Charity begins at the checkout

British banks tend to have characteristics to which they have conformed over the years: NatWest - low-grade ambition, RBS - reckless, Barclays - nothing outside their tax department and Lloyds - conservatively stupid.

And Lloyds have confirmed their reputation, garnering the additional award of Scrooge-of-the-year-so-far, by withdrawing their charity credit cards after 23 years of operating them. Charity credit cards, which are still offered by other providers such as MBNA and the Cooperative Bank, work by donating a small percentage of the amount spent on them to charity. Typically the charity also receives a larger amount th first time that the card is used.

Their reason? Because it is uneconomical.  Yes, well charity rarely is profitable, but if that is the only reason you have got, then one has to question why it was done in the first place.

But not to fear, because Lloyds say they will help charities to find other card issuers who will gladly accept the card business that Lloyds says is unprofitable. As though any other company would be so stupid.