9 Ethical Credit Cards for Green & Socially Responsible Swiping

Since the Paris Agreement, the world’s 60 biggest banks have given $6.9 trillion to the fossil fuel industry. Beyond the environmental cost, all major credit card companies have been involved in unethical practices like predatory lending, deceptive fees, intentionally complex financial jargon, and abusive targeting of low-income individuals.

Fortunately, ethical credit cards have far more perks (for far more people) than a low interest rate and killer air miles program.

And the perks are about to get even better as we plan to re-swipe our way through this list using a Brand Rating System that’s we developed to extend what we look for to 22 criteria including climate action and product performance. To learn more about this new system, take a look at our explainer here.

Before we dive into our list of cards that will be a credit to your sustainable wallet, our completely non-expert ‘financial advice’ is this: only apply for a credit card if you can afford the repayments. Disclaimer done; let’s talk about how each swipe can work for good.

*See parenthetical hyperlinks for disclosures

Interest: None since Aspiration functions via your own connected credit card or offers a Spend and Save account, with a debit Card with 1-3% APY⁽¹⁾

Annual Fees: $0 for regular Aspiration account; $5.99/month (billed annually) or $7.99/month (billed monthly) for Aspiration Spend & Save plus⁽²⁾

Rewards/Extras: 3% cashback on Green Marketplace purchases for regular accounts and 6% cash back on Green Marketplace purchases for Aspiration Plus accounts⁽³⁾, in addition to complimentary carbon offsets purchased by Aspiration for gas purchased using the card via their Planet Protection program⁽⁴⁾. Both options provide coverage for items that are damaged or stolen within 90 days and $600 of cell phone insurance if their Debit card is used to pay your phone bill. Cash rewards for every milestone of trees funded.

Credentials: 1% for the Planet member, Climate Neutral Certified.

Aspiration ⁽¹⁾ doesn’t offer their own green credit card, per se. Their Plant Your Change program⁽⁵⁾ is even more unique. Simply turn on the feature for your Aspiration debit card or connect your existing credit card and round up each purchase to the nearest dollar fund tree plantings with every swipe, earning cash rewards with different tree planting milestones. Set monthly caps and pause this function whenever you like.

Trees are planted through their verified partner Veritree and you can track the company’s impact you’re helping contribute to via their Impact Hub.

You’ll earn extra if purchasing from approved sustainably-minded brands (including some of our favorites like Thrive Market and Allbirds) in their Green Marketplace. This is their effort reward you for climate friendly shopping and help offset some of the costs usually associated with shopping more sustainably.

Alternatively, if you open an Aspiration Plus account⁽³⁾, you’ll also be given one of their eco-friendly debit cards made of upcycled ocean-bound plastic.

Interest: 0% introductory APR for 12 months on balance transfers and purchases followed by 15.24% – 25.24% variable APR (based on creditworthiness). The APR for cash advances is 27.24%.

Annual Fees: None.

Rewards/Extras: Unlimited rewards—1 point for every dollar spent. Cell phone protection and $150,000 Travel Accident Insurance.

Credentials: Green America is the nonprofit organization behind Green America Certified businesses.

Green America partners with TCM Bank, N.A., a subsidiary of the Independent Community Bankers of America, to offer a socially responsible credit card. For every purchase you make with the Green America Rewards Platinum Visa® credit card, a portion of the proceeds goes toward Green America’s work to champion fair labor, green businesses, clean energy, and justice for all.

Interest: No details provided.

Annual Fees: No annual fees for the Climate Card or Beneficial Resilience Card. The Beneficial Builder card has an annual fee of $25.

Rewards/Extras: 1 point for every dollar spent (Climate Card only).

Credentials: Certified B Corp, Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Fossil-Free Certified by Bank.Green, and Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) member.

If you live in California, Oregon, or Washington State, Beneficial State Bank offers three socially responsible credit cards. The Climate Card is their green Visa credit card. Use it to earn rewards for everyday purchases that include support for climate-related nonprofits. The Beneficial Builder card is a good choice if you’re building, repairing, or new to credit, and the Beneficial Resilience card is their middle-of-the-line credit card.

Beneficial State Bank is a B Corp bank committed to reaching under-served people. Their lending supports environmental, affordable housing, and social justice projects—no private prisons, fossil fuels, or payday lenders.

Interest: Fixed rate APR of 17.99%

Annual Fees: $39

Credentials: CFDI

The OneUnited secured credit card aims to help people take control of and understand their finances. With the UNITY Visa Secured Card, reporting goes to three major credit bureaus to help you build or rebuild your credit with detailed advice from the How to Rebuild Credit Program. OneUnited’s Financial Education Center also offers courses on understanding credit cards, credit scores, and reporting.

As the largest Black-owned bank and certified CDFI, OneUnited’s socially responsible credit cards with low interest rates supports #BlackMoneyMatters. They exist to improve financial literacy and, in turn, help to close the racial wealth gap through workshops and events in urban communities.

Interest: Introductory offers and APR rates vary depending on card type. Visa Signature® Everyday Rewards+ Card: 0% APR for the first six billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers, followed by a variable APR of 19.49% to 29.74%. See other individual cards for details.

Annual Fees: No annual fee for the Visa Signature® Everyday Rewards+ Card. Annual fees for the other cards range from $0 to $390.

Rewards/Extras: Earn between 1 and 4 points on purchases with the Rewards+ cards. Bonus rewards between $150 (15,000 points) and $500 (50,000 points) are available on some cards when minimum expenditure amounts are met within a specified number of days after account opening. (See individual cards for details.)

Credentials: Certified B Corp, CFDI, and GABV member.

Sunrise Banks may have the most flexibility with multiple personal and business credit cards. You can choose between credit cards better suited for rewards, cashback on selected categories, or improving a credit score. Some cards come with an introductory 0% APR over a set number of billing cycles, while others are designed to support college students in building a strong financial future. Ultimately, you can pick the pricing and programs that work best for you.

To help create a more ethical financial industry, Sunrise Banks provides finance for distressed communities, provides employee volunteer time, and donates 2% of its net income through sponsorships and donations.

Interest: The Maximum Rewards® World Mastercard® and Platinum Edition® Mastercard® offer 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first six billing cycles, followed by a variable APR between 24.99% and 29.99% APR for the Maximum Rewards® World Mastercard® and 19.99% and 29.99% for the Platinum Edition® Mastercard®. The Secured Mastercard® has a variable 29.99% APR.

Annual Fees: No annual fees.

Rewards/Extras: The Maximum Rewards® World Mastercard® offers unlimited cashback on every purchase.

Credentials: Certified B Corp and GABV member.

Amalgamated Bank partners with First National Bank of Omaha to offer customers three credit cards, including the Maximum Rewards® World Mastercard®, one of the best cashback ethical credit cards. They also offer the Secured Mastercard, designed for establishing or improving your credit score, and the Platinum Edition® Mastercard®.

Amalgamated Bank operates on 100% renewable energy and employs a diverse team of 60% women and people of color. For almost a century, they’ve supported movements like affordable housing, equal access to banking, LBGTQI rights, workers’ rights, criminal justice, reproductive rights, and gun safety.

Interest: Fixed interest rate for purchases ranges from 12.99% to 20.00%, depending on the card.

Annual Fees: Fees range from $0 to $120 for their WORLD MASTERCARD® and CASH BACK WORLD ELITE® MASTERCARD.

Rewards/Extras: Several of the sustainable credit cards offer cashback on purchases. See individual cards for details.

Credentials: Certified B Corp, GABV member

Ontario-based Kindred Credit Union offers several Mastercards, including the no-fee CASH BACK MASTERCARD®, the CLASSIC MASTERCARD®, which has a fixed 13.99% interest rate for purchases, and the CENTRA GOLD MASTERCARD®, a reward card with a fixed low interest rate.

Your credit card purchases support the Kindred Charitable Fund, which funds various projects, including community food security and affordable housing. To date, it has supported 163 charities with a total of $1.34 million. Kindred Credit Union is a financial cooperative, so everyone who banks with them receives a share of the profits and has a say in how it is run.

Interest: The Co-operative Members credit card has a variable APR of 18.2%. The 3-year fixed rate credit card offers 8.9% annual interest for purchases and balance transfers for the first three years, followed by 18.2% variable APR. The Balance transfer credit card offers 0% interest on balance transfers for the first 24 months and a 20.6% variable APR. (Variable APR rates are based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 and a specified purchase rate. See individual card options for details).

Annual Fees: No annual fees.

Rewards/Extras: The Co-operative Members credit card offers 0.5% cashback at Co-op food stores and 0.3% elsewhere.

Credentials: Sustainalytics has rated it the UK’s best Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) high street bank.

The Co-operative Bank is a values-based UK bank that donates to thousands of organizations and is beyond carbon neutral. They have three card options, including the Co-operative Members credit card (exclusively for Co-operative Members), which gives cashback for purchases at co-op food stores and more.

Note that the Co-operative Bank is not a co-operative. It is now owned by private equity, including hedge funds, and its ethics are safeguarded by the Customer Union for Ethical Banking.

Interest: The Flex Purchase offer allows you to pay off purchases over three months at 0% interest. Otherwise, it’s 29% variable APR for up to 24 monthly payments.

Annual Fees: None.

Credentials: British Bank Awards for Best Banking App 2023.

Monzo offers one of the best ethical credit cards for UK customers looking for an easy way to manage their finances.

With the Monzo Flex, you get all the usual benefits of the Monzo app (including real-time balance updates and instant notifications), and bills are broken down by purchases so you can see exactly where you are in terms of payments. There are no fees for purchases made abroad. Note that you need a (free) current account with Monzo to be eligible for their credit card.

Monzo is on a mission “to make money work for everyone.” They’ve designed their app to be as accessible as possible, have no hidden fees, are committed to financial inclusion, and offer specialist support for those who need it. They do not invest in fossil fuels, arms, or tobacco and have a modern slavery and human trafficking statement. They measure and report on their carbon footprint, aim to reach net zero by 2030, and are a member of the TechZero climate action group.