Find the best deal with charity credit cards

We`ve come a long way from the early days of the credit card. Back in 1950 you could use the granddaddy of them all, the Diners Club card, in just a dozen New York restaurants.

Issued in their billions these days, they are accepted all around the world and come in all kinds of colours and weird shapes. You can do more than pay for a meal with them too, using them for almost any kind of purchase.

As well as paying for goods and services you can also support an organisation of your choosing every time you spend using what`s known as an affinity card. You name it, and there`s most likely an affinity card for it. Want to help your university or your sports club? Just sign up for their affinity card, which gets a paid every time you use your card.

Or how about a charity? You can use your flexible friend to help fight world poverty and the spread of HIV/AIDS with the trendy Red credit card, championed by rock singer Bono. You can even help our less fortunate four legged friends with an affinity card for the Retired Greyhound Trust.

They all benefit when you spend money on the card, but apart from the warm glow it gives you, what benefits will these cards offer you personally? As with more traditional credit cards, it pays to make sure you read the small print to make sure you are getting the best deal.

Be sure you`re not out of pocket yourself when choosing your special card, warns Sophie Neary, product director for BeatThatQuote.com. "Affinity cards are a great way to support your favourite club or charity. As with any kind of credit card though, you have to ensure you know the terms. Are you getting a cheap deal?

"Just because it`s a charitable affinity card doesn`t mean it will offer you the best terms. The benefits of these types of card differ wildly. Some offer generous benefits to the user, such as long balance transfer, 0% interest and interest-free credit cards or fraud protection, others can come with potentially expensive terms and conditions."

As well as having a football credit card or a charity credit card, you can also indulge your affinity for your favourite hobby, film or pop star. Whatever your interest, whether that`s Harley Davidson bikes, James Bond movies or Elvis, there`s an affinity card out there for you. And some may well come with the added bonus of being zero interest.

Personalised cards are now all the rage. For a modest fee you can create a card with the image of a favourite pet, loved one or basically anything within the limits of decency.

Whatever next? A credit card for the afterlife? In fact, the Chinese have already thought of that. It has long been the tradition for relatives of to burn paper offerings of `Hell` banknotes to deceased loved ones so they have spending money for the hereafter.

But money is so, well, old fashioned. No self respecting ghost would be seen dead today without a credit card and many relatives now burn paper credit cards to keep their ancestors in the little luxuries.

And of course the beauty of owning a credit card in the afterlife is that with the whole of eternity before you, there`s no need to pay your balance off every month.