Fanatics Unveils the Fanatics American Express® Card with 500+ Athlete Trading Card Designs and Rewards Built for Sports Fans

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 9, 2026--

Fanatics today unveiled the Fanatics American Express® Card, designed to reward sports fans with more of what they love and connect them across the entire Fanatics ecosystem.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261108249506/en/

Inspired by Topps trading cards, the first-of-its-kind credit card design lets fans select their favorite player from a roster of more than 500 NBA, NFL, UFC and WWE athletes — with more leagues and players to come. This is made possible by Fanatics’ longstanding relationships with leagues and players associations. Beginning today, fans in the U.S. can join the waitlist and get one step closer to having the ultimate fan badge in their wallet. Invitations to apply will be sent starting later this year.

The credit card earns FanCash — Fanatics’ loyalty currency — on fandom purchases and everyday spending, which can be redeemed across the Fanatics platform for authentic apparel, trading cards, collectibles, tickets, access to events like Fanatics Fest and more. Cardmembers also receive exclusive benefits, such as early access to select Topps drops, and will have the opportunity to enter the Championship Challenge for a chance to have their bill paid by correctly predicting all MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL championship winners. In addition, cardmembers enjoy American Express Network experiences, offers and protections.

To launch the credit card, Fanatics is teaming up with Karl-Anthony Towns, a passionate trading card collector, as well as a lineup of creators representing fanbases across different league and team partners.

“Sports fans are not ordinary consumers, and this is not just another credit card. We built this credit card alongside American Express and Imprint to be the true badge of fandom and to reward fans in more ways than ever before,” said Greg Lisiewski, President, Fanatics Financial Services. “This card unleashes the power of the Fanatics platform — from the gear fans wear to the tickets they buy or the collectibles they seek out — and creates yet another touchpoint to reward our fans through a robust payments solution that has not been seen in this space.”

“Sports fandom is bigger than the game, it’s about the teams, athletes and unforgettable moments that bring fans together,” said Will Stredwick, Executive Vice President, Global Network Services for North America at American Express. “With a global sports portfolio spanning more than 50 leagues, teams, venues and marquee events, American Express knows how to create memorable fan experiences. Together with Fanatics, we’re making fandom more rewarding with the new Fanatics American Express Card.”

The Fanatics American Express® Card benefits include:

FanCash Joins American Express Membership Rewards® Program:

Starting today, eligible U.S. Membership Rewards® Card Members with American Express-issued Cards can transfer Membership Rewards® points into FanCash — at a rate of 1,000 points for $10 in FanCash. This establishes Fanatics as the program’s first sports transfer partner. Learn more about the American Express Membership Rewards® program.

The Fanatics American Express® Card and FanCash Membership Rewards® partnership build on the strategic collaboration between the two brands, with American Express serving as a presenting sponsor of Fanatics Fest and the Official Payments Partner across select Fanatics online and retail locations worldwide.

1 Earn 5% FanCash back on eligible purchases at Fanatics Merchants using the Fanatics American Express® Card. You may earn an additional 3% FanCash or more when making purchases through the Fanatics App. Earn 5% FanCash on select Fandom Merchants, up to $5,000 spend annually and 2% on other eligible purchases. See Rewards Program Terms and Conditions for more information

2 Valid one time only for new cardholders. Earn $100 FanCash back after $1,000 in net spend on the Fanatics American Express ® Card within 90 days of account opening. Cannot combine with other offers.

3 Eligibility requirements apply. Program details, including timing and structure, are subject to change. Terms and conditions apply. Full details to be announced prior to entry.

4 Your Fanatics ONE account will be credited with 2,500 Tier Points within 30 days of account opening, and 2,500 Tier Points within 30 days of each anniversary thereafter. For every $50 of Net Purchase Volume in a Card statement cycle, you will earn 10 Tier Points. See Fanatics ONE Program Terms

5 See Credit Program Cardholder Agreement for more information for applicable APRs, fees, and other credit terms.

6 Presale tickets available while supplies last, terms apply.

The Fanatics American Express® Card is powered by the American Express Network and Imprint, a payments, loyalty and intelligence platform, and is issued by First Electronic Bank. You must have a Fanatics ONE account to have the Fanatics American Express Card. See Fanatics ONE Program Terms.

ABOUT FANATICS

Fanatics is a leading global sports platform redefining how fans connect with the teams, players and moments they love. Our businesses — Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, Fanatics Betting & Gaming, Fanatics Events, Fanatics Advertising, Fanatics Studios, and Fanatics Financial Services — maximize the presence and reach for hundreds of partners globally and create a one-stop experience that allows fans to buy, bet, collect, and earn, while engaging with sports in deeper, more immersive ways. This includes licensed fan gear and lifestyle products, sportsbook and iGaming, physical and digital trading cards, live events, premium sports entertainment content, credit card offerings and more. Together, they form a powerful, integrated ecosystem — connected by the Fanatics ONE loyalty program and FanCash, the currency of sport — delivering personalized experiences to over 100 million fans worldwide. Fanatics holds partnerships with over 900 sports properties, from professional leagues and players’ associations to teams, colleges and retail partners; over 7,000 athletes and celebrities; and over 2,000 retail locations, including all Lids stores. Backed by a team of more than 22,000 employees, Fanatics is committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience.

ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS

American Express (NYSE: AXP) is a global payments and premium lifestyle brand powered by technology. Our colleagues around the world back our customers with differentiated products, services, and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.

Founded in 1850 and headquartered in New York, American Express’ brand is built on trust, security, service, and a rich history of delivering innovation and Membership value for our customers. We seek to provide the world’s best customer experience every day to a broad range of consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, and large corporations, and we build and manage relationships with millions of merchants across our global network.

For more information about American Express, visit americanexpress.com, americanexpress.com/en-us/newsroom/, and ir.americanexpress.com.

Fanatics Unveils the Fanatics American Express® Card with 500+ Athlete Trading Card Designs and Rewards Built for Sports Fans

Fanatics Unveils the Fanatics American Express® Card with 500+ Athlete Trading Card Designs and Rewards Built for Sports Fans

BERLIN (AP) — Germany is set to get its first female president after Chancellor Friedrich Merz's party nominated Ilse Aigner, a center-right politician with appeal to liberals, to become the country's head of state next year.

Aigner presented herself Monday as a unifying figure in an increasingly polarized country, saying that she hopes to represent a “strong center.” She said the broad political support taking shape for her is “an important signal against populist and extremist forces in our country.”

The new head of state will be elected Jan. 30 when a special parliamentary assembly chooses a successor to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third five-year term. It is made up of the 630 members of the national parliament's lower house and an equal number of delegates from Germany's 16 state parliaments.

Aigner, 61, is the speaker of Bavaria's state legislature and hails from the Christian Social Union, the smallest of three parties in the national government and part of Merz's conservative bloc, which has long pushed her candidacy. After it won official backing Monday from leaders of Merz's Christian Democratic Union and the center-left Social Democrats, she looks all but assured of election.

The governing parties will have a majority in the assembly that elects the president. Aigner also has received a positive reception from the opposition Greens.

“From my point of view, it is high time for a woman to hold this highest office for the first time,” Merz said as he presented Aigner. He said her background as an electrical engineer would also be a first for a president, reflecting “the reality of millions of people in our country” in manual work.

Aigner has been active in politics since her late teens and was elected to the Bavarian state legislature in 1994. She served as Germany’s agriculture minister from 2008 to 2013 under Chancellor Angela Merkel.

She then served as Bavaria's economy minister and transport minister before becoming the speaker of the Bavarian state legislature eight years ago. She has a relatively liberal reputation; in her current role, for example, she was supportive of Germany's first openly transgender lawmaker in 2019.

“I am in politics to overcome divisions, bring people together and also reach those who perhaps feel that they stand on the sidelines,” Aigner said, adding that she stands against “every attack on human dignity.”

Germany's post-World War II federal republic has had 12 presidents since 1949, all men. Women have held most of the country's other top jobs.

Merkel was the first female chancellor, from 2005 to 2021. Four women have served as speaker of the lower house of parliament, in protocol terms Germany's No. 2 official ahead of the chancellor, including incumbent Julia Klöckner.

The president is supposed to be above party politics and usually has a largely ceremonial and representative job, but the head of state can play a part in times of political crisis. Steinmeier, for example, took an unusually active role in nudging rival politicians toward forming a new government after an inconclusive election in 2017.

German politics has become more turbulent since, with rising support for the far-right Alternative for Germany further complicating efforts to form politically cohesive governments.

Alternative for Germany intends to field a candidate of its own. Co-leader Alice Weidel criticized the nomination of Aigner and said that, as parliamentary speaker, she “has proven several times that she cannot set aside the role of party politician.”

Ilse Aigner, candidate for the President of Germany, attends a news conference in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, left, nominates Ilse Aigner, right, as a candidate for president of Germany in Berlin, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Ilse Aigner, candidate for President of Germany, speaks to the media in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, right, nominates Ilse Aigner, left, as candidate for the President of Germany in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Ilse Aigner, candidate for President of Germany, attends a news conference in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)