Increasing number of churches accepting electronic donations

With cash fading in popularity, especially among younger adults, portable card readers

and smart phone apps are finding their way into thousands of churches worldwide, according to an Associated Press report.

Churches are using the devices to accept donations as increasing numbers of people stop carrying cash. The Church of England says that 16,000 religious sites there have access to portable card readers; in the United States hundreds of churches have installed kiosks where parishioners can swipe a card to donate.

“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,” John Preston told AP. Preston is the Church of England’s national stewardship officer.

St. John’s Church in London has a contactless card reader with preset donation sums ranging from five to 50 pounds ($6.50 to $65.50). Vicar Graham Hunter says about a fourth of donations come from contact-less payments.

In France, a startup that makes donation apps for churches says the average electronic contribution there is two to six times higher than cash donations.