Donating Via ATMs on the Cards in the UK

Flickr image:  Some rights reserved by thinkpanama

A UK cash machine network has joined with banks, building societies and cash machine operators to enable charity giving at UK Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

The network called LINK says the agreement follows survey evidence of widespread support from cardholders.

The agreement means almost 100 million LINK-enabled cards – almost every debit and ATM card issued by a major UK bank – will be able to donate through ATMs.

LINK says the decision to offer charity donations at a particular ATM will be for the individual ATM operator.

As well it says the choice and number of charities involved will be down to each ATM operator so that a diverse range of charities, including local charities and disaster appeals, can be supported.

Under the plan, donations will be offered as a separate menu item on the ATM screen, or as a post-transaction option, so making a donation will be quick and easy and will not interfere with those who just want to withdraw cash.

Customers are likely to be able to choose a value to donate from a range of pre set values, e.g. 10p up to £10, or enter a specific amount of their own choice.

LINK says will continue to work with the government on this program and they will continue to support banks and ATM operators as they develop its design and implementation through a jointly convened round-table with the Cabinet Office Behavioural Insights team and leading voluntary research organisations.

As noted in a Giving White Paper, LINK will continue to work with Treasury to develop the opportunities to apply the new Gift Aid small donations scheme to cash machine donations in the coming months.

The program is being launched following the publication of the government’s Giving Green Paper in December 2010 which asked banks and ATM providers to let the government know “how we might make ATM giving happen in the UK and whether there are ways government can facilitate this”.

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said he was delighted by the support of LINK’s member banks, building societies and ATM operators for enabling charity donations at cash machines.

“This will make charity giving quicker and easier for so many people as they can incorporate giving into their regular routine.”

Graham Mott, senior LINK spokesman said the research LINK had already done shows that 43 per cent of people who use a cash machine at least once a fortnight said they would sometimes use an ATM to make a donation; while regular ATM users and young people in particular seem really to like the idea and say they would use ATMs to make regular donations.

“With more than 10 million LINK ATM transactions a day, this is a real opportunity to raise significant sums of money for good causes,” Mott said.

Their research also found that 29 per cent of 18-24 year olds who use an ATM at least once a month said they would always make a 10p donation when they used an ATM and 47 per cent said they would often donate between 10p and £1.

22 per cent of people who use an ATM a few times a week said they would always donate 10p.

The first modern ATMs came into use in December 1972 in the UK. The first ATM was introduced in Australia soon after. People could only receive $25 at a time and the bank card was sent back to the user at a later date.