Bank of America Launches Brighter Planet Environmental Credit Card
By Seth Harbison
Bank of America last week launched the Brighter Planet Visa, joining a number of other new credit cards aimed at helping cardholders protect the Earth’s environment.
The Brighter Planet Visa will offer “Earthpoints”, and these points will be put toward renewable energy projects, with each 1,000 points being estimated to equal one ton of “carbon offsets” — offsetting carbon dioxide emissions with new projects that help promote cleaner air or future renewable energy projects. Bank of America will also offer a partial match for the first year — offering on extra Earthpoint for every two earned by a cardholder.
Brighter Planet is not a brand name concocted by Bank of America, but is instead an environmental group with whom Bank of America is partnering.
The Brighter Planet Visa joins the GE Money Earth Rewards Card and the GreenPay MasterCard as new credit cards introduced in 2007 that offer carbon offsets as rewards.