We talk about Contactless Donations and QR codes together because they both require a potential giver to interact with something physical. With a contactless card machine the donor touches their card on the reader, a system sometimes called "tap-to-give". With a QR code the donor scans a printed code with their mobile phone which takes them to a webpage where they can enter their card details to make a donation.
Contactless Card Readers
A contactless card reader is a small terminal that enables donations to be made to your church via debit or credit card, or by using Apple / Android pay on a smartphone or watch, up to a value of £100. With fewer people carrying cash it is becoming essential for a church to be able to offer a contactless option so that it doesn't miss out on anyone's generous gift.
These machines can be useful in many different ways - from enabling collections at special services and festivals, to taking payment for sales at church cafés and other social events - but different readers do different things so you'll need to make sure you pick the right one for your church. This will depend on how much you want to spend and how you plan to use the reader. For help with the different options you can have a look at the Parish Buying website or speak to the Generous Giving Adviser, Joshua Townson, by email or on 01865 208 757.
In 2022 65 churches across the diocese, over half of which are rural churches, were awarded contactless machines as part of £1.25 million of investment into fundraising by the national church. Click here for a list of the churches awarded a device as part of this project.
QR Codes
QR codes, familiar to many of us from the covid-19 pandemic, are black and white patterns that can be scanned with the camera of a smartphone. Each code is unique and directs your phone to a specific webpage. If you scanned the one here you'd be taken to a page where you can donate to the Diocese of Oxford by picking an amount to give and entering your card details.
QR codes are great for reaching non-regular givers and worshippers because they can be easily printed and put on things like newsletters, pewsheets, noticeboards, community information boards and so on. This means they can reach a very wide audience without you having to be in front of the donor with a card machine.
Since the purpose of a QR code is to direct your phone to a webpage where you can donate, they are actually a type of online donation. Take a look at our online donation page for guidance on setting up a QR code for your church with our recommended provider GiveALittle.