For buying train tickets and oat milk, credit card offers 5% cash back

Whether it's buying disposable fashion or taking an Uber, everyday spending has a significant impact on the climate. To nudge people in the right direction, Maryland-based Future just announced the Visa FutureCard, which rewards 'climate smart' spending.

When cardholders purchase items like low-carbon foods or secondhand clothing, when they take the bus or charge their electric car, FutureCard rewards them with 5% cash back (plus 1% cash back for all other purchases). A product or service is defined as being 'green' if it has a significantly lower carbon footprint than the most common alternative.

Trend Bite

FutureCard isn't the first financial product to connect individual spending habits to environmental impact. Swedish Doconomy released the DO card a few years back, and LA-based Aspiration introduced a carbon offset credit card in March. DO allows users to track their carbon footprint, while Aspiration plants a tree for every purchase. Both create greater awareness, but FutureCard actually ties a person's intrinsic drive to make the world better, to the extrinsic motivation of a cash reward. Combine that with social pressure and COP26 headlines, and consumers might actually bring their spending in line with their intentions.

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New credit card rewards purchases of train tickets and oat milk with 5% cash back

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New credit card rewards purchases of train tickets and oat milk with 5% cash back

Innovation of the day