MasterCard International links usage of its card with fund-raising for institutions that combat cancer, heart disease, child abuse, and muscular dystrophy. MasterCard gives a modest percentage of charges from its credit card charges to the institutions. What is this called and how does it affect cardholders' behavior?

This practice is called cause marketing, which occurs when the charitable contributions of a firm are tied directly to the customer revenues produced through the promotion of its products. It may have the effect of encouraging the cardholders to charge more on their MasterCards (rather than Visa or American Express)-especially if they respect the charity receiving the contribution.