Charity Charge Card Review: 1% of Purchases Donated to Your Favorite Cause
Review
Updated
If you're on a Galaxy Fold, consider unfolding your phone or viewing it in full screen to best optimize your experience.
Many credit cards that offer charitable donations as rewards are issued for a specific nonprofit. But the Charity Charge Card lets you choose your favorite nonprofit from hundreds of options, giving you control over where you donate. Cardholders earn 1% back on purchases, which is then automatically donated to the selected nonprofit. While this is a good deal compared to most green credit cards and other charity cards, the Charity Charge Card falls behind its rewards card competition. Read our full Charity Charge Card review to get the details.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 1.99%, 6 months
Balance Transfers: 1.99%, 6 months
Regular APR
15.24% -25.24% variable
Rewards
1% back
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer
N/A
A fit for people focused on making donations to non-profits and charities, but the overall feature set is limited otherwise.
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
| Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. | 1% - 5% Cashback Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. |
Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular: 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR |
|
|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
$200 cash rewards Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. | 2% cash rewards Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. |
Intro: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR |
|
Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
On Bank of America's Secure Website. |
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
25,000 points 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases | 1.5-3 points per dollar Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center. |
Intro: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America. Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) |
Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
On Bank of America's Secure Website. |
This credit card is a good fit for: People who care more about donating to their favorite nonprofit than about earning big rewards.
This card has limited perks, making it poor competition in the current card market.
The primary perk of the Charity Charge Card is its donation function. You can choose from hundreds of eligible nonprofits. You choose the nonprofit during the application process. If you're approved, your card is then set to automatically donate 1% of all your purchases to your designated organization. You can only assign your card to one nonprofit at a time.
One somewhat unusual feature of the Charity Charge Card is that your donations are often eligible for deduction from your taxes. However, Charity Charge Card does not guarantee that your donations qualify. They suggest consulting a financial professional to see whether your card donations are eligible for tax deduction. In most cases, you only get the deduction if you itemize your taxes instead of taking the standard deduction.
There is no annual card fee for opening or maintaining a Charity Charge Card account. This is a nice benefit, as it means you can keep your card open even if you're not using it often. For example, some cardholders may prefer to use cards with better rewards rates for purchase that fit common bonus categories. They can then use the Charity Charge Card for purchases that otherwise wouldn't qualify for bonus rewards with most other cards.
As a World Mastercard, the Charity Charge Card qualifies for all of the standard World Mastercard benefits. Some of what this includes:
It's worth noting that in many credit card reviews, the network benefits aren't mentioned. That's because other cards have enough perks that are worth highlighting instead.
There are a number of downsides worth considering for this card.
The Charity Charge Card may be for a good cause, but it's not the best rewards card. While you earn unlimited 1% back on purchases, that whole 1% is donated to your selected nonprofit. There are no other purchase rewards, such as cash back or points. Considering that you can easily find no annual fee cash back rewards cards that earn a base rate of 1.5% or even 2%, a 1% return isn't very strong.
In addition to a low rate for purchase rewards, the Charity Charge Card falls behind in another reward area: the sign-up bonus. And we're not talking about a lower-than-average bonus. The Charity Charge Card has no sign-up bonus. Typical cash back cards come with bonuses in the $150 to $200 range, with the best sign-up bonuses reaching $300 or more. So a card with no bonus at all isn't very competitive, to say the least.
New cardholders are eligible for 1.99% APR on purchases for the first six months. Normally, an intro APR offer is worth adding to the pro column. In this case, the Charity Charge Card's intro APR is so subpar, the only real positive is that it's better than nothing. All of the cards on our list of the best 0% APR intro offers provide 0% interest for well over a year, with some going as long as 21 months. In comparison, 1.99% for 6 months is lackluster at best.
Although you can donate to nonprofits around the world, don't use your Charity Charge Card to make purchases anywhere but home. The card comes with a 2% foreign transaction fee. This fee applies to any purchases:
So, if you use your Charity Charge Card to make a purchase abroad, you get a 2% fee. You also see the fee if you make purchases in U.S. dollars from foreign merchants. Stick with cards with no foreign transaction fees if you need to make these types of purchases.
You have the best chance of getting approved for a Charity Charge Card if you have at least good credit. This usually means a FICO® Score of 670 or higher. Commerce Bank -- the issuer for the Charity Charge Card -- evaluates your entire application, including your credit history and income. So, you could potentially be approved with a lower credit score.
The Charity Charge Card is best for folks who want a simple way to contribute to their favorite nonprofit. Automatic donations take the work out of maintaining your charitable giving. However, the rewards rate for the Charity Charge Card is well below average, and there is no sign-up bonus. If you're willing to go the extra step, you could potentially make bigger donations by donating funds you get from using a regular cash back card with better rewards.
At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Mastercard and Visa.
