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Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to,
American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and
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Katie Kelton is a senior writer on Bankrate’s credit cards team and Certified Credit Counselor™, bringing eight years of experience writing creative and financial content to help cardholders get savvy with their credit.
Madison Hoehn is a Certified Financial Education Instructor℠ and editor on Bankrate's credit cards team. She brings over five years of editorial expertise to the table and is passionate about making readers feel seen and meeting them where they are in their credit journey.
The advice in this article is offered by the
team independent of any bank or credit card issuer.
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At Bankrate, we have a mission to demystify the credit cards industry — regardless or where you are in your journey — and make it one
you can navigate with confidence. Our team is full of a diverse range of experts from credit card pros to data analysts and, most importantly,
people who shop for credit cards just like you. With this combination of expertise and perspectives, we keep close tabs on the credit
card industry year-round to:
Meet you wherever you are in your credit card journey to guide your information search and help you understand your options.
Consistently provide up-to-date, reliable market information so you're well-equipped to make confident decisions.
Reduce industry jargon so you get the clearest form of information possible, so you can make the right decision for you.
At Bankrate, we focus on the points consumers care about most: rewards, welcome offers and bonuses, APR, and overall customer experience.
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we fact-check ourselves to prioritize accuracy so we can continue to be here for your every next.
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Images by GettyImages; Illustration by Hunter Newton/Bankrate
In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, it’s worth looking at the environmental impact of your spending habits. And if you’re able to resist the vice of overconsumption — which can lead to credit card debt — it’s possible to use credit positively for both your wallet and the Earth.
You could earn credit card rewards for buying secondhand, taking public transportation or making other eco-friendly purchases. See our card picks for the planet below.
The Wells Fargo Attune card is a staple for cardholders who want to take good care of the planet and themselves. You’ll earn 4 percent cash rewards on planet-friendly purchases — including thrift and antique stores, public transit and EV charging — as well as self-care, sports, recreation and entertainment purchases.
Pros
Earn a generous rewards rate for ethical spending, plus a $100 cash rewards bonus by spending $500 in the first three months.
There’s no annual fee, and you can tap into an intro APR offer on purchases.
Cons
There’s no boosted rewards for typical categories like travel and dining out, so you may want to pair this card with another rewards card.
The welcome offer isn’t as high as with other no-annual-fee cards.
If you live in an urban environment and take taxis, rideshares, trains, buses and other forms of public transportation, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express lets you earn 3 percent cash back on those purchases. Plus, you can earn 6 percent on U.S. supermarket purchases (up to $6,000 per year, then 1 percent) and select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
Pros
Earn high-rate cash back by taking transportation that reduces your carbon footprint, plus a $250 statement credit by spending $3,000 in the first six months.
Tap into an intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers, plus other Amex perks, like Disney Bundle streaming service statement credits.
Cons
After the first year, there’s a $95 annual fee.
Supermarket spending is capped, which may limit your rewards if shopping for more than one person.
Sustainable clothing and product brands can be pretty niche and might only have an online storefront. If your favorite brands accept PayPal, you can earn 3 percent cash back on those online PayPal purchases with the PayPal Cashback card. You’ll also earn 1.5 percent on all other purchases, which is a good flat rate, compared to the more typical 1 percent.
Pros
Get rewarded for shopping at small businesses or making charitable donations online through PayPal.
You might qualify for the card even if you have fair credit.
Cons
There’s no welcome offer or intro APR offers.
You won’t earn boosted rewards at many physical retailers, so it’s good to have another rewards card in your wallet.
The Chase Freedom Flex card offers a whopping 5 percent cash back on quarterly bonus categories (up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1 percent) and Chase Travel℠ purchases. For the last two years, EV charging has been a bonus category for Q3 and select charities for Q4. You also get 3 percent back on dining and drugstores.
Pros
Get rewarded for driving an electric vehicle or donating to your preferred environmental charities.
There’s no annual fee, and you can tap into an intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers.
Cons
You’ll have to manually activate the bonus categories each quarter.
Bonus category spending is capped, which could limit your rewards potential.
Best for socially responsible banking
Sunrise Banks Everyday Rewards+ Card
Sunrise Banks is a non-traditional card issuer in that it’s also a Certified B Corporation — demonstrating social and environmental impact, accountability and transparency. The bank offers tools to help members build credit and wealth. With the Sunrise Banks Everyday Rewards+ card, you’ll earn 4X points on dining and delivery (up to $2,000 each quarter, then 1 percent) and 2X points at grocery stores, gas stations, EV charging and streaming services.
Pros
Get rewarded for everyday spending while supporting an environmentally-conscious bank.
There’s no annual fee, and you earn a 15,000-point welcome bonus by spending $500 in the first 90 days, as well as access an intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers.
Cons
Rewards redemption options are limited to a cash deposit or statement credit, whereas other cards offer options like travel booking, gift cards and more.
The highest rewards category is capped, limiting your potential.
5% cash back on quarterly bonus categories (up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1%), which can include EV charging and select charities
Sunrise Banks Everyday Rewards+ Card*
Socially responsible banking
$0
N/A
Earn rewards and bank with a certified B Corporation
How to choose an eco-friendly credit card
While there are many ways to care for the environment, it doesn’t hurt to get rewarded for the eco-friendly purchase choices you make. Consider these factors when choosing the right card for you.
Spending habits: Whether you shop secondhand, take the subway or donate to causes you care about, it’s possible to get rewarded for your usual expenses. Think about your lifestyle and how you’d like to earn cash back or points.
Fees and interest rates: Compare annual fees, late fees, interest rates and other charges to make sure you’re comfortable with them. If a card does charge an annual fee, add up the potential rewards and other monetary benefits to see if you’ll get enough bang for your buck.
Bank sustainability programs: Most banks have their own version of an environmental, social and governance report. Check out these examples from American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase and Wells Fargo. Others, like Sunrise Banks, built a business model around sustainability. You can use your best judgment when deciding which issuer is most aligned with your values.
How to help the environment this Earth Day
There are more opportunities to help the Earth than by simply earning rewards on eco-friendly expenses. You can reduce your consumption of clothing — especially via fast fashion — as well as beauty products, prepackaged food and other “stuff” with the deinfluencing trend.
Make reusable water bottles, shopping bags and to-go containers your best friend. Shop secondhand. Grow your own food. Donate and recycle instead of filling landfills. Volunteer with eco-friendly nonprofits and advocate for climate change policies.
There are myriad ways to make a difference in your corner of the world.
Earth Day may only come once a year, but we can practice eco-friendly spending all year round. Consider one of the cards above to benefit both your finances and the environment. And remember that your time is valuable, too — you can spend it making Earth a better place to live.
*The information about the Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card, PayPal Cashback Mastercard®, Chase Freedom Flex® and Sunrise Banks Everyday Rewards+ Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
Frequently asked questions
Earth Day is recognized every year on April 22nd to celebrate the planet and take action for its well-being. It’s a day to spread awareness about issues like climate change, deforestation, pollution and plastic waste and garner enthusiasm on how to solve them.
In 2025, Earth Day is focused on generating more renewable energy. You can celebrate by volunteering with a local organization and making a commitment to practice sustainability in your everyday life.
Eco-friendly products are designed to minimize waste and environmental impact. They might be made of recyclable or biodegradable materials, grown by organic farming or produced by fair labor. Look for EPA-approved ecolabels or read the ingredients to make sure you’re comfortable with them.
But beware of greenwashing — when a product or company falsely markets itself as eco-friendly. It uses buzzwords or imagery to make sales without effecting any real environmental change.
You can absolutely live sustainably on a budget. For example, stocking your closet ethically doesn’t mean you only buy $100+ handmade items — although you can, of course! — but can also mean thrifting or hosting clothing swaps with friends. In fact, reusing containers, making your own food and resisting overconsumption are all sustainable decisions that can help you save money in the long run.
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Quick citation guide
Select a citation to automatically copy to clipboard.
APA:
Kelton, K. (2025, April 22). Best eco-friendly credit cards. Bankrate. Retrieved August 01, 2025, from https://www.bankrate.com/credit-cards/advice/eco-friendly-credit-cards/
We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our
goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you
with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original
and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare
information for free - so that you can make financial decisions with
confidence.
Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to,
American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and
Discover.
The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate, we have a mission to demystify the credit cards industry — regardless or where you are in your journey — and make it one
you can navigate with confidence. Our team is full of a diverse range of experts from credit card pros to data analysts and, most importantly,
people who shop for credit cards just like you. With this combination of expertise and perspectives, we keep close tabs on the credit
card industry year-round to:
Meet you wherever you are in your credit card journey to guide your information search and help you understand your options.
Consistently provide up-to-date, reliable market information so you're well-equipped to make confident decisions.
Reduce industry jargon so you get the clearest form of information possible, so you can make the right decision for you.
At Bankrate, we focus on the points consumers care about most: rewards, welcome offers and bonuses, APR, and overall customer experience.
Any issuers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide to consumers at each of these levels. At each step of the way,
we fact-check ourselves to prioritize accuracy so we can continue to be here for your every next.
Editorial integrity
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first.
Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right
financial decisions.
Key Principles
We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have
editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial
content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and
our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.
Editorial Independence
Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you
make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced
by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked
to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and
dependable information.
How we make money
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master
your money for over four decades.
We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to
succeed throughout life’s financial journey.
Bankrate follows a strict
editorial policy,
so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and
reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial
decisions. The content created by our editorial
staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.
We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and
useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison
service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and
services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore,
this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within
listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity
and other home lending products. Other factors, such as our own proprietary
website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your
self-selected credit score range, can also impact how and where products appear
on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not
include information about every financial or credit product or service.
Quick citation guide
Select a citation to automatically copy to clipboard.
APA:
Kelton, K. (2025, April 22). Best eco-friendly credit cards. Bankrate. Retrieved August 01, 2025, from https://www.bankrate.com/credit-cards/advice/eco-friendly-credit-cards/
