The Bendigo RSPCA Rescue VISA Card is a credit card that is offered by Bendigo bank and processed by VISA. It aims to help the animal charity, the RSPCA.
Another card that is offered by the Bendigo bank, the Bendigo RSPCA Rescue Rewards Visa Credit Card has a similar structure, although it offers rewards in return for spending on the card in return for a monthly payment to the RSPCA.
The animal rescue charity, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, shares a proportion of the money that the card makes from its merchant fees, or the processing charge that is made to the shops and service providers that accept payment with the card. The money goes towards the “adopt a pet program” which helps the domestic pet rescue service.
It is not possible to claim a tax refund from these payments as although the RSPCA is a registered charity the card holder is not directly getting the money. This means that the direct link between the donation and the charity is not there for the charity payment to be tax deductible.
There is an account keeping payment. This is calculated at 3% of the statement closing balance (which means that money that is kept over is not calculated from the amount spent in the month). If the balance on the card is less than $330 is on the card statement then the charge will be $10 for that month. This means that the charge is at a minimum of $120 per year. There is also an annual fee of $24 per year, which means that the total fees are at least $144 per year.
There is a cash advance fee of 0.50% of any advance above $650. If the cash advance is $650 or lower, then the fee will be $3.25. If the card is used in an ATM in another bank then there is likely to be an ATM fee, which will be displayed before the card is used. If the cash is taken through a Bendigo bank branch or ATM then there is no cash advance fee or ATM fee.
The card is issued through VISA which is the largest credit card processor in the world and is accepted at almost 30 million locations around the world. The card is covered by a zero liability from VISA, which stops unauthorised payments being charged to an account.
