After learning 75% of charities believe contactless donations have the potential to positively impact income, we took a closer look at the current payment trends. We’ve scoured the internet for the latest facts and figures and put together the following contactless round-up.

In 2022, 87% of people in the UK use contactless at least once per month.

Over the past two decades, payments have been moving away from cash to debit cards in general… and in particular, to contactless cards and mobile phones.

In 2019, 21% of payments in the UK were with contactless. By 2022, that number had risen to 37%!

The most popular location for using contactless is the supermarket, with nearly 40% of all contactless payments happening here. This is a particularly relevant insight for those charities that regularly hold supermarket collections.

17 billion payments were made with contactless in 2022.

There are a few reasons we’re seeing contactless payments increase and cash payments fade away.

• The continued roll-out of contactless cards.
• The contactless payment limit increasing to £100
• Retailers continuing to encourage contactless at point-of-sale
• Continued roll-out of card acceptance devices
• Growing popularity of digital payment methods like Apple Pay
• People becoming more comfortable and familiar with contactless payments

And it’s expected that contactless payments will remain popular over the next decade. We’re looking forward to discovering how these numbers will change by the end of 2023!

54% of the public say contactless options would make donating easier.

Blackbaud reports that Reported in the Status of UK Fundraising Report 2019, 26% of charities have seen cash donations decrease over the past three years. This number is likely to only increase, as 34% of people anticipate that the UK will be fully cashless within the next 20 years.

30% of UK adults have the capability to make mobile payments, and 70% of them say they prefer using cashless payment methods over physical tender.

54% of the public also think contactless options would make it easier to donate to charity. Current donors also agree, with twice as many seeing the move to contactless beneficial compared to those who dislike the idea.

Many charities feel unprepared for contactless giving.

Consumer and donor behaviour go hand in hand, and it’s undeniable that contactless payments are growing at a rapid rate. Despite this, nearly half of charities don’t feel prepared to begin using contactless.

But charities have options in 2023! With our LibertyPay partnership, charities can buy or rent cutting-edge contactless donation devices.

It’s quick to set up and easy to use. Buy or rent a device automatically linked to your JustGiving account and ready to accept donations as soon as it’s delivered. Every donation gets logged in your JustGiving reports and paid straight into your bank account, just like your regular donation payments from JustGiving.

Plus, your charity doesn’t need to take on the lengthy process of becoming a payment merchant – JustGiving is your payment merchant!

Read answers to some common questions about how contactless donations work on JustGiving.

READY TO EMBRACE CONTACTLESS?

Learn more about contactless donations for your charity

Keep up with donor demand and try contactless giving for your charity. Click Learn more to explore the options, get your questions answered, and book a demo.

Learn more

Editor’s note: this article was first published in September 2019, and updated November 2023 for comprehensiveness and accuracy.