It may not be the best season to be a Manchester United fan but if you still have faith in the team's strength on the pitch you can now put that theory to the test.
Emirates NBD yesterday launched co-branded Manchester United debit cards and a savings account that links interest paid to the number of goals the team scores.
The account will “initially pay an interest rate of 0.25 per cent to 0.5 per cent that will be based on the number of goals scored by the Manchester United team, so the better the club performs the higher the earnings for customers”, the bank said.
If the team scores up to three goals in the English Premier League, FA Cup, Capital One Cup or UEFA Champions League in a month then the rate of interest for the following month will be 0.25 per cent per annum. If the team scores four to seven goals then it jumps to 0.35 per cent, eight to 10 goals will result in 0.45 per cent and 11 goals or more will max out the interest rate at 0.5 per cent.
Emirates NBD already has co-branded Manchester United Mastercard credit cards and prepaid cards, their rivals Manchester City have a tie-up with First Gulf Bank (FGB), Mashreq has a World Cup limited-edition card and United Arab Bank (UAB) has an affiliation with Barcelona FC.
The football related marketing strategy has helped banks win more customers. UAB said last month that the tie-up had already increased its retail and corporate businesses.
Manchester United had a bumper season on and off the pitch last year, winning the English Premier League and reporting record revenues of £363.2 million (Dh2.13bn), just ahead of the club’s forecast, boosted by income from sponsorship deals.
But since the long-serving manager Alex Ferguson stepped down, results have been mixed this season with no chance of silverware and the bitter rivals Liverpool set to clinch the Premier League title.
Suvo Sarkar, the Emirates NBD general manager for retail banking and wealth management said: “The launch of the co-branded savings account and debit cards is a huge step in cementing our partnership with one of the leading football clubs in the world.”
Prizes including match tickets and travel packages to see the team play will also be on offer.
Richard Arnold, Manchester United’s group managing director, said: “Our partnership with Emirates NBD has already proved a successful one, and I am delighted that we are able to extend our relationship even further.”
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