The GE Money eco MasterCard is the first credit card in Australia dedicated to a rewards program that provides cardholders with an automatic method to purchase carbon offsets.
The carbon offsets purchased on behalf of cardholders each represent the reduction or avoidance of the release of one metric ton of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) from a project that has met strict standards. These carbon offsets will be purchased from the Origin Energy Carbon Reduction Scheme each year on Earth Day.¹
An eco MasterCard cardholder who chooses to dedicate the full 1% reward on spending to purchasing carbon offsets can make an easy and effective step forward in managing their personal carbon footprint.²
Based on 2009 carbon prices:
| a |
Paying a mobile telephone bill of $70 per month for 12 months on the card earns carbon offsets more than the annual emissions of an average large screen LCD TV that is on for six hours per day.
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| b |
Spending $200 on the card earns carbon offsets equal to the emissions of approximately 500 Kilometres of driving by the average car on Australian roads.
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| c |
Spending $1,000 on the card earns carbon offsets equal to the average emissions per passenger for a typical round-trip economy flight from Sydney (SYD) to Perth (PER).
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| d |
An eco MasterCard cardholder who spends $700 a month on their card over the course of a year can earn over 5 metric tons of carbon offsets, enough to offset an average Australian's annual carbon emissions from vehicle use and household energy consumption.
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If 10,000 people spent $600 per month with the eco MasterCard, the carbon offsets purchased in their names each year would total over 44,000 metric tons based on 2009 carbon prices. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of over 11,000 cars from Australian roads.
Eco MasterCard cardholders can elect to dedicate half of the card's 1% reward to purchasing carbon offsets and take the other half as "cash back". The "cash back" portion is automatically credited to the cardholder's monthly billing statement after Earth Day each year.³
Every time you spend on your GE Money eco MasterCard, you'll contribute to projects that offset greenhouse gas emissions, helping you offset your carbon footprint and work towards a healthier planet.*
Start making a difference today.
*Conditions, fees and charges apply.
¹Carbon offsets will be purchased on Earth Day, 22nd April, each year.
²Offsets accrued on first $50,000 purchases only each year. The purchase spend does not include returns, cash advances or balance transfers.
³Credits will be applied to your account in May of each year.
Credit provided by GE Capital Finance Australia (ABN 42 008 583 588), trading as GE Money.