Fanatics American Express Card Unveiled: FanCash Rewards, Waitlist Only

Fanatics unveiled the Fanatics American Express Card on 9 November 2026, a no-annual-fee U.S. credit card that earns FanCash, the company's rewards currency, but applications are not yet open and fans can only join a waitlist.

The card extends the partnership between Fanatics and American Express (Amex) first announced on 20 May 2026. For gambling-industry readers, the interest lies in FanCash, which Fanatics also uses across its wider business, and in a prediction promotion called the Championship Challenge.

What the Fanatics American Express Card offers

The card pairs Topps-inspired trading card designs with a rewards program tied to the Fanatics ecosystem. More than 500 NBA, NFL, UFC and WWE athletes feature in the designs, with more leagues and players promised. NBA player Karl-Anthony Towns fronts the launch.

The card runs on the Amex network and is issued by First Electronic Bank. Imprint, a company that manages card programs, runs it. A Fanatics ONE account is required. That structure matches the May announcement, when CNBC reported that Amex itself would not manage the card, unlike its Delta and Marriott products.

Other perks include:

• Quarterly presale access to Topps releases.
• Floor access at Fanatics Fest.
• 2,500 Fanatics ONE tier points on opening and on each anniversary, plus 10 points per $50 spent.

Greg Lisiewski of Fanatics Financial Services credited Imprint as a co-builder of the product. Amex says its sports portfolio spans more than 50 leagues, teams, venues and events.

FanCash earn rates, caps and sign-up bonuses

Earn rates run from 2% to 8% or more, and the headline 5% rate carries an annual cap. The release limits 5% earnings on select Fandom Merchants to $5,000 of annual spend.

The app rate is built as the 5% base plus an extra 3% or more. Two bonuses are on offer:

APRs and other credit terms are set out in the Imprint cardholder agreement rather than in the announcement.

Membership Rewards transfer goes live

Amex Membership Rewards members can move points into FanCash at a rate of 1,000 points for $10. The release says the option was live from the day of the announcement, and that Fanatics is the first sports transfer partner in the Membership Rewards program.

That gives the partnership a route beyond the new card: existing Amex points holders can build a FanCash balance without waiting for the card to open to applications.

The betting connection

Fanatics' own release does not mention betting, but FanCash sits inside a company that also runs a regulated gambling business. According to Casino.org, FanCash can be redeemed for sports wagers. Fanatics' gambling operations include a sportsbook and casino, covered in Gamingo's reporting on the Fanatics Sportsbook and Casino launch in Pennsylvania and the Kansas sportsbook launch.

Credit and gambling have drawn regulatory attention in other markets. Pennsylvania banned credit card use in gambling in 2024, and Sweden has moved to ban all gambling with credit. Operators and compliance teams will want to see how card rewards and gambling-linked loyalty currencies are described to consumers once the product reaches applicants.

Championship Challenge and the timeline

The Championship Challenge is announced but not live. Cardmembers who correctly predict all four champions, across MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL, would have a chance to get up to $100K of annual credit card spending back. Fanatics says timing, structure and details are subject to change and will be announced before entry opens, and eligibility requirements apply.

No firm application date has been given beyond "later this year".

Status reviewed on 11 November 2026. Card terms, earn rates and bonuses come from the Fanatics release of 9 November 2026. More business news and North America coverage.