5 Things to Know About the New York Yankees Credit Card
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The New York Yankees credit card could be a home run for die-hard fans of the Major League Baseball team.
Image courtesy of Bread Financial.
Issued by Comenity Bank, a subsidiary of Bread Financial, the $0-annual-fee card offers promotions and benefits that could be useful for frequent Yankees-game attendees. Plus, it rewards everyday spending as well.
Still, MLB fans looking for more flexible rewards and redemption options — not to mention more baseball-related perks — might be better off with a card issued by Capital One, the official bank and credit card partner of Major League Baseball.
Here are five things to know about the New York Yankees Mastercard.
1. Yankees fans can score solid rewards
When you use the New York Yankees Mastercard, you’ll earn the following (not as cash back, but as points in the Pinstripe Rewards program):
5x points at Yankee Stadium concession stands.
3x points at restaurants, bars and gas stations, and on rideshare and mass transit.
1x back on all other purchases.
Given concession prices, frequent Yankee Stadium visitors might welcome that 5x reward rate. On top of that, the card’s 3x categories will help holders rack up points for some everyday spending. Those categories — bars, gas, rideshares and mass transit — are also particularly useful for pre- and postgame transportation and activities.
The caveat here, however, is that rewards are earned as Pinstripe points, rather than cash back. Every 100 points you earn will get you $1, meaning points are worth a penny each. That's good value, but even season ticketholders might need a long while to rack up a meaningful amount of rewards.
You'll become a member of the Pinstripe Rewards program when you get the New York Yankees credit card. The rewards program is only for Yankees credit card members.
2. Cash-back redemption is flexible …
Pinstripe points can be redeemed for more than just Yankees-related options. You can redeem them for cash back in the form of a direct deposit or statement credit to your account, starting at $1 or 100 points. This is a significantly lower redemption minimum than what some other cards require.
Note that statement credit may take up to six business days to post to your account and that points expire after five years.
3. … But other redemption options feature tough catches
Cardholders also have the option to redeem points for Yankees game tickets, memorabilia and experiences. But there are some hoops to jump through.
Game tickets. There’s no minimum points requirement for redeeming this way, but there are some stipulations that come with game tickets redemptions. You can only redeem points for two game tickets at a time, and those tickets must be for seats in designated areas at select home games played at Yankee Stadium during the regular season. Designated seating areas vary by game but cardholders usually have the choice between main and field level seating locations, according to a representative from Bread Financial. Note that you must redeem tickets through the Yankees account center. You’ll receive tickets within 48 hours before your game starts through the MLB Ballpark App or through a Yankees Ticketmaster account — both of which are free to join.
Yankees memorabilia and experiences. Memorabilia includes items like collectible Yankees baseballs, mini bats and helmets, merchandise and limited-edition items. Experiences include participating in the ceremonial first pitch, on-field batting practice viewing, and game-day stadium tours. Like game ticket redemptions, you don’t need a certain amount of points to redeem for either of these options, but costs will vary depending on the item or experience. As of this writing, participating in a ceremonial first pitch will cost you around 120,000 points, while batting practice viewing and stadium tours plus a pair of tickets will cost around 18,000 each, for example.
4. It offers special promotions for new applicants
New cardholders can earn:
Two free tickets when you spend $100 on the card within 30 days of account opening.
A $50 statement credit when you spend $1,000 outside of Yankee Stadium.
Two free game tickets can be an attractive deal for fans. But again, there are some caveats. Complimentary tickets apply only to home games played at Yankee Stadium and cannot be used for opening day games, the traditional old-timers’ day game, or any home games against the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. Plus, you can only redeem these tickets for seats in designated seating areas — which are typically located between the foul poles in the outfield section. So if you’re hoping to snag seats behind home plate or near the dugout, for instance, you might be better off redeeming points for cash back and buying your tickets outright.
Note that you can only redeem the free tickets online, and you must have a Ticketmaster account to redeem them.
Also, if you plan on opening the card to score free tickets for an upcoming game, keep in mind that the card's terms say that new cardholders will receive their ticket redemption code within 60 days of account opening and that the code is not valid for previously purchased tickets. (Note: According to a representative from Bread Financial, tickets are typically fulfilled within days of earning the offer.)
5. It doesn’t hold up against simple cash back
Yankees fans can certainly rack up decent rewards with the New York Yankees credit card. But a number of general cash-back card options can offer more flexibility.
Notably, Capital One is MLB's official bank and credit card partner, which means all eligible Capital One rewards cardholders can redeem their rewards for MLB tickets from all 30 teams, from opening day through the baseball postseason — including tickets to the World Series. These baseball-related redemption options are more varied and less limiting than what the New York Yankees Mastercard offers.
With an eligible Capital One card, you’ll also get discounts on MLB TV, items purchased though the MLB shop and on visits to the Jackie Robinson museum in New York City, as well as access to VIP experiences like private on-field sessions and batting practice.
More specifically, the $0-annual fee Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card could be a lucrative option for MLB fans. It earns 3% cash back on dining, eligible streaming services, grocery stores and entertainment — and tickets to sporting events qualify for that "entertainment" category.
In some cases, in fact, you might be able to do even better than that. That's because the card also earns 8% back on purchases through Capital One Entertainment, a portal that includes tickets to sporting events. Rewards earned with this card can also be redeemed as cash back in any amount, and again, this is in addition to the aforementioned MLB-related benefits that Capital One offers cardholders.
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