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Reward-savvy credit card comparison could increase the amount donated to charities, according to major lender American Express.

The company is recognising National Giving Week by telling consumers to ditch their "passive plastic" in exchange for a card which gives a percentage of their spending to charity.

It has revealed research showing that nearly 20 million UK residents are using credit cards which do not benefit needy causes.

Kate Harris, vice president of UK partnerships at American Express, said: "This research shows that many credit card holders still arent getting anything back for their spending."

"By making a small change to their wallet, they could collectively make a big difference to good causes," she added.

The new Red card from American Express donates a minimum of one per cent of spending to charitable causes, as well as giving £5 on behalf of any new customer who uses the card in the first month after receiving it.

American Express was founded in 1850 and issued its first credit card in 1958. Within five years it had issued more than one million cards to 85,000 establishments worldwide.

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