You have to use your Banc of California Los Angeles Football Club Mastercard® to buy the points.

At that rate and with those restrictions, buying points makes sense only if you’re extremely close to a specific redemption and just need to top off your stash.

» MORE: Which 1.5% cash-back card should I choose?

2. You’ll get superfan perks

Holders of the Banc of California Los Angeles Football Club Mastercard® can get exclusive invites to player meet-and-greets, pre-match warm-ups, stadium tours and more.

You’ll also net big savings on game-day gear. Use the Banc of California Los Angeles Football Club Mastercard® to buy team swag onsite and save 20% off at all merchandise locations inside the Banc of California Stadium. This discount can even be combined with the 10% discount granted to season ticket holders (called “memberships” in LAFC parlance). Cardholders can also get 20% off eligible concessions.

And there’s another fun perk you don’t often find attached to a credit card: Banc of California Los Angeles Football Club Mastercard® holders can get a complimentary Heineken beer in a 16-ounce souvenir cup every time they attend a home game. To redeem this offer, cardholders have to visit a specific concession stand in the Banc of California stadium. That should help you wash down your discounted pretzels or hot dogs.

If Heineken isn’t your preferred brand of suds, there’s an eclectic list of other local craft beers available for sale at the Banc of California Stadium, as well as ones from the big brewers, not to mention specialty cocktails. But you’ll have to pay for those.

» MORE: NerdWallet’s best credit cards for entertainment spending

3. There’s a decent sign-up bonus

A sign-up offer kicks the savings directly to your bottom line. For an annual fee of $0, the Banc of California Los Angeles Football Club Mastercard® gives cardholders 2,500 bonus rewards points awarded after first purchase, redeemable for $25 cash back, merchandise, gift cards or travel savings.

There’s also a limited-time offer for an additional $75 value awarded after your first purchase if made by Nov. 30, 2019. This gives you a potential total of $100. Not the highest bonus you can find, but not too shabby either.

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4. It comes with an introductory 0% APR offer

Season-long memberships for the LAFC can cost upward of $1,000. If that sounds like a spending goal just beyond your reach, the Banc of California Los Angeles Football Club Mastercard® offers a bit of a break: a 0% introductory APR for the first 6 billing cycles, and then the ongoing APR of 16.24% – 25.24% Variable APR.

This isn’t the card to get, though, if your main purpose is to have as long a period as possible to attack a big purchase. There are plenty of other cards on the market that offer a year and a half or more to pay down a balance without incurring interest.

» MORE: NerdWallet’s best low-interest and 0% intro APR credit cards

5. You’ll have World Mastercard benefits

Since the Banc of California Los Angeles Football Club Mastercard® is part of the Mastercard payment network, cardholders will score a ton of extras like extended warranty coverage, auto rental collision damage waiver coverage, travel assistance and protections and other World Mastercard perks.

Of course, these benefits should never be a primary reason to choose a credit card, but they are nice to have.

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