NEW YORK, Oct. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZeroMe, Inc. today announced the launch of the OffsetC carbon offset app, designed to make buying carbon credits more transparent, more accessible, and easier to understand for U.S. climate professionals and climate-conscious consumers. OffsetC is initially available for iPhone®.
Everyday activities such as commuting, household energy use, and travel generate carbon emissions. As interest in climate action grows, more people want practical ways to address their carbon footprint. Even climate professionals can struggle to know where to start.
OffsetC aims to change that, starting with gasoline purchases. After registering any Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover card, OffsetC identifies fuel purchases on those cards at any U.S. gas station, and offers the user the ability to offset that purchase.
The platform uses credit card purchase data to link individuals to climate action via the purchase of a carbon offset. OffsetC estimates the fuel volume from card purchases at gas stations and notifies the individual the cost to offset those emissions. Currently, OffsetC costs $0.23 per gallon—less than the price of upgrading from regular to premium gasoline in most areas of the U.S.
Offsets fund projects that either remove carbon from the atmosphere or prevent carbon from entering the atmosphere. Despite their potential, well-publicized failures and controversies have raised questions about the quality and credibility of some offsets.
“No market exists without trust,” said ZeroMe, Inc. Co-founder and CEO Chris Sandlund. “We created OffsetC to show people what projects they fund, how those projects work, and how they perform over time. That transparency tackles the first obstacle to using offsets for climate action: trust.”
ZeroMe created the OffsetC Carbon Quality Framework that defines the projects that are high quality and reliable. It then sought brokers that source offsets that matched those standards. ZeroMe has committed to purchasing only offsets that meet the Framework.
Making Climate Action More Immediate and Easier to Understand
OffsetC moves the decision closer to the moment the emissions-generating activity occurs. Its eventual goal is to notify customers in near real time, as they’re buckling their seatbelt after filling their tank.
“We want them to be reminded when they’re most likely to think about it,” said Sandlund.
While climate professionals are regularly exposed to the concept of carbon offsets, climate-conscious consumers are more likely to be confused by the sector’s jargon. OffsetC guides users through the offsetting process in clear, straightforward language, helping them estimate the emissions they want to address and understand how the carbon credits they purchase work, including the factors that contribute to their quality and credibility.
OffsetC is built around three principles: simplicity, transparency, and impact.
Through the platform, customers can:
- Estimate emissions from gasoline purchases.
- Learn what carbon credits are and how offsetting works in plain language.
- Understand how the carbon credits they purchase are created and the projects behind them.
- See clear information about project standards, verification, and other factors that help establish credit quality and credibility.
- Act directly on emissions associated with a recognized transaction.
- Keep track of the climate action they have taken over time.
OffsetC also emphasizes that carbon credits are not a substitute for reducing emissions. The platform encourages customers to reduce their footprint wherever practical and use projects that meet OffsetC’s Carbon Quality Framework to address emissions that remain difficult to avoid.
“Offsetting should complement real emissions reductions, not replace them,” said Sandlund. “Our goal is to surface consumers’ footprints and give them the information they need to act on them in the carbon market thoughtfully.”
Bringing Greater Trust to an Emerging Consumer Market
Carbon credits typically represent one metric ton of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases, that has been reduced, avoided, or removed through a climate project.
Projects may include activities such as ecosystem restoration, forest protection, methane reduction, or technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
OffsetC sells individuals a portfolio of carbon projects to provide diversity. Much as a mutual fund avoids relying on a single investment, OffsetC avoids relying on a single carbon project or approach. The portfolio combines projects that meet OffsetC’s Carbon Quality Framework while remaining affordable to individual consumers. It deliberately includes both lower-cost credits and more durable, currently higher-cost carbon removal approaches. By aggregating consumer demand, OffsetC hopes to help expand the market for higher-durability solutions as their costs decline. An updated list of projects currently used to build the OffsetC portfolio can be found at: https://www.offsetc.com/impact-portfolio
“Millions of people want to do something meaningful about climate change, but they often don’t know where to begin,” said Sandlund. “OffsetC is designed to turn that intention into an informed, tangible action.”
OffsetC is now available for U.S. customers at https://www.offsetc.com/download-offsetc.
About OffsetC
OffsetC is a consumer carbon offset platform built by ZeroMe, Inc. to make climate action simpler, more transparent, and easier to understand. OffsetC connects individuals’ payment transactions to emissions estimates and offsetting opportunities, while helping them understand how carbon credits work and what contributes to their credibility. By combining an accessible customer experience with a focus on transparency and responsible offsetting, OffsetC aims to help more people participate confidently in climate action.
Media Contact
Chris Sandlund
Co-Founder & CEO
ZeroMe, Inc.
chris.sandlund@offsetc.com
+1.914.527.2901
www.offsetc.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0de20553-d8ea-4a89-b30a-d2bd9c401532
