17 March 2008
Credit and debit card donations to charities topped £1bn for the first time last year, figures show.
Payments body Apacs said people in the UK donated a total of £1.01bn to good causes using their plastic during the year, up from £842m in 2006.
There was also a 23 per cent increase in the volume of transactions carried out, with 22.6 million charitable payments made.
Shoppers also used their plastic to raise money through affinity cards, whereby card firms make a donation when a card is taken out, with further payments made according to usage.
Apacs, director of communications, Sandra Quinn said: "Last year we donated a staggering £1bn on our cards and it seems very likely that our increasing preference to pledge by plastic has been spurred on by all the growing opportunities to pay online or over the phone.
"The first time many of us used our plastic to donate was on the back of the massive Asian Tsunami appeal and since this time, the average monthly volumes and values donated to charitable organisations by card has continued to rise.
"The Budget announcement confirmed that charities will continue to reclaim Gift Aid at 22 per cent.
"However, a lower rate will be introduced in the future. When reviewing our finances we should therefore aim to give as generously as we can."
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