Have you always wanted to earn rewards which you can redeem for EA Sports titles just by buying crap on a credit card? Me neither!
Electronic Arts announced today that they are launching an EA Sports prepaid debit card in association with Visa, StorValue and MetaBank. The card does not appear to offer a line of credit but instead is called a “prepaid debit card.” The released information is unclear, but I assume that it works like a gift card that you can reload. Using funds through the card offers rewards of points which you can then redeem for EA Sports games at a proprietary website. You can apply for the debit card now but the “EA Sports Rewards Mall” doesn’t launch until December 15th.
Todd Sitrin, a marketer at EA Sports, said “Consumers use the card while making their everyday purchases and are rewarded with EA SPORTS video games. This program is a perfect marriage of encouraging responsible spending while providing a unique reward program.”
That’s where the pitch officially goes off the rails. Whether it’s through charging a fee or skimming a percentage of purchases, the purpose of this card is to make money for the people who are shilling it, just like any other product out there. If you’re in the niche of folks who buy a lot of EA Sports (a pretty specific brand to say the least) then maybe this will save you a few bucks. Fine, I’ll give them that.
But stating that it “encourages responsible spending”? That is as far fetched as claiming that burning money encourages you to save more.
