Contactless giving

In 2018, over 47% of U.K payments were made using card, compared to 28% for cash. Total cash transactions have fallen from 60% of all transactions in 2008 to 28% in 2018, a figure that is projected to decline to 9% by 2028.

Income from collections (on the plate or via donation boxes) is the third largest source of donations for churches within our Diocese, only after planned giving and gift aid. A combination of both the shift away from cash and inflation saw our parishes' total collection income fall by 24% in teal terms between 2008-2017. That works out at a loss of just under £550 per church!

How can contactless donations help?

Providing the option to donate by contactless platforms will enable our churches to:

• shift from cash to card, stabilising collection income
• offer greater choice for a generous donor to give to our churches
• engage with a wider range of visitors, especially those who are not regular churchgoers and may never carry cash.

"...our terminal was pre-set to allow donations of £3, £5 or £10 and we launched near the end of November 2018. Since that time donations of £765 have been processed and the terminal has been generally well received. On the Sum-Ups we took over £300 over the course of 3-day Flower Festival…it has made a huge difference having contactless or chip & pin to offer.” Sally Wainman, Kesgrave

Contactless Options

There are essentially two types of contactless terminal:

1. Payment terminal

Predominantly used to take payments for services and goods. Best used for:

• Payment of wedding fees
• Festival entrance fees
• Selling church merchandise
• Supplementing collection income from the congregation during regular services (when adapted to use as donation terminal)

2. Donation terminal

Only used to receive donations, it cannot be used for payments for services or goods. Best used for:

• Encouraging generous donations from the wider community via occasional offices (weddings, baptisms, funerals)
• Services at Advent, Christmas and Easter
• Those visiting our churches at leisure (especially churches that have high footfall)
• Supplementing collection income from the congregation during regular services.

For pricing options visit:

Parish Buying | Weblink 

Which type of contactless terminal is best for us?

The first thing to decide is whether your church is best suited to a payment terminal or a donation terminal. It could be that your church is suited to both types, for example if it has a church shop and has a high visitor footfall.  Another example could be that your church would like a donation terminal but cannot afford one of the higher end models - a payment terminal could be purchased and used as a donation terminal.

Please get in touch with us to arrange a try before you buy!

For further information

For further information please email our Stewardship Manager:

Lee Jukes | Stewardship Manager | 01473 298551 | 07721 219534

Additional Resources

Contactless Giving Presentation | PDF

Contactless Donations FAQs | PDF

Contactless Options | XLSx

Contactless Giving Calculator | XLSx

Testimonials | PDF

Making the most of Contactless | PDF