AbstractSince affinity credit cards were launched in the United Kingdom in 1988 their numbers have grown steadily. These cards are offered by financial institutions to charity supporters, and each time the card is used for a transaction, a sum of money is paid to the charity by the institution.This paper is based on the results of a 1995 survey of UK charities holding affinity credit cards and on the. follow‐up interviews. The question is considered of who holds the balance of power in the relationship between the profit‐orientated institution and the nonprofit charitable organisation.