Utilize credit card rewards: Discover the charitable organizations you can support with your credit card points on this Giving Tuesday
Feeling Generous This Giving Tuesday? Donate Your Credit Card Rewards
Giving Tuesday is all about giving back to your community and the world. Why not use your credit card rewards to make a difference? Here's how to do it with the big guys: American Express, Chase, and Citi.
American Express: Membership Rewards for Charity
American Express has teamed up with JustGiving to allow you to donate your Membership Rewards points to more than 1.5 million U.S. nonprofit organizations. It's easy peasy! Just pick your charity, donation amount, then input the number of points you'd like to donate. Though it might not be the highest-value option, it's a great way to make your points go the distance if you've got a ton sitting around.
Chase: Pay Yourself Back for Charity
Chase has an option called Pay Yourself Back that allows you to redeem your Ultimate Rewards points to reimburse recent purchases. Usually, you'll get a value of 1 cent per point, but during certain promotions, you can redeem your points for 1.25 cents apiece on donations to select charities. And Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can get an even better rate of 1.5 cents per point. Check out participating charities like the American Red Cross, Feeding America, International Rescue Committee, and more. To redeem points, simply donate directly to the nonprofit, wait for the transaction to appear, then log into your Ultimate Rewards account and navigate to the Pay Yourself Back page to redeem your points for a statement credit.
Citi: ThankYou Rewards for Charity
Got a surplus of ThankYou Rewards points? Citi offers charity partner redemption options for several nonprofits that you can donate to. Just pick from organizations like the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, and UNICEF USA. Each ThankYou point is worth 1 cent when redeemed for charity. You must choose from $10, $25, $50, or $100 donations, but if you want to give more, just make multiple donations.
The Bottom Line
Want to turn your points into philanthropy? These credit card partnerships make it a cinch! American Express offers the broadest options, but American Express takes the crown with the sheer breadth of organizations you can donate to. Citi cardholders who earn ThankYou points can get a better value of 1 cent per point, while the limited-time Chase offer provides up to 1.5 cents per point for select charities. Here's hoping all card issuers will continue to expand these options in the future!
Stay tuned for our emails to get the scoop on special offers and the top picks from our editors. Remember, every little bit helps, so don't be shy about using your points for good!
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[3] When donating through American Express, keep in mind that the funds are often disbursed to multiple third-party intermediaries in addition to the charity itself, which may affect the amount ultimately received by the charity.
[1] Minimum donation amounts vary between issuers and may be subject to change. As of the time of writing, Chase requires a minimum donation of 1,000 points for redemption.
[4] Be sure to check the terms and conditions for any time-limited promotions or offers associated with Giving Tuesday.
- Donating your credit card rewards can be a generous act on Giving Tuesday, especially with partners like American Express, Chase, and Citi.
- American Express allows you to donate Membership Rewards points to over 1.5 million U.S. nonprofit organizations through JustGiving.
- Chase's Pay Yourself Back option lets you redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for charitable donations, sometimes even at a value of 1.5 cents per point.
- Citi cardholders can donate ThankYou Rewards points to several charities, each point being worth 1 cent, and choose from various donation amounts.
- Turning credit card points into philanthropy has become easier with these partnerships, though values may vary between issuers.
- For more personal-finance and travel tips, subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive offers, reviews, guides, and other travel rewards insights, including ways to maximize your nonprofit donations.
