CREDO (company)

CREDO (formerly Working Assets Wireless) is an American for-profit^[1] company that offers mobile and long distance phone service. Based in San Francisco, California, Working Assets has raised over $65 million for nonprofit organizations such as GreenPeace, Planned Parenthood, Democracy Now etc.

History

Working Assets was founded in 1985 by Peter Barnes. Its first product was the Better World Credit Card. Following telecom deregulation, it introduced Working Assets Long Distance in 1991. In 2000 it launched its mobile service under the name Working Assets Wireless.

Name change

In November 2007, Working Assets announced that it was changing its name to CREDO to better reflect the company’s values: a belief that people, through donations to nonprofits and political activism, can effect progressive change.^[2] The names of its phone services were changed to CREDO Mobile and CREDO Long Distance.^[3] The name of its credit card, however, remains the Working Assets Credit Card.

Environmental record

In 2009, CREDO was recognized by the nonprofit Planning and Conservation League as the Environmental Business of the Year.

Publishing

Working Assets also published the book, How Would a Patriot Act? by Glenn Greenwald, in 2006.

Mobile phone service

CREDO Mobile is an MVNO and does not own/operate its own network infrastructure. As of 2011, it is reselling service on the Sprint network.

Elections

In the run-up to the 2008 presidential election, CREDO helped 2.5 million Americans register to vote. To increase voter turnout, CREDO Action launched several programs: Pollworkers for Democracy, which hired volunteers to staff polling places and ensure fair voting practices; Text Out the Vote, a Web site where you could enter your friends’ phone numbers and send them a free reminder to vote on Election Day; support for Election Day registration, which was approved in several states; an online voter-registration tool; and govote.org, another online resource where voters could look up their nearest polling place.^[4]

Criticism

Credit card

Although the Working Assets credit card is now offered through Bank of America, the product came under criticism when it was issued through the bank MBNA, the top contributor to George W. Bush's 2000 Presidential Campaign.^{[citation needed]} When asked about this, Working Assets' employees have made differing claims. In one letter, it was stated that Working Assets chose MBNA regardless of its political views and entirely for its experience and quality customer service. In another letter, president Michael Kieschnick stated that Working Assets ended up under MBNA when the company purchased the credit card business of Fleet Bank, which had previously issued the card. Kieschnick said it was not Working Assets' choice to select MBNA and cannot change banks without violating its current contract. MBNA was subsequently purchased by Bank of America.

References

1. ^ "CONSCIENCE CALLS / Working Assets rings up success with charitable giving -- critics call it another for-profit phone company". SFGate. 2011-09-21. http://articles.sfgate.com/2000-09-21/business/17661012_1_laura-scher-customers-rights-groups. Retrieved 2011-08-15. 
2. ^ Working Assets Wireless becomes Credo Mobile
3. ^ Working Assets Launches CREDO Mobile
4. ^ SF Chronicle: CREDO relies on text messages to ensure progressive victory

External links

• CREDO Mobile