Well, I definitely didn’t have a credit card on my “what will Xbox announce next” bingo card.
In a blog post, the company announced that it is going to be releasing its own credit card for fans to focus their rewards entirely on the Xbox ecosystem. If you are a huge Xbox fan and want to use all of your credit card rewards specifically to buy games and add-ons for those games, Xbox has undoubtedly made a credit card tailored to you.
If you’re actually interested in this thing, you’re probably wondering what the rewards are like, and they’re pretty standard fare in today’s credit card world.:
- Xbox & Microsoft – Earn 5x card points on eligible products at the Microsoft Store.
- Streaming Services – Earn 3x card points on eligible streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.
- Dining Delivery Services – Earn 3x card points on eligible dining delivery services like Grubhub and DoorDash.
- Everyday purchases – Earn 1x card points on all other everyday purchases.
In addition to those everyday earnings, new cardholders will also get a bonus of 5,000 card points (a $50 value) and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for new Game Pass members after their first purchase.
So, what can you do with those points? It’s all about the games. The company says you can redeem earned points on games and add-ons at xbox.com. So, if you wanted to use your points on a console or a controller, it seems like you won’t have that ability — at least for now. However, if you want to use rewards to snag games or game add-ons, this card is your new best friend.
In addition, Xbox revealed that cardholders will be able to choose from five different card designs and even customize their card with their Gamertag. That’s actually pretty sweet, but I can’t imagine that every game wants their Gamertag actually printed out on a physical credit card. There are some pretty strange Gamertags out there.
Unfortunately, the Xbox Mastercard won’t be available to all gamers at launch. According to the company, it will be available “exclusively to Xbox Insiders in the 50 United States beginning on September 21, with availability to all Xbox players in the 50 United States coming in 2024.” If you want to get the card right away, you can apply to be part of the Xbox Insider Program.
While it isn’t quite as universally cool as the new console wraps that the company recently revealed for the Xbox Series X, it is just another way that — if you are a diehard Xbox fan — you can dive even deeper into that ecosystem. I personally can’t wait to see someone pay for something with one of those cards.