'Almost half of donations' now made using digital wallets, research finds

Figures released by fundraising platform goDonate, based on analysis of £25m worth of donations, show an increase in gifts to charities via digital wallets over the last year.

It found that digital wallets now account for 43% of single gifts, up from 39% the previous year.

Over the last two years there has been a 39% increase in donations via Apple Pay, the research also found, which also reveals that donations via digital wallets and cards now make up four in ten regular gifts.

The platform says there were notable spikes in donations during the last year due to major events including the Gaza conflict and the Turkey and Syria earthquake.

November and December are the busiest months for donations, accounting for 47% of donations last year, up from 45% recorded the previous year.

“The use of digital wallets such as ApplePay has significantly increased year-on-year not just for one-off donations but for monthly gifts as well,” said goDonate managing director Vicky Reeves.

“It is vital that charities offer the widest possible range of payment choices within their donation journeys.”

The increase in digital wallet use comes amid a rise in the number of value of donations over the last year.

Over the last year there was an 8% increase in the number of donations and a 14% increase in income for single gifts.

The average value of gifts has also increased by 5%, from £50.99 to £53.62.

Through debit or credit cards the average is £60.84.

Meanwhile, the average gift is £31.69 via Apple Pay, £29.40 by Google Pay and £35.56 through PayPal.

Giving to charity in memory of a family or friend also continues to increase as part of a long-term trend in recent years. In memory income accounted for 16.9% of personal donations in 2023, an increase from 16% the previous year and 12% in 2021.

Reeves added: “Overall, it’s fantastic to see that the downward trend of donations during the past couple of years has been reversed.

“An increase in both the number of online donations and income across the board in 2023 proves that UK donors are still eager to support charities and remain generous when they do.”



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