Finance

Charity Charge Business Card: How the Charity Charge Business Card Works

January 31, 2024

Do you want a business credit card that does more than earn rewards? The Charity Charge Business Card allows cardholders to make a positive impact with every purchase. When you use this card, a portion of every transaction supports the charity of your choice at no extra cost to you.

Nonprofit organizations have unique budgets and financial oversight requirements compared to traditional businesses. Finding tools purpose-built with those needs in mind can be challenging. That’s where the Charity Charge Nonprofit Business Card aims to deliver. As the name suggests, it is designed for IRS-registered 501(c)(3) entities.

How the Charity Charge Business Card Works

The Charity Charge Business Card functions like any other business rewards credit card in that you can earn cash back on purchases. However, what makes this card unique is the built-in donation feature.

Card Fees and Rewards

There is an annual fee of $60 for the card. While this may seem high compared to no annual fee cards, you get increased rewards and donations to offset the cost. You earn 1.5% cashback on all purchases, which is easy to redeem as a statement credit or deposit into your bank account.

Donation Process

When you apply for the card, you pick from over 1 million charities to support. Every time you use your card, Charity Charge donates 0.5% of the total transaction amount to that charity. So a $100 purchase = $0.50 donation at no extra expense to you. These small donations add up quickly, allowing major funding for causes you care about.

Flexible Charity Options

You aren’t locked into supporting only one charity forever. At any time, you can change the charity assigned to your account via online banking. Whether you want to switch on a monthly basis or stick with one favorite cause long-term, you have complete flexibility.

Key Advantages of Charity Charge for 501(c) Entities

The Charity Charge Business Card is designed with features tailored specifically to small business owners, making it advantageous over personal credit cards.

No Personal Guarantee or Credit Check Needed

Unlike most small business cards, Charity Charge does not require a director or officer to personally guarantee or secure the nonprofit card. New entities can still build credit history.

Fraud Monitoring and Protections

Charity Charge offers $0 liability in case of unauthorized charges or identity theft. They also monitor accounts for suspicious activity indicative of fraud to minimize risk.

Built-In Business Tracking Tools

This card comes with accounting tools to organize employee spending and track specific expense categories. You can generate customized monthly reports on individual and overall company spending. These make tax time easier by having expenses neatly summarized.

Employee Card Functionality

You can issue employee cards with preset individual spending maximums and restrictions on categories. Paying the balance will be seamless since funds come out of the primary business account. Monitor all transactions in real time via web banking.

Strong Cashback Earnings

The 1.5% cash back rate applies to common business purchases like shipping, advertising, internet services, utilities, ride shares, hotels, car rentals, restaurants, and office supplies. Racking up rewards has never been simpler!

Tips to Maximize the Charity Donation Benefits

To optimize the charitable impact you can make with the 0.5% donations, implement a few best practices.

Put Recurring Expenses on the Card

For any fixed monthly bills like utilities, insurance payments, web hosting fees, etc., use your Charity Charge card. Even minor recurring expenses can transform into significant annual donations.

Use for Company Travel

Airfare, hotel stays, rental cars, meals out, conferences, trade shows, networking events…these larger transaction amounts allow sizable one-time donations when you put them on this card.

Set Up the Card as Your Payment Method

Vendors, contractors, freelancers – have them all charge your Charity Charge card directly instead of sending an invoice. Automate accounts payable for steady donation numbers.

Let Employees Use It Too

Empower your team to pay for approved work expenses with the card. More card activity equals bigger contribution totals.

Key Drawbacks to Evaluate

Despite the tailored nonprofit focus, Charity Charge does still come with some limitations to factor before applying:

No Welcome Bonus or Rewards Program

Compared to small business cards offering hefty signup bonuses and robust ongoing rewards, Charity Charge currently has no associated perks program for points or miles. It’s utility focused.

Carrying a Balance Not Allowed

As a charge card, Charity Charge requires paying your statement balance in full every month. There’s no option for a revolving credit line or spreading payments over time. Budget accordingly.

Steep Late Payment Fees

If full payment is not received by the due date, late fees start at $29 and scale up to $40 rapidly. With tight budgets, nonprofits must be diligent avoiding delayed payments.

Foreign Transaction Fees Apply

Charity Charge charges a typical 2.7% on any transactions processed abroad after currency conversions. Not ideal for global nonprofits with frequent international charges.

How to Apply for the Charity Charge Business Card

Ready to do good just by running your business as usual? Applying for the Charity Charge Business Card only takes a few minutes.

Eligibility Requirements

Like most business credit cards, you’ll need good personal credit for approval. Minimum requirements are a 680 FICO score and at least two years in business with $10,000+ annual revenue.

Specialized Eligibility for Established Organizations

To apply, nonprofits generally need either:

5+ years operating with $100k+ annual revenue
2+ years operating with $500k+ annual revenue

This ensures more mature entities with stable finances qualify rather than risky startups. Applicants should also maintain tax-exempt IRS status.

Application Process

You can apply directly on Charity Charge’s website in three simple steps:

Select your favorite charity that will receive 0.5% donations
Fill out the online application with business and personal info
Get a decision in seconds

Once approved, your card ships within 5-7 business days. You’ll also gain instant access to your new account online.

Start Making an Impact

As soon as your card arrives, activate it to start earning cashback and making automatic donations. Use it for one-time large purchases and everyday business spending.

Alternative Small Business Cards to Compare

While the Charity Charge Nonprofit Business Card offers decent benefits for 501(c) organizations meeting ideal criteria, nonprofits in different circumstances may also consider options like:

Brex Nonprofit Card

Brex also provides tailored nonprofit cards with no personal guarantee required plus integration with popular donation platforms. They have no foreign transaction fees and offer one free audited statement annually.

Capital One Spark 2% Cash Back

The Capital One Spark Cash card provides an unlimited 2% flat rate back on all purchases with no annual fee. There’s also a $200 signup bonus once you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months.

Wells Fargo Autograph

The Wells Fargo Autograph credit card gives 3x points on categories like advertising, gas, rideshares, transit, phone plans, and streaming services. All with cell phone protection and no annual fee.

Conclusion

The Charity Charge Business Card empowers enterprising companies to increase giving back without hurting their bottom line.

With smart functionality tailored for business needs, this card makes it easy to generate major funding for charitable causes while earning ample rewards at the same time.

So if you believe in using business as a force for good, apply for the Charity Charge Business Card today. Feel confident that each swipe not only benefits your company but also makes the world a little brighter too.

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