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If you regularly spend money using a credit card, another way of helping good causes is to swap your standard card for one of the many 'affinity' cards on the market. You do not receive tax relief on the amounts the charity receives, but it is a painless way of creating extra income for your chosen charity.
Affinity cards are provided by many banks. They work just like ordinary credit cards, except that instead of offering 'air miles' or other 'points' they make a donation to a named charity or cause every time you use them.
You do not have to be a customer of the particular bank issuing the card to support a chosen charity in this way.
Affinity cards usually donate £5 or £10 to the cause the first time you use them and, from then on, between 25p and 60p (depending on the card) for each £100 you spend. This may not sound like much, but these small donations soon add up. For example, charitycard.co.uk issues credit cards benefiting approximately 40 charities. Organisations such as football clubs, universities and political parties may also benefit.
In some cases there is a card for a particular group of charities, and you can name your preferred beneficiary. For example, the Artscard (issued by HSBC) allows you to name the arts organisation of your choice.
If there is a cause you would like to help in this way, the first step should be to contact them directly to see if there is a particular card that they benefit from. They should be able to give you a form you can use to apply to the issuer for a card.
Affinity cards cost you nothing to use if you clear your card balance each month. But, because the interest rates charged by most affinity cards are rarely among the lowest, they may not suit you if you borrow regularly on your credit card.
© Copyright 2007 Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF)
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided in A Guide to Giving is current at the time of publication (October 2005), but the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) cannot guarantee its accuracy. Furthermore, there may have been subsequent changes to legislation, policy and/or to tax bands and rates. If you are considering any investment you should seek appropriate professional advice. This guide is not intended to replace professional advice on particular investments or the manner in which tax relief is applied under any scheme, and you should not rely on it for such purposes. You are responsible for your own tax and financial affairs and so should seek independent advice. ACF can not accept responsibility for the investment choices you make.
Views expressed in A Guide to Giving are not necessarily those of Philanthropy UK or the Association of Charitable Foundations.
Coutts & Co is not responsible for the content of A Guide to Giving, and the content does not constitute any advice whatsoever from Coutts & Co. The case studies and profiles within the Guide are not necessarily clients of Coutts & Co. Coutts & Co shall not be liable for any loss whatsoever arising from your reliance on any information produced in the Guide.
