Major credit card networks are waiving interchange fees that charities otherwise would pay on donations to support Japanese relief efforts after last week's earthquake and tsunami.
Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and American Express Co. announced the waivers on Monday.
Visa is waiving the fees through April 30 for donations made to such charities as the American Red Cross, AmeriCares, Habitat for Humanity, Mercy Corps, Oxfam America, Save the Children, U.S. Fund for UNICEF and World Vision.
The network also is waiving interchange fees for cardholder donations to Canadian charities, including the Canadian Red Cross, CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Quebec, Save the Children Canada, UNICEF Canada and World Vision Canada.
Visa also says it will donate any revenue it generates from eligible charitable contributions through April 30 to the Red Cross and will make a philanthropic donation of an undisclosed amount to support relief efforts in Japan.
MasterCard through May 15 is waiving the interchange on credit or debit card donations U.S. consumers make to the American Red Cross, AmeriCares, Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Save the World and World Vision. MasterCard separately is matching employees' donations to those charities.
In Canada, MasterCard is waiving all payment card interchange fees on donations cardholders make to Canada Helps, the Canadian Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and World Vision.
MasterCard also is making a separate $250,000 corporate donation to relief efforts in Japan.
American Express says it will rebate interchange on credit and charge card contributions to charitable organizations listed on the USAID website for Japanese relief efforts, and it promises to match employee donations to the cause. Amex separately is contributing $100,000 to the Red Cross and Save the Children.
Discover Financial Services has set up an area on its corporate website for credit-card holders to donate funds to the American Red Cross and World Vision. Discover is waiving interchange on donations through this channel. Cardholders also may earn rewards on funds donated.
Also on Monday, JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced it will donate $5 million to Japanese relief efforts, and will match employees' contributions to the American Red Cross and World Vision.
Holders of Chase's Sapphire, Ink and Freedom credit cards also "shortly" will be able to donate accumulated rewards points earned on purchases to the relief efforts through the firm's Ultimate Rewards website, a JPMorgan Chase representative said Tuesday.
Wells Fargo & Co. said it allows consumers to donate to the American Red Cross through an on-screen prompt on its 9,000 ATMs. The San Francisco company also said it is making a donation to the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Fund. Wells said it has also started a $1.5 million matching donation program with its employees.
Apple Inc. also is enabling consumers to make credit card-funded contributions over its iTunes software to the American Red Cross in increments of $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 and $200. Apple says 100% of contributions gathered via iTunes will go toward Japan's disaster relief efforts.
The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday issued a warning about online scam charity appeals, many of which offer to distribute credit card donations to charities.
