Best buy: Football Fan Visa card

Are you passionate about your credit card?

Although free road-side assistance and air miles are enticing benefits, it's unlikely you feel pride or allegiance every time you swipe your plastic at the grocery store.

But if you love the beautiful game, the new Football Fan Visa card could inject some excitment into your spending.

The card - launched by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) - allows fans of the UAE Football League to express support for their chosen club. With the team's name printed on the card, a portion of the client's Dh250 annual fee will be donated to his or her club every year.

"From its attractive design to unique and exciting benefits, it is a good product inspired by the passion and loyalty of the football fan," says Sarvesh Sarup, the global head of retail banking at ADIB. "Additional features and surprises will be gradually introduced to keep it the best choice for all those who love the beautiful game."

There are already a host of appealing perks associated with the card. Clients receive 1 per cent cash back on all retail purchases, discounts at selected merchants across the UAE and access to ADIB's travel desk for convenient flight bookings.

Meanwhile, every Dh200 you spend with the Football Fan Visa card gives you a chance to win an impressive list of monthly football-related prizes, including a gold-plated football, an all-expenses paid trip to attend major international football events, training sessions for children at leading schools and academies, a behind-the-scenes day at a live football TV show and a personal training session with Ismaeil Matar, the UAE football star and brand ambassador for ADIB.

Matar was awarded the Golden Ball at the 2003 World Youth Championships after being voted best player. In 2007, he led the UAE to victory in the 2007 Gulf Cup.

"We owe it to the fans for their support, which has made football the most popular sport in the UAE with excellent prospects for the future," Matar says. "Giving back to the fans and clubs is a noble objective that ADIB Football Fan Visa card will accomplish."

To apply, clients should visit the ADIB website (www.adib.ae) and fill out the forms. Prospective card holders will need to provide their original passport (with a valid reidency visa for expatriates), a salary certificate (not more than 30 days old) and bank statements for the last three months.

Rather than interest, ADIB charges a profit rate of 2.39 per cent to 2.49 per cent each month, depending on the customer's relationship with the bank. Applications are considered based on the bank's credit and risk policy.