Dubai: A charity credit card will now facilitate devotees wishing to make donations to the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi.
Named ‘My Seva’ (My Service), the credit card with the tagline “Serve as you spend” offers up to one per cent cashback on the purchases which cardholders can donate for the construction and management of the BAPS Hindu Mandir coming up in Abu Dhabi.
Said to be the first cashback credit card that aids charity for a temple, the card has been brought out in association with the Finance House, a financial institution in the UAE, and MasterCard.
An official associated with the project told Gulf News that the card provides an alternate option for the common man who wished to make donations “without feeling the pinch of it.”
“Some people who have enough money will directly donate to the Mandir through other channels of donations [like online bank transfer, cheques]. This [the card] is an option for the common man who doesn’t have that kind of money but still wishes to contribute.”
However, he said the card will be issued only to those who comply with the rules of the UAE Central Bank based on their credit worthiness.
Mandatory donation
It is mandatory for applicants to donate a minimum of 50 per cent of the cashback to the temple. The official said cardholders will have the option to donate or earn the rest of the amount.
“Applicants have to tick whether they wish to donate 50, 75 or 100 per cent of the cashback when they sign up for the card.”
The card was launched during the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the temple on April 20. Twenty people, who won a raffle held as part of the promotion at the event, recently went on a three-day all-expenses-paid trip to Ahmedabad in India during which they visited the BAPS Akshardham temple.
With an interest rate of 2.5 per cent and other perks like lifestyle and travel benefits, the card is now being marketed among a niche group of customers.
The design phase of the BAPS Hindu Mandir and Cultural Complex in Abu Dhabi is nearing completion and the process of detailed approvals is underway, a spokesperson from Mandir Limited said.
Mandir Limited is a non-profit organisation authorised by the UAE Ministry of Community Development to collect, manage and disburse funds for the construction and management of the temple.
