Redskins Limit Payment Options

One fan who has used her credit card to buy her two upper-deck seats tickets in the past said she applied for the Redskins card but was turned down and would now have to pay cash or write a check.

"This is ridiculous," said Maureen Clark, 55, who works part time as an administrative assistant. "I have to come up with cash now because I don't qualify for your Redskins MasterCard?"

Clark said the Redskins should have given more notice on the change. She received a letter notifying her of the tickets last week and said she has until March to pay the $1,340 for her two seats.

Season ticket holder Dan Paderofsky said he bought his upper-deck tickets with his credit card in past years, but now will simply write a check.

"I'm not going to get their credit card," said Paderofsky, who didn't seem to care about the change. "I don't need another credit card."

Season ticket holder Rick Barney, who has paid for his tickets with a different Redskins credit card in the past, said he will probably cancel the old card and get the new "Extra Points" card so he can use it to buy his tickets.

"I don't like writing a check or sending cash, so I will probably apply for the new card even though it's going to be hassle," said Barney, a mortgage broker from Rockville. He expressed some annoyance at what he viewed as another in a series of annual changes in Redskins' policies.

"Next year I may have to bring them gold," Barney said.

Mike Burke, 46, of Sterling, said he has no intention of obtaining a Redskins credit card.

"I will probably write a check or go over there with $1 bills and count them out in front of them," said Burke. "I may bring quarters over there and drop them off."

Credit cards like the Extra Points -- also known as "co-branded" or "affinity cards" -- are common among businesses seeking to broaden their brand exposure and MBNA has been a leader in the industry.

"It's a credit card like any other credit card, with the additional benefit to the customer of earning extra points," said MBNA spokesman Jim Donahue. By using the cards, "the team encourages loyalty of the fans. It unites a customer, a fan with the affinity of the team and it gives the fan an opportunity to express that affinity with a credit card. It obviously has a benefit to the team."

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said he was not sure which NFL teams required fans to use certain credit cards when charging tickets, but the league requires fans to use Visa when charging their tickets for the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl and other NFL-controlled events.

Individual teams can make separate credit card deals with card companies, as the Redskins did with MasterCard, but all teams must use MBNA as the bank for credit, charge or debit cards, McCarthy said.