Application Process & Program Details 

What is the Charity Charge Nonprofit Business Card?

The Charity Charge Nonprofit Business Card is the first of it’s kind business credit card designed specifically for nonprofits. Our card program features no annual fee.

For more information on this card’s benefits and features, visit our Nonprofit Credit Card Details page. 

Is my nonprofit qualified to apply for this card?

Nonprofit organizations must have 2 years in operation and be based in the U.S. to qualify for this program. Organizations who file a 990-N or 990 Postcard may not be eligible to apply based on their annual revenue. 

Most tax-exempt organizations in good standing with the IRS and Secretary of State are qualified to apply for this card including (but not limited to) 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), and 501(c)(6) entities. 

For questions regarding your eligibility, please contact our Nonprofit Educator, Kevin Price, at kevin@charitycharge.com or (512) 759-8575. 

What if my organization is less than 2 years old?

Many newly incorporated nonprofits choose to use our individual card before they are eligible for the nonprofit business card since they can still earn 1% Cash Back to their organization on all purchases.

There is no cost or setup required for you to start using Charity Charge as we partner directly with GuideStar to pre-load nonprofits into our system. See below for more details on our individual card program. 

Does this credit card require a personal guarantee?

The Charity Charge Nonprofit Business Card is underwritten directly to the organization based on recent financial health. 

How will our credit limit be decided?

Commerce Bank can use a range of financial documents to determine your organization’s creditworthiness including 990s, audits, or income statements and balance sheets. 

You can request a specific credit limit on the application and we typically recommend that you request a limit based on your average expenses. For example, if you spend approximately $10,000 a month, a $15,000 limit would provide some flexibility during months when your expenses are above average. 

How many cards can we order for our team?

Nonprofits can order as many employee cards as they need at no charge. 

Cards can be distributed to staff, volunteers, or administrators as needed. Signatory permissions will be limited to the 1-2 signers on the application for security purposes. 

Employee cards can be ordered on your original application and throughout the lifetime of your account at no charge. 

Can we manage our employee cards online?

Yes, our online account management platform allows administrators to:

• Adjust individual card limits in real time
• Set temporary limit adjustments with a start and stop date
• Pause cards
• Cancel cards if they are lost, stolen, or the employee cardholder leaves the organization

What level of support will we receive from Charity Charge or Commerce Bank?

Charity Charge offers a dedicated support team accessible by phone and email to assist with general questions and account setup or updates.

Commerce Bank has a Commercial Cards Support Team dedicated to serving business cardholders by phone and email 24/7 who assists with general questions, account updates, troubleshooting within the online banking platform, troubleshooting transaction or balance inquiries, and accepting phone payments. 

What online account management capabilities are available?

Upon opening your account, one person will be designated as the online administrator. Online administrators can:

• Invite additional online users with full permissions and limited access
• Order, cancel, and pause cards
• Adjust individual card limits in real time
• View recent authorizations and declined reasons (when applicable)
• Pay your bill
• Access your overall account statement and individual statements for employee cards
• Set up automatic statement notifications for admins and employee cardholders
• Download transaction data and build custom reports for easy upload and download into your accounting software

Receipts can be uploaded for expense reporting purposes for a small storage fee charged by the service provider. Receipts can also be managed in the free Mastercard Receipt Management app. Your account manager can discuss these options with you. 

What are the rates and fees?

This card program has no annual fee. All charges are due and payable by the Payment Due Date shown on your periodic statement.

The grace period for the repayment of purchase is at least 20 days from the date of the periodic statement, provided you have paid the previous balance in full by the due date.

For each payment not received by the payment due date shown on the billing statement, a late fee will be charged. The late fee for the respective Commercial account will be 2.5% of the amount past due.

What additional benefits will we receive?

Nonprofits receive exclusive discounts at over 200+ national vendors through our partnership with Purchasing Point.

Microsoft 365– Get your first 4 months free with a one-year subscription of Office apps like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

Intuit QuickBooks® and TurboTax®– Save 40% on QuickBooks Online or 50% on QuickBooks Self Employed for 12 months when you purchase with your Charity Charge Mastercard

Global Emergency Services– Speak with a Mastercard representative 24X7, 365 while traveling for any card-related need.

Learn more about these card benefits available to Mastercard BusinessCard holders. 

Application Process & Card Details 

How does the Charity Charge World Mastercard work?

The Charity Charge World Mastercard works wherever Mastercard is accepted. With each purchase, you earn 1% Cash Back in the form of an automatic donation to the nonprofit(s) of your choice. Unlike other rewards credit cards, the donations you earn with your Charity Charge World Mastercard are automatically distributed to the nonprofits you care about instead of going unused or unappreciated.

Is the Charity Charge World Mastercard a secured or unsecured credit card?

The Charity Charge World Mastercard is an unsecured credit card.

I live outside of the U.S. Can I get a Charity Charge credit card?

Currently, the Charity Charge World Mastercard is only available for U.S. residents.

Does the Charity Charge World Mastercard have an annual fee?

There is no annual fee for the Charity Charge World Mastercard.

What are the financial details of the card (i.e. APR, Balance Transfer fees)?

You can find all of the rates and details on the full terms sheet.

Do you pre-qualify applicants for this card or have instant approval?

We do not currently have the ability to pre-qualify applicants or do instant approval.

If I apply for the Charity Charge World Mastercard will I be approved?

This is a difficult question to answer because everyone’s financial situations are unique. In general, those with good to great credit are approved for the Charity Charge World Mastercard, however, exceptions do occur.

How will applying for the Charity Charge World Mastercard affect my credit score?

Everyone’s financial situation is different so it is hard to predict how applying for a new credit card will affect your credit score without knowing your specific situation. These articles can help you determine how applying for a new credit card will affect your credit score: 

How Credit Cards Impact Your Credit Score (CreditCards.com)

FICO’s 5 Factors: The Components of a Credit Score (CreditCards.com)

Which credit bureau does Commerce Bank use?

Commerce Bank will pull credit information from TransUnion when evaluating your application.

Where can I use my Charity Charge World Mastercard?

The Charity Charge World Mastercard can be used anywhere that Mastercard is accepted around the world. 

What credit limit will I be approved for?

This varies based on your personal financial situation. Please call Commerce Bank at 800-645-2103 to discuss your unique situation or inquiry about your credit limit. 

How long will it take for Commerce Bank to make a decision on my application?

Commerce Bank takes 1-2 weeks to make a decision on applications. If you are wondering about the status of your application please call Commerce Bank at 800-645-2103.

What is the status of my application?

For inquiries regarding the status of your application, please contact Commerce Bank at 800-645-2103. Their call center representatives will be happy to answer your questions.

What benefits do I get from having a World Mastercard?

World Mastercard benefits include:

• Extended warranty
• Price protection
• Purchase assurance
• Satisfaction guarantee
• Mastercard Global Service
• Concierge services
• Mastercard ID Theft Protection
• Zero Liability
• Airport lounge access
• Luxury travel benefits
• Travel assistance services

For more information on these benefits, visit the Mastercard website.

Can I choose to support multiple charities?

Yes, you can support up to 3 nonprofits, K-12 schools, universities, or religious organizations at a time. Your donation will be split equally between the nonprofits you choose, for example:

• 1 nonprofit – They receive 100% of the 1% Cash Back you earn on each purchase
• 2 nonprofits = Each nonprofit gets 50% of the 1% Cash Back you earn on each purchase
• 3 nonprofits = Each nonprofit gets 33% of the 1% Cash Back you earn on each purchase

Is the nonprofit I want to support in your system?

Yes! Our system pulls from the GuideStar database that contains all 501(c)(3) organizations, K-12 schools, universities, and religious organizations in the U.S., therefore, all organizations listed in GuideStar will be available for cardholders to choose to support. 

If you are having difficulty finding a nonprofit in our system, try adding the organization’s zip code or each by their EIN if it’s known. 

If the issue persists, please email us for assistance at info@charitycharge.com.

Cardholder Resources

What can be found on my donation dashboard?

The cardholder donation dashboard shows:

• Your lifetime impact
• Your total impact toward each cause you support
• Your weekly history of impact towards the nonprofits you support
• The ability to change or add up to 3 nonprofits
• Your tax receipt
• FAQs about your card and Charity Charge
• Account management:
  • Change your password
  • Change your email preferences

I am having trouble accessing my donation dashboard– what should I do?

If this is your first time logging into your dashboard, or if you have forgotten your password, please click the “Need A Password?” button. You will be prompted to reset your password and should try logging in again with your new password.

If you are still having difficulty logging in, please email info@charitycharge.com for assistance.

Are my Cash Back donations tax deductible?

Cash Back donations earned with your Charity Charge World Mastercard are tax deductible. Cardholders can find their tax receipts in their donation dashboard at the end of the calendar year. 

We recommend consulting your personal tax advisor to see how your tax-deductible donations impact your individual tax situation.

How are my donations sent to the nonprofit(s) I support?

Donations are processed by Global Impact on a quarterly basis. We cover 100% of the donation processing fees so that the organizations your support receive the full 1% Cash Back donation you earn. There is never a cost to the recipient organizations. 

What happens to my donations if I decide to cancel my card?

Any donations you earn during the lifetime of your account will be sent to your selected nonprofit(s).

How will I be notified of my donations and spending?

Information on your monthly contributions can be found on the homepage of your donation dashboard.

I want to view my account balance, pay my bill, configure automatic payments, bank online, update my name, add an authorized user, or receive travel notifications.

In order to maintain your Charity Charge World Mastercard account, please sign in to the Commerce Bank Online Banking system at www.commercebank.com/cardaccess. 

If it is your first time logging in, please select ‘Activate Online Banking’ and follow the prompts.

Through the online banking system, you can check your balance, make a payment, access paperless statements, and request other account maintenance functions.

Download the Commerce Bank mobile banking app to access your account on the go:

Download from the Apple App Store.

Download from the Google App Store.

I have a question about a specific fee or transaction– what should I do?

Contact Commerce Bank at 800-645-2103 and an agent will assist you.

What should I do if my card was lost/stolen or if I suspect fraudulent activity on my account?

Call Commerce Bank immediately at 800-645-2103 to open an investigation. They will assist with cancelling your card, ordering a replacement card, and the reversal of funds when the investigation is concluded. 

Please direct all other inquiries regarding your account to:

Commerce Bank at 800-645-2103 or email mymoney@commercebank.com.

What is the Charity Charge Fundraising Program?

Charity Charge Fundraising is a free and easy way for nonprofit organizations to earn passive, recurring revenue when your donors adopt the Charity Charge World Mastercard (individual credit card) and designate your organization as the recipient of their Cash Back donations. 

Charity Charge individual cardholders earn 1% Cash Back on every purchase as an automatic donation to the nonprofit of their choice– do your supporters know they could be supporting your mission with a Charity Charge card?

All nonprofits in good standing with the IRS are pre-listed in our system. We are a Public Benefit Corporation and have a zero fee model as our mission is to help nonprofits. 

There is no annual fee to the cardholder and we underwrite the donation processing fees so your nonprofit earns the full amount that your cardholders earn. 

To learn more and request additional information, please visit our Fundraising page. 

How does our organization get in the Charity Charge database for individual cardholders to choose?

Our platform pulls from the GuideStar database of every registered 501(c)(3) in the U.S do there is no action necessary to be listed in our system.

If you are not already listed in GuideStar, visit their Help Center to proactively list your organization in their database. 

What if I can’t find my organization in your system?

The most accurate way to find your organization in our system is to search by your nonprofit’s EIN or School ID number. We proactively list every registered 501(c)(3) and public school in the U.S. through our relationship with GuideStar. If you are having difficulty locating your organization, try searching for your legal business name instead of your abbreviated name or dba. 

If the issue persists, please email us at info@charitycharge.com.

Can I change my nonprofit information (logo, name, address, etc.) that displays on your website?

Yes, you can change your nonprofit’s information directly in GuideStar. We pull all of our data from their platform so any updates you make in GuideStar will be reflected on our website. Please allow a few days for any updates to be displayed on our website. 

What database do you use for K-12 schools and universities?

We pull school data from the National Center for Education Statistics database, provided to us by GuideStar.

How are donations processed and sent to our organization?

Donations are processed quarterly by Global Impact. Nonprofits will receive donations by check unless they opt-in to the Global Impact direct deposit option. 

Will we actually receive the full 1% that our cardholders earn?

Yes! It’s important to us that 100% of the donations that cardholders earn goes directly to their favorite nonprofit. Therefore, we underwrite all donation processing fees so that there is no cost for any nonprofit to fundraise with Charity Charge.

Is there a minimum donation amount?

When we process donations each quarter, we hold donations to organizations with less than $10 in total donations. The donations are then released during a future distribution period once a minimum of $10 in donations has accumulated. 

How can we share Charity Charge with our supporters?

Visit our Fundraising page to learn more about the program and request marketing materials to help you get the word out about Charity Charge. 

Can we get our logo on the individual card?

We have some experience co-branding cards for individual organizations and accept new requests on a case by case basis. Please email abby@charitycharge.com to discuss this opportunity and get more information.

Can we obtain any contact information on our cardholders?

We currently only provide donor contact information to nonprofits who also have our Nonprofit Business Card.