Barclays Bank has launched the newest addition to its award-winning line-up of Barclaycard products available in the UAE.

The Barclays Premier League (BPL) MasterCard offers football fans the opportunity to express their passion for the sport and qualify for an array of football and sport related prizes, the company said in a statement.

These include a trip to the UK to watch a Barclays Premier League match in person. Customers who spend more than Dh1,000 ($272) a month using their BPL MasterCard are eligible for entry into the monthly draw.

“This is part of an ongoing effort by Barclays to directly reach out to individuals with products and services better tailored to their needs,” said Zeeshan Saleem, head of Credit Cards and Assets for Barclays in the UAE.

“Tailored programmes, like this one, designed to cater to individual tastes will replace the staid banking model of one size fits all. Barclays is committed to offering customers choices. We intend to lead the way in the race to give customers not just what they need, but also what they want.”

The BPL MasterCard is subject to a nominal annual subscription fee of 300 Dhs. Besides the opportunity to win trips to Barclays Premier League matches, cardholders will receive a Dh200 gift voucher from Sun and Sand and Sports and are eligible for discounts on Showtime subscriptions and purchases at Sun and Sand Sports outlets.

With every Dh65,000 spent, subscribers have the opportunity to enrol one child in the International Football Academy in the UAE.

“We are increasingly seeing our marketing programmes cross pollinate with the offerings of the bank,” said Saleem.

“The old model of new products spawning marketing actions has been turned on its head. We’re now seeing our marketing actions, like our sponsorship of the Barclays Premier League, lead to entirely new products being created to augment our existing lines,” he said. – TradeArabia News Service