Not everybody that buys a SMART car does so for environmental reasons. Not all of them do it for financial reasons, either. Some people like the practicality of being able to park headfirst at the curb and others simply can't get enough of the cute-as-a-bug styling. That hasn't stopped people from doing outrageous things with their SMARTs, like turning them into a Ferrari slayer or adding Unimog running gear to make a monster trucklet. But for those who appreciate the fiscal sensibility of a SMART and who might care an inordinate amount about the environment, DaimlerChrysler has a credit card you might be interested in.

In partnership with the Woodland Trust, DC has introduced some plastic that will make your friends green with envy and make you feel pretty good about yourself in the bargain. You see, this magic little credit card virtually eliminates carbon emissions from your vehicle. Well, it does so in a roundabout way. You see, new cardholders can offset their carbon emissions for one year simply by using their credit card. When a cardholder activates his card, five new trees are planted "offsetting the 1091 kilograms of CO2 generated by a SMART fortwo coupe during one year's driving." The card itself is even made of a more environmentally friendly plastic than the typical chlorine-rich PVC of normal cards.

The new SMART card will offer 0% apr on both balance transfers and purchases for the first six months, free online Fraud Protection and an APR of 14.9% on the Platinum Card. The SMART credit card made its debut at the London to Brighton SMART run on September 24. The run is the largest annual gathering of SMART owners and enthusiasts in the UK. For more info and a credit app, check out www.smart.com/uk.

[Source: SMART]