Aspiration Zero Mastercard®

Aspiration Zero master card is available to all U.S. citizens with a decent credit score. It is a credit card designed for environmentally aware shoppers who want to neutralize their carbon footprint simply by swiping their card daily. The card is also made from biodegradable plastic, so the entire thing has an eco-friendly spin. It’s a great idea that many will enjoy regardless of the rewards not being all that great.

Aspiration Zero Credit Card is Best for

• For those that care about the environment;
• For those that want a biodegradable card;
• That don’t mind getting poorer rewards for eco-friendly features;
• And, for those that want more forests.

What Are Aspiration Zero Advantages

Most advantages related to this card revolve around it being as eco-friendly as possible on the current market.

Biodegradable plastic

First of all, they really went all out to create a truly green credit card. Most “green” credit cards are made from PVC, which, as we all know, isn’t that green. If you are searching for a credit card that satisfies the standards of the green initiative, the Aspiration Zero is a great option. With Aspiration’s Zero Mastercard, you can be sure that it is made from the most modern biodegradable material possible. The card is made from 84% PLA (polylactide) plastic which we get from plants such as corn, sugar beet, and sugarcane. Sure, this card is not 100% biodegradable due to the magnetic stripe and the chip, but the PLA is degradable, and it won’t give off toxic fumes if you incinerate it.

Plant trees with every purchase

One of the most innovative approaches to green credit cards we’ve ever seen. You can earn new trees by simply swiping your card daily. There are two different ways to earn new trees:

1. Every time you make a purchase, you earn a new tree;
2. The “Plant Your Change” feature rounds up your purchases to a dollar to pay for another tree.

The “Plant Your Change” feature is on by default and doubles the number of trees you get with each purchase to two. The tally of trees you get is checked on an ongoing basis and each quarter. The planting is not handled by the card provider but by their partner companies specializing in this work. By having multiple platforms from this niche, they can easily tap into reforestation projects that are happening around the world. The partners they chose are always focused on responsible reforestation, which aims to restore biodiversity and preserve natural ecosystems.

Get up to 1% cashback

A lot of things around this card revolve around the carbon footprint. The standard cashback for this card is 0.5%, but if you manage to use the card enough times over a billing cycle, this percentage is doubled to 1%. The goal is to reach 60 planted trees in one billing cycle, which gives you the “carbon neutral” status. Depending on whether you have your “Plant Your Change” feature on or not, this can take 30 or 60 payments over a billing period.

$300 sign-up bonus

Another thing that attracts cardholders to Aspiration ZERO Mastercard is the $300 sign-up bonus. To qualify for the sign-up bonus, you must spend at least $3,000 over the initial three months period. If we consider that the annual fee for this card is under $100, this deal turns out to be even sweeter.

Aspiration Zero Card Disadvantages

Due to the unique nature of this card and the goals it aspires to achieve, we have to expect some drawbacks to cover the added financial weight.

A 2% fee for foreign transactions. Even though the reforestation initiative run by Aspiration is global, the card itself is less so. It’s all thanks to the 2% foreign fee for the purchases you make while outside the country. This wouldn’t be that bad if this didn’t also apply to any transactions that go through foreign banks, which is the case when buying from overseas vendors.

Doesn’t offer intro 0% APR. Offering 0% APR to new cardholders has become customary, but the Zero card does not do this. Due to this, if you fail to balance your account up to your due date, you will be charged interest for the privilege of going into the next billing with an unbalanced account.

A costly $60 annual fee. Well, while the fee of $60 is under $100, which is good, the truth is that the rewards that come with this not so negligible fee are really not so good. You can find cards that offer double or even triple cashback without even having to pay annual fees. Sure, the fee is also a part of the financial mechanisms that keep the trees coming, but you have to consider this drawback.

What makes it different

This card isn’t fantastic in terms of rewards and costs, but it’s the greenest eco-friendly card you will find out there. If your goal is to do everything in your power to help the green initiative, then this is the right card for you.

The biodegradable plastic and an abundance of trees you will finance to get planted should make this obvious.

Bottom Line

This card is not exactly amazing – the rewards are not stellar, and the fee is a bit hefty for what is offered, but when combined with the eco-friendly initiative they offer, it’s well worth it to the right person. Don’t get this card for the card – get it for how it helps the environment and keeps our planet healthy. Get it because it’s one of the few of its kind out there, and we need more initiatives of this kind. Get it to send other banks signals that people are interested in eco-friendly credit cards that help renew our planet.

Alternatives and Competition

• Aspiration Plus Spend & Save
• Aspiration Debit Mastercard
• Save Wealth Premium

Frequently Asked Questions