Card Readers
Since 2017, when debit card payments overtook cash payments, the popularity of card reader devices has grown. Almost one third of all payments made in the UK in 2021 were made using contactless. Following the pandemic, may churches have found offering card readers as a means of giving to be essential, as fewer people now carry cash. The average donation made using a card reader device is £9.15, an estimated 3 times higher than the average cash donation, which is why many churches have chosen to invest in a card reader device.
Parish Buying has lots of information on card readers and offers special prices, on devices and transaction rates, to Church of England parishes. (If you don’t yet have an account with Parish Buying, you can set one up for free).
We also have a webpage about Gift Aid in relation to contactless donations.
Online Giving
Online giving is another method of collecting one-off donations. In our increasingly digitised world many people, and especially younger people, will be quicker to reach for their phone than reach into their pocket for some loose change. You can add links on your website and download QR codes to display in your church.
For advice about getting started with online giving and signing up for accounts with preferential rates, see the Parish Buying website or contact your Area Finance Adviser.
