Church of England to accept contactless donations from today

The Church of England is bringing the collection plate into the digital age

Let us pay: The Church of England will be accepting contactless donations from today (Getty)

The Church of England is making it easier for churchgoers to make donations with the introduction of contactless payment terminals across the UK.

From Tuesday, every diocese will be accepting payments via portable card readers at more than 16,000 churches, cathedrals and religious sites.

The Church of England has been investigating how to make it easier for congregations to make donations, which come to a total of around £580m every year.

Using technology run by London-based fintech startup SumUp, which was tested in a trial involving 40 churches last year, congregations will now be able to donate using contactless payments, Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as chip and pin transactions. As a “merchant” is required to operate the readers, the Church will most likely provide a manned device where people can make a payment as they enter or leave an event.

“There is a clear need for our parishes to introduce card and contactless facilities and we are excited to make this available,” said John Preston, national stewardship officer at the Church of England.

“How we pay for things is changing fast, especially for younger churchgoers who no longer carry cash, and we want all generations to be able to make the most of their place of worship.”

Alison Davie, church secretary at St George’s Church Hub, in Stamford, Lincolnshire, said: “Our parishioners can occasionally find themselves strapped for physical cash, so it’s fantastic to be able to offer an alternative which is quick and convenient.

“We hope this is a step forward for St George’s and many other churches like it, in staying ahead in the modern era.”

Technology allowing parishioners to make charitable donations on a self-service basis, including passing around a reader for the collection, is still being trialled and is expected to be launched in phase two of the project.

However, the Church said it expects the majority of regular donations will still be made by standing order.

Additional reporting by news wires