What’s my effective Maaser with regards to credit card processing fees?

 

Question:

I give $1000 to an organization via credit card.

Credit card charges $25 as a processing fee. So the organization receives $975.

Assume I pay my card in full and my credit card rewards me with $10.

What’s my effective maaser in that scenario?

A follow up, I assume I’ll need to pay a maaser from the reward from my credit card – in that scenario – $1?

 

Answer:

1. Every time you donate to tzedaka by using a credit card, the tzedaka will only end up getting a percentage of the actual funds. It’s still considered as though you gave full maaser. However, it’s obviously better to give them a direct wire or a check which usually means that the tzedaka will receive more (unless you are giving it to them via a fundraiser which usually will take a “larger slice” than the small credit card fee… )

2. Correct. You now owe additional maaser for the value of those points.

 

Sources:

א. ראה אגרות רעק״א ע. שו״ת בצה״ח ד, קסב, טז. משנת המשפט רמז ע׳ פז.

ב. ראה שו״ת חקרי לב יו”ד חלק ג’ סי’ קב, משנה הלכות ח”ו סי’ קצ”ט, משנת המשפט (שוורץ) הל’ צדקה ע’ תפב, ועוד.

 

 

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