[servo1969]

That you are not expecting anything in return?
It’s not a trade.

[Boogieman]

Does the difference involve posting clickbait articles?

[BenLurkin]

People could always be like Zuckerberg and make a huge charitable donation — to themselves.

[Gay State Conservative]

As a Christian who honestly tries to comply with Christ's teachings I understand that I,a person who has more than he needs,is obliged to help those who have less than they need.

Although I wouldn't give the "typical" hitchhiker a ride today (too dangerous) or give the "typical" homeless person money (which would be used for booze/drugs) I do give money to charities and help others in non-monetary ways.

I can only pray that God sees these efforts as being "sufficient" in His eyes.

[chajin]

Answering the question requires defining "charitable."

There are three kinds of charity--or to be more accurate, two kinds of charity and one action that is called charity but is not.

1) Judeo-Christian charity. An act of chesed or agape, which are essentially the same thing: giving out of your essentials to others with no expectation of return, as a response to God's gift to you. The instant you have given the charity, it is no longer your responsibility. God promises to "pay you back," but that is God's responsibility, not ours.

2) Aristotelian charity. An act of storge, or perhaps philia: giving out of your excess to someone in need, but it must be someone who will take the gift and use it to repair or strengthen their situation. The choice of recipient is your responsibility: you are to give to the right person, at the right time, for the right reason. If you choose someone who does not use the gift wisely, that is something to be kept in mind for future choices.

3) Socialist entitlement. This is often thought of as "charity," but it is the opposite: it is a claim by people on your property solely because the state entitles them to obtain your property, usually through the force of state confiscation. The result is almost always universal resentment: recipients become resentful because they think they "deserve" the entitlement, while the confiscated become resentful because they lose what they believe they deserve as a payment for their sacrifice of time, work, effort, and/or risk-taking.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

What is an 'ordinary market transaction'?

Certainly there is a difference between paying for a bus ride where the price may be subsidized or is fixed by government decree, while the price of the shoe shine is presumably determined by supply and demand.

[PAR35]

giving a hitchhiker a ride

Cut out the middle man and play Russian Roulette.