Charity Donation Via Cash Machine

Charity Donation Via Cash Machine.

From this summer, more than 12,000 cash machines in the UK are set to allow charitable donations.  Royal Bank of Scotland cash machines and those owned by independent operation Bank Machine will be the first.

The banks will be able to choose who they support and people will be given a choice when they use a cash machine.  People using a debit or credit card will be able to donate between £1 and £250.

According to a spokesperson, Bank Machine had received registrations of interest from more than 550 charities and have asked an independent panel to decide which charities will participate, to ensure that as many worthy causes as possible are able to take part.

The plans for increasing charity giving were laid out in government proposals at the end of 2010.  The government's consultation called on UK banks to look at copying a system used in Colombia that allows customers to make a donation each time they withdraw cash.

HSBC already offers its customers the opportunity to donate to charity through its cash machines, in a scheme that has been running since 2005.