Better ways to give than charity credit cards

The idea of effortlessly donating to charity simply by spending on your credit card is an attractive one. But the amount charities receive is pitiful. There are much better ways of donating via credit cards.

If you want to give away money while you shop, you might think a charity credit card would be a good way to go. You'd be wrong. The idea is nice you take out the card and the provider then makes a donation when you open your account, and again every time you use the card. The problem? The donations are pitifully small.

Take the Greenpeace Platinum credit card. It is one of the worst examples of just how paltry these donations can be. When you open the account, £15 is donated to Greenpeace, a further £2.50 is handed over if the account is used within six months, and 25p is then given for every £100 spent. So, if you spent £1,000 a month on the card in the year you take it out, Greenpeace will get £47.50. That's not much for £12,000 worth of spending. But in the second year, when all the charity is getting is the 25p per £100, if you spend £1,000, Greenpeace will get a mere £2.50. So £12,000 worth of spending adds up to £30.

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Ruth Jackson-Kirby

Ruth Jackson-Kirby is a freelance personal finance journalist with 17 years’ experience, writing about everything from savings accounts and credit cards to pensions, property and pet insurance.

Ruth started her career at MoneyWeek after graduating with an MA from the University of St Andrews, and she continues to contribute regular articles to our personal finance section. After leaving MoneyWeek she went on to become deputy editor of Moneywise before becoming a freelance journalist.

Ruth writes regularly for national publications including The Sunday Times, The Times, The Mail on Sunday and Good Housekeeping, among many other titles both online and offline.