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Back in May, American Express announced what might be its most surprising partnership yet. It has partnered with Fanatics, the sports collectibles and apparel company. Buried in the press release was an interesting tease, promising the addition of Fanatics FanCash as a transfer partner for the Membership Rewards program.

Well, that partnership has officially launched. You can now transfer your Membership Rewards points to Fanatics, which is the first non-travel transfer partner in Membership Rewards history. Here are all the details we know so far.

Details of the American Express and Fanatics Partnership

American Express and Fanatics announced a strategic partnership in May 2026 that sees American Express as the Official Payments Partner at select Fanatics online and retail locations worldwide. American Express is also now the presenting sponsor at Fanatics Fest, a sports fan festival in New York City.

While these updates might be interesting, the really fascinating part is that American Express is the issuer of a new credit card and now offers the ability to transfer Membership Rewards points directly to Fanatics. Here's what to know.

New Fanatics American Express® Card officially launches

On November 9, Fanatics unveiled details of the new Fanatics American Express® Card. According to Fanatics, it was inspired by Topps trading cards, and you can select your favorite player from a roster of 500+ NBA, NFL, UFC, and WWE athletes. The card doesn't charge an annual fee and offers solid earning potential and benefits that could sway frequent Fanatics users.

Here's how much you can earn with the Fanatics American Express Card:

  • 5% FanCash on purchases across the Fanatics ecosystem, including Fanatics.com, Mitchell & Ness, Lids, Fanatics Collect, Fanatics Live, Topps.com, and more.
  • 8% or more for purchases made on the Fanatics App.
  • 5% on tickets and select streaming services.
  • 2% on purchases everywhere else.

New cardholders can receive $100 FanCash after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days and an additional $100 FanCash for spending $500 a month for 12 consecutive months. FanCash is redeemable for merchandise, sports tickets, and even bonus bets on the Fanatics sportsbook.

As a cardholder, your benefits include:

  • Championship Challenge entry: Correctly predict all four MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL champions for a chance to get up to $100K in annual credit card spending back when the challenge launches.
  • Presale access to select Topps releases: Participate in a quarterly, cardmember-exclusive early-access presale for select Topps products.
  • Exclusive Fanatics Fest benefits: Early floor access and additional perks at Fanatics Fest for cardmembers, including a cardmember gift.
  • Elevated Fanatics ONE status: You'll get automatic Member Pro status, the first of four tiers. If you're already a member, you'll get 2,500 bonus tier points when you open your card and annually on the anniversary date. You'll also earn 10 tier points for every $50 spent.
  • American Express Network benefits: Access to Amex Offers and Amex Experiences™, along with travel benefits, retail protections, and extended warranty coverage.

Unfortunately, the card isn't available just yet. You can join a waitlist to receive an invitation to apply later this year.

Fanatics card homepage
Screenshot of FanaticsCreditCard.com

Amex adds Fanatics as a transfer partner

FanCash has been added as the first-ever sports transfer partner in the Membership Rewards program. When you visit the Amex transfer partners page, you'll now notice a new category: Lifestyle. Fanatics is the only partner in this category, but we can suspect more are in the works.

Amex Fanatics transfer partner
Screenshot of American Express

You can transfer your Membership Rewards points into FanCash at a rate of 1,000 points for $10 in FanCash. Once you convert your rewards into FanCash, American Express notes that redemption options include “authentic apparel, trading cards, collectibles, and exclusive experiences such as Fanatics Fest.”

It almost goes without saying that we don't recommend using your points with Fanatics. Would you rather spend 20,000 Membership Rewards points for a transatlantic flight or for $200 worth of merch? For most people, the winning option is clear.

Amex also doesn't explicitly mention anything about Fanatics' burgeoning sportsbook or the ability to use FanCash on that network. Is this Amex's way of dipping its toe into the sports betting phenomenon that's ever-present in American society today, or will cardholders be somewhat limited in how they use FanCash earned by converting Membership Rewards points? I'm certainly not going to transfer my hard-earned Membership Rewards points to find out.

For years, financial institutions have been incredibly wary of gambling, but society has rapidly changed since sports betting was legalized nearly a decade ago. In addition, Fanatics is a massive promoter of collectibles, specifically trading cards (another gambling-adjacent hobby).

Whatever your thoughts on the motives here, it's incredible to write that we have the first non-travel transfer partner available for Membership Rewards points.

How To Earn and Use FanCash

There are currently several ways to earn FanCash. The most straightforward way to earn is through purchases in the Fanatics App, which earns up to 5% FanCash per $1 spent. Topps.com purchases earn 2% back in FanCash, and sportsbook and Fanatics Markets trades earn 10% back, whether you win or lose your bet.

When it comes time to redeem, FanCash is redeemable at a 1:1 ratio, meaning $1 in FanCash equals $1 in currency for your purchase or sports bet. However, betting isn't the only way to redeem your FanCash — you can also shop a variety of sports merchandise or collect trading cards.

Fantatics redemption methods
Screenshot of Fanatics

Bottom Line

I find this move incredibly interesting. It's not like Membership Rewards adds a new partner every month, let alone one in an entirely different rewards category. Fanatics is an interesting company, with several lines of business that appeal to sports and collectible fans across the United States.

The co-branded card product and the ability to turn Membership Rewards into FanCash make things even more fascinating. For now, FanCash can be used for sports betting, which isn't currently possible with other Amex transfer partners. If you're interested in the new card, make sure to join the waitlist.

Tip of The Day
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Composite image shows how to refer friends to AwardWallet, how to track referrals, and how you'll earn AwardWallet Bonus points for referrals

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