Living : Money :

Saving the world while shopping?

11.01.2007

Submitted by tmeronek on Thu, 11/01/2007 - 12:54am.
The Bite:
Priceless. Donation-linked credit cards work kind of like frequent flyer programs, only each time you make a purchase, you donate money to a charity or offset carbons. So while there are some things that money can't buy, a greener planet ain't one of them.
The Benefits: 
  • Extra rewards. You're going to buy stuff anyway. Might as well earn carbon offsets or monetary donations while you're at it; they're small (usually around 1% of spending), but they add up.
  • Similar services. Some cards offer personal rewards as well as giving to charities or CO2 offsetters, and all are affiliated with major card companies like Visa.
  • Less worry about whether or not your rewards points are gonna expire, since the points go straight to the good cause.
Personally Speaking: 
Several of us have Working Assets credit cards, which have enabled way too much charitable giving lately.
Wanna Try: 
  • Working Assets Visa - each time you make a purchase, Working Asset's splits 10 cents between a variety of nonprofits, such as Planned Parenthood and the Union of Concerned Scientists, plus you earn personal rewards.
  • Earth Rewards MasterCard - up to 1% of your spending goes to GE-AES carbon offsetting programs; you can also choose to get some cash back.
  • Salmon Nation Visa - issued by an eco-friendly bank, a small percentage of your spending goes to saving Northwest salmon.
  • World Wildlife Fund Visa - 1% of each sale goes to wildlife conservation efforts.
  • DIY Bite: If you have a credit card issued by a bank, check its website to see if you can earn rewards for good causes.
Amanda Leesburg

Cocktail Fact

The concierge service for the invitation-only American Express Centurion card located, purchased, and delivered the horse Kevin Costner rode in Dances with Wolves to an appreciative cardholder in Europe.

Bang For The Bite

If 10,000 Biters each put $25 on a carbon-offsetting card, we'll avert the CO2 generated by driving to the mall and back up to 11,848 times.

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