Saving the world while shopping?

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

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <font> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <p> <br> <img>

More information about formatting options

All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.