I have not once heard that affinity credit cards are designed in such a way as to attract customers that would never apply for them otherwise. That is, affinity credit card deals offer programs that are of particular interest to certain categories of the customer base.

In other words they target individual attitudes and preferences of potential cardholders, influencing their state of mind and thus winning their recognition and love. At the same time, however, affinity credit cards, cannot boast of competitive interest rates and fees, and very often they can be rather costly for certain credit consumer type.

Unfair? Well, not quite so, if you take your time and learn what affinity credit card deals have to offer in return. Affinity credit card is a product resulting from the cooperation between the bank or credit card company and a non-profit organization such as a charity, a club or some professional organization.

You yourself choose what non-commercial group you want your credit card tied to and apply correspondingly. At this point your credit card starts giving you feedback. What do I mean? Using the affinity credit card, you allow your credit company to take certain percentage from each of your purchase, cash advance or balance transfer and donate it to the name recognition and further development of the organization you stand for.

And isn't it sort of moral satisfaction when you know that with each dollar spent, you contribute to the reduction of gas emissions, protection of wildlife habitats or provision of humane education program.

It's great that together with the fierce growth of the credit card industry, people are also growing more environmentally concerned and these two processes can become really reciprocal today.

The fact that I apply for an affinity credit card is beneficial both ? for the bank and for the organization the name of which is displayed on the plastic. I will explain. The bank or credit company makes its revenues out of the rates or fees it charges the cardholder whereas the non-profit group collects donations, which go to their particular purposes.

So, do you want to improve the environment or help fight the climate change? Well, that may be the exact reason you are so eager to make the affinity credit card deal. And maybe you wouldn't ever consider applying for it, knowing it's relatively high APR and annual fees, but for the ability to donate.

That's how it was with me. My desire to contribute to the program concerned with reducing global warming prompted me to get the Earth Rewards Platinum MasterCard ? a credit card which helps purchase greenhouse gas emissions offsets. And now I know that with each dollar spent I am reducing the greenhouse gas emissions and helping to stop the climate change.

But, there is a controversial point about the environmentally concerned affinity credit cards as well as all other type credit card products. The issuers are claiming their determination to help the environment through affinity programs but at the same time they are financing projects promoting rainforest destruction or global warming. Well, we cannot blame credit companies for making revenues ? they are trying every possible way to do it ? but maybe they should make their policy more clearly defined not to lose the environmentally concerned customers?