"We’re aware that younger generations — and there are many people now who don’t carry cash — want to give in different ways. Enabling them to give in a way that suits people is something we'd like to try."
John Preston, National Stewardship & Resources officer
Financial Times, 23 June 2017
Anyone who predicts the future always runs the risk of getting it wrong. But the graph shows how the use of cash (coins and notes) has declined since 2007. Just a few months ago, for the first time, more payments were made contactlessly than with cash. That's just fact.
The future for cash from now on forecasts further decline. Any of us who ignore that is likely to see income decline.
By 2020 - twice the value and volume of payments will be contactless, compared to cash.
How to choose the right solution for your church
It is important to think about how you might use a contactless donations device. There is a choice of different solutions which will depend partly on how you want to use the device, and partly on how much your church can afford to pay. As time goes by there will be new solutions, so please come back to this page if you don't see what you want today. The important thing is to get going - perhaps to start with an inexpensive solution which is not perfect, before moving on to an ideal solution.
If you are considering self-service units, we have put together a questionnaire which you can download here to help ask some of the questions you should consider. You may also find it helpful to work out what the business case is, and we have put together a small calculator for you to use.
Attended units
Attended use means that someone has to operate the card reader in order to take a payment, just like in a shop.
Self-service units
Self-service units are self-service devices allowing a donation to be made. Some devices can be secured so that they can be left in an empty building, others cannot so are best for use only where the building is staffed or for retiring collections.
