The best credit cards to maximize your charitable donation

Giving Tuesday is a superb time to donate since a lot of your favourite charities might have a sponsor or donor prepared to match your quantity. As an added bonus, you’ll be able to earn money again, factors or miles with every charitable donation you make.

Listed here are a few of the best credit cards and factors applications to make use of when donating to charity this 12 months.

Associated: How you can donate your points and miles to charity

The Blue Enterprise Plus is a superb alternative for small-business owners, because it has no annual price and earns 2 factors per greenback on all purchases as much as $50,000 per 12 months (then 1 level per greenback thereafter). TPG’s November 2024 valuations peg Membership Rewards factors at two cents every, which is a 4% return on the primary $50,000 yearly.

Welcome provide: Earn 15,000 bonus factors after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases on the cardboard within the first three months of card membership.

Rewards price: 2 factors per greenback on the primary $50,000 spent in purchases annually (4%), then 1 level per greenback after that (2%).

Advantages:

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*Eligibility and profit degree varies by card. Not all automobile sorts or leases are lined, and geographic restrictions apply. Phrases, circumstances and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm. Protection is obtainable by way of American Specific Journey Associated Providers Firm, Inc.

**Eligibility and profit ranges fluctuate by card. Phrases, circumstances and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm.

Annual price: $0 (See rates and fees)

For extra particulars, see our full review of the Amex Blue Business Plus.

Apply right here: The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express

The Citi Double Cash Card (see rates and fees) is a no-annual-fee on a regular basis spending card that awards 1% money again while you make a purchase order and one other 1% again while you pay that cost off for a complete 2% return.

Nonetheless, you probably have a Citi ThankYou card, you’ll be able to transfer the rewards earned by your Citi Double Cash Card to your ThankYou account, the place they’re going to turn into full-fledged ThankYou points. So, the Citi Double Money Card’s 2% money again return can turn into a 3.6% return in the event you switch your rewards to a linked ThankYou account.

Welcome bonus: Earn $200 money again after spending $1,500 on purchases within the first six months from account opening.

Rewards price: 5% whole money again on choose bookings made by way of the Citi Journey portal by way of December 31, 2025, with an extra 3% money again on lodges, automotive leases, and sights on high of the cardboard’s common incomes price (9% return based mostly on TPG’s November 2024 valuations; 2% money again — 1% while you purchase and 1% while you pay — on all the pieces, however rewards may be transferred to a linked ThankYou account (3.6% return).

Annual price: None

For extra particulars, see our full review of the Citi Double Cash.

Apply right here: Citi Double Cash Card

You probably have a premium Final Rewards card such because the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you’ll be able to convert the rewards earned by your Chase Freedom Unlimited into Ultimate Rewards points.

The Chase Freedom Limitless is a superb companion to any premium Ultimate Rewards cards as a result of it boosts your non-bonus class incomes — together with charitable donations — from 1 level per greenback to 1.5.

Welcome bonus: Earn an extra 1.5% money again on all the pieces you purchase (on as much as $20,000 spent within the first 12 months), value as much as $300 money again.

Rewards prices: Earn 5% money again on journey bought by way of Chase Travel℠, 3% on eating at eating places, 3% at drugstores and 1.5% on different eligible purchases.

Advantages:

• Purchase protection covers your new purchases for 120 days in opposition to harm or theft, as much as $500 per declare and $50,000 per account
• Extended warranty extends the time interval of the U.S. producer’s guarantee by an extra 12 months on eligible warranties of three years or much less

Annual price: None

For extra particulars, see our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Apply right here: Chase Freedom Unlimited

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2 miles per greenback spent on all purchases, together with donations. TPG’s November 2024 valuations peg Capital One miles at a worth of 1.85 cents every, and in contrast to a few of the different playing cards described on this information, you need not have one other card in your pockets to unlock the power to switch your rewards to journey companions.

Should you’re excited about 2 miles per greenback on all the pieces however desire a extra premium card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a superb alternative. For a $395 annual price (see rates and fees), you get a excessive welcome bonus, added bonus classes and several other perks, together with a $300 credit score when booked by way of Capital One Journey, anniversary miles bonus, rental automotive standing and extra.

Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Rewards prices: 2 Capital One miles per greenback spent on all the pieces (3.7% return based mostly on TPG’s November 2024 valuations).

Advantages:

*Advantages solely out there to accounts permitted for the World Elite Mastercard. Phrases apply.

Annual price: $95 (see rates and fees)

For extra particulars, see our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Apply right here: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card earns 1.5 factors per greenback spent on non-bonus classes, similar to charitable donations. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to earn as much as a 75% bonus on the factors earned on this card based mostly in your standing degree inside the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program.

• Gold degree requires $20,000 in belongings and awards a 25% rewards bonus
• Platinum degree requires $50,000 in belongings and awards a 50% rewards bonus
• Platinum Honors degree requires $100,000 in belongings and awards a 75% rewards bonus
• Diamond degree requires $1,000,000 in belongings and awards a 75% rewards bonus

On the Platinum Honors and Diamond tier, that is a 75% bonus on the common 1.5 point-per-dollar ratio for a complete of round 2.6 cents in rewards per greenback.

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus factors after you make a minimum of $4,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

Rewards prices: 2 factors for each greenback spent on journey and eating purchases and 1.5 factors for each greenback spent on different purchases and 1.5 factors per greenback spent on all different purchases.

Advantages:

Annual price: $95

For extra particulars, see our full review of the Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card.

Apply right here: Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card

Should you’re feeling beneficiant and seeking to donate $5,000 or extra, The Business Platinum Card from American Express affords 1.5 Membership Rewards factors per greenback for all purchases over $5,000 yearly (as much as $2 million of those purchases). Simply be sure that wherever you make your donation, all the quantity is charged as one transaction and never cut up into two or extra funds — similar to a month-to-month giving schedule — since you’ll solely get the 1.5 multiplier on fees over $5,000 made as a single buy.

Welcome provide: Earn 150,000 bonus factors after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases with the cardboard within the first three months of card membership.

Rewards prices: 5 Membership Rewards factors per greenback spent on flights and pay as you go lodges on AmexTravel.com (10% return based mostly on TPG’s November 2024 valuations), 1.5 factors per greenback on eligible purchases in choose enterprise classes and eligible purchases of $5,000 or extra on as much as $2 million of those purchases per calendar 12 months (3% return based mostly on TPG valuations) and 1 level per greenback spent on different purchases (2% return).

Advantages:

• Entry to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, together with Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges and extra
• As much as $200 airline fee credit for incidental charges charged to your card by one qualifying airline you choose (enrollment required)
• 35% airline bonus while you e book a first- or business-class flight, or any class flight together with your chosen qualifying airline, with American Specific Journey utilizing Amex Pay with Points (as much as 1 million factors again per calendar 12 months)
• Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status (enrollment required)
• As much as $400 annual Dell assertion credit score, distributed as as much as $200 in assertion credit between January and June and as much as $200 in assertion credit between July and December, for U.S. purchases with Dell in your card after you enroll (ending June 30, 2025)
• As much as $150 Adobe credit score for choose auto-renewing annual enterprise subscription purchases (ending June 30, 2025)
• As much as $120 in assertion credit per 12 months for phone service purchases within the U.S., given in month-to-month installments of as much as $10 (enrollment required)
• As much as $199 in annual assertion credit for Clear Plus
• Assertion credit score for one Global Entry software price each 4 years ($120) or one TSA PreCheck software price each 4.5 years (as much as $85)
• No overseas transaction charges (see rates and fees)

Annual price: $695 (see rates and fees)

For extra particulars, see our full review of the Amex Business Platinum card.

Apply right here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express

The Chase Freedom Flex is a robust earner for the final quarter of 2024. Choose charities are included within the card’s listing of rotating 5% cash-back bonus categories on as much as $1,500 in mixed purchases by way of Dec. 31. You need to activate these classes to unlock the bonus-earning potential.

Welcome provide: Earn $200 money again after spending $500 in purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Rewards charges: Earn 5% again on as much as $1,500 in mixed purchases in quarterly rotating bonus classes, together with choose charities in This fall 2024, while you activate; 5% money again on journey bought by way of Chase Journey; 3% on eating at eating places, together with takeout and eligible supply companies; 3% on drugstore purchases; 1% on all different purchases.

Advantages:

• Cellphone protection affords as much as $800 per declare and $1,000 yearly (most of two claims in a 12-month interval with a $50 deductible per declare) in opposition to lined theft or harm while you pay your cellphone invoice with the cardboard
• Purchase protection covers your new purchases for 120 days in opposition to harm or theft, as much as $500 per declare
• Extended warranty extends the time interval of the U.S. producer’s guarantee by an extra 12 months on eligible warranties of three years or much less

Annual price: None

For extra particulars, see our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex.

Apply right here: Chase Freedom Flex

Each American Express Membership Rewards and Hilton Honors enable factors for use towards a various array of nonprofit organizations. Amex companions with JustGiving, and Hilton companions with PointWorthy to make the method easy by linking your accounts.

You possibly can earn Membership Rewards factors by holding an Amex card. Listed here are a few of our best Amex card options. Likewise, Hilton Honors factors may be earned not solely with stays at a Hilton property but in addition by making use of for a Hilton credit card.

United means that you can donate miles by way of Miles on a Mission to quite a few completely different charities and campaigns, together with the American Pink Cross, World Glimpse and Make a Want.

Whereas we sometimes favor to accrue factors and miles and use them to travel, donating a small variety of miles or factors may be a good way to keep your points and miles from expiring. After all, you probably have a big stash of factors and wish to do good with out spending money, then utilizing factors could make sense, too.

Associated: You can now redeem Chase, Citi and Amex points for charity — here’s how

From now by way of Dec. 31, you should utilize factors earned out of your Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Freedom Flex, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Ink Business Preferred, Ink Business Premier® Credit Card, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, or Ink Business Unlimited® Credit score Card to pay your self again after requesting a credit score in your purchases with choose charities.

The redemption comes at a worth of 1.25 cents per level for each card apart from the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which will get it again at an elevated 1.5 cents per level.

That is extra beneficiant than the speed you’d obtain from different issuers, although nonetheless beneath TPG’s November 2024 valuation of Final Rewards factors at 2.05 cents apiece. Nonetheless, whether or not or not that is one of the best use of your individual Final Rewards factors comes all the way down to your individual spending habits and journey objectives.

Associated: Chase Pay Yourself Back Q4 categories — is it a good use of your rewards?

Ought to I apply for a brand new card earlier than making a big donation?

Should you’re contemplating making a big donation, you might wish to apply for a brand new bank card earlier than making the donation.

By doing so, you can also make important progress towards the spending required to acquire the cardboard’s welcome bonus. Should you do not wish to apply for a brand new card, think about whether or not you might have a card with a threshold spending bonus to satisfy.

Associated: 10 easiest credit card welcome bonuses to earn

Usually, retailers (together with charities) are charged fees on credit card charges.

For many playing cards and retailers, these charges are between 2% and 4% of the quantity charged. That signifies that in the event you donate $1,000 to a charity, the charity will possible solely get $960 to $980 of your donation as soon as the financial institution levies varied card processing charges.

If you need a set quantity to achieve your charity of alternative, you might wish to give just a little further to cowl the bank card fees. (You might additionally simply donate utilizing a debit card, test or money, however you then will not earn any rewards on the donation.)

Associated: Should I pay with a rewards credit card even if it incurs fees?

Associated: The best credit cards for everyday spending

For Capital One merchandise listed on this web page, a few of the advantages could also be offered by Visa® or Mastercard® and should fluctuate by product. See the respective Information to Advantages for particulars, as phrases and exclusions apply.

For charges and charges of the Blue Enterprise Plus Card, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Enterprise Platinum Card, click on here.