Donations by QR Code for UK Charities: Raise More and Reduce Donation Costs
Fewer people carry cash, and card donation tools are expensive to buy and run. Here is how a simple QR code lets supporters give in seconds from their own banking app, so more of every donation reaches the cause and there is no hardware to fund.
SSV SmartPay lets charities collect donations with a QR code: supporters scan it, choose how much to give, and pay straight from their own banking app in seconds. There is no card machine or donation device to fund, the money typically reaches the charity’s account within seconds, and a flat 20p fee under fifty pounds means more of every gift reaches the cause.
Why Card Donation Tools Cost Charities More
Giving has gone cashless, but the tools charities use to collect it have not kept up. The classic collection tin still works, yet fewer and fewer people carry coins to put in it. The answer for many has been a contactless donation device, and those solve the cash problem at a price: the unit has to be bought or rented, kept charged, and it takes a card-network cut out of every gift.
For a charity, that is money that never reaches the cause. A donation tool that costs a monthly fee and skims a percentage off each tap is a quiet drain, and it is worst exactly where charities collect most: lots of small gifts, where fixed fees and percentages bite hardest.
Every pound counts, and donors know it. Supporters give because they want the money to do good. The less that disappears into hardware costs and card fees, the more of their generosity actually lands with the people you are there to help.
A QR code changes the maths. Instead of funding a device, you print a code on what you already have, and instead of paying card-scheme fees, donations move straight from the supporter’s bank to yours. The same gift, with more of it arriving.
“Donors are not giving so that a card network and a hardware supplier can take a slice first. The closer their gift gets to the cause, the better.”
How QR Code Donations Work
It uses the phone every supporter already has, and the banking app they already trust. There is nothing for them to download and nothing for you to plug in.
The supporter scans your code
They point their phone camera at the SSV SmartPay QR code on your poster, banner, or collection card, which opens a secure payment page. No app to download.
They choose the amount and their bank
On the payment page, the supporter decides how much they would like to give and picks their bank from the list. The amount is always in their hands.
They authorise in their banking app
They are taken to their own banking app to approve the gift with their phone’s biometric, the same Strong Customer Authentication they use every day. No card number is shared with anyone.
The donation lands instantly
The gift moves account-to-account and the money typically reaches the charity’s account within seconds, ready to put to work and simple to reconcile.*In rare cases it can take a few hours to arrive, depending on the donor’s bank.
Because the donor decides the amount and approves it in their own bank, giving feels safe and effortless, which is exactly what you want at the moment someone has decided to support you.
Where to Display the QR Code
The beauty of a QR code is that it goes wherever your message already goes. You are not adding hardware to a stall or a venue, you are adding a small square to materials you already use.
Posters and banners
Add the code to appeal posters, pop-up banners, and window displays. Anyone passing can give on the spot, without you staffing a collection point.
Shops, venues, places of worship, noticeboardsScreens and projections
Show the code on a screen at an event, a livestream, or a presentation. A single code on a projector can collect from a whole room at once.
Galas, services, talks, online streamsCollection cards and tins
Pop the code on a collection card, a tin, or a leaflet, so the cashless majority can give alongside anyone still dropping in coins.
Counter-top cards, tins, flyers, mailingsVolunteer tabards and lanyards
Print the code on a fundraiser’s tabard, badge, or lanyard for street collections, so a passer-by can give in seconds without anyone handling cash.
Street collections, door-to-door, marathonsOne code can do all of it, or you can use different codes for different appeals to see what works. Either way, the cost of rolling it out is the cost of printing, not the cost of buying devices for every collector.
Lower Fees Mean More Reaches the Cause
This is where it matters most. Because SSV SmartPay QR donations run on open banking, they skip card-scheme interchange entirely. The fee is a flat 20p on gifts under fifty pounds and 0.5% above it, with no device to buy and no monthly charge. Here is what that looks like across a campaign.
Illustrative example. Assumes £10,000 raised in around 500 donations averaging £20 each. A typical card donation tool is shown at around 1.4% plus a fixed fee per gift, before any device purchase or rental, versus SSV SmartPay’s flat 20p under fifty pounds. Real donation-tool rates and device costs vary by provider.
That is roughly £140 more reaching the cause for every £10,000 raised, before you even count the cost of buying or renting collection devices. Add instant settlement, so donations are in your bank account in seconds rather than days, and a campaign is easier to reconcile and the money is ready to use straight away. For a charity, that combination of lower fees, no hardware, and faster funds is the whole point.
Gift Aid. Gift Aid can significantly increase the value of eligible donations. Gift Aid processing remains separate, and charities should continue to collect donor declarations according to their existing HMRC processes.
No contract, no monthly fee, no devices to fund. You only pay a small fee when a donation is made, so a quiet month costs you nothing, and there is no upfront outlay before you can start collecting.
Made for Events and Street Collections
Fundraising often happens away from a counter: at a festival stall, on a high street, at the finish line of a marathon. These are exactly the places a card machine struggles, and a QR code thrives.
Because the donor uses their own phone on their own data, there is nothing for you to keep charged or online. A printed code on a banner or a volunteer’s tabard works in the rain, in a field, or on a busy pavement, with no terminal to fail mid-collection. You can hand a code to twenty volunteers for the price of twenty printouts, not twenty devices.
Street and event giving is all about speed and trust in the moment. A supporter scans, gives what they like from their own banking app, and is on their way in seconds, with no card handed over and no device between them and the cause. Volunteers carry nothing valuable, and every gift is logged instantly.
And because each donation settles straight to your bank account, there is no cash to count, bank, or keep safe at the end of the day, which removes both a security worry and a pile of admin from every event.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a charity take donations by QR code?
Display an SSV SmartPay QR code on your posters, banners, collection cards, or screens. A supporter scans it, which opens a secure payment page where they choose how much to give and pick their bank, then they authorise the gift in their own banking app. The donation lands in your bank account in seconds. No card machine or donation device is needed.
What fees do charities pay?
A flat 20p on donations under fifty pounds and 0.5% above it, with no monthly fee and no device to buy or rent. Because it runs on open banking rather than card networks, there is no card-scheme interchange, so more of each gift reaches the cause.
Can donors give without an app?
Yes. Donors do not download anything. They scan the QR with their phone camera and pay using the banking app they already have, selecting their bank and approving the gift. It works with all major UK banks.
Does it work at outdoor events?
Yes, and it suits them especially well. There is no terminal to charge or keep online, since the donor uses their own phone and data. A printed code on a banner, card, or tabard collects donations at a street collection, festival, or marathon with no hardware at all.
How quickly does the charity receive donations?
Usually within seconds. Donations move account-to-account over the UK Faster Payments rails and arrive directly in your bank account, rather than waiting days for a card payout, which makes reconciling a campaign far simpler.*In rare cases a donation can take a few hours to arrive, depending on the donor’s bank.
Is QR code giving secure for donors?
Yes. It uses bank-grade encryption and Strong Customer Authentication, and the donor approves every gift inside their own banking app. No card number is shared or stored, and the donor stays in control of the amount and the final approval.
Continue exploring SSV SmartPay
References
- Pay.UK. Faster Payment System: how it works. Available at: https://www.wearepay.uk/what-we-do/payment-systems/faster-payment-system/
- Financial Conduct Authority. Open banking. Available at: https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/open-banking
Important information
Cost figures are illustrative. The comparison uses a typical card donation-tool rate of around 1.4% plus a fixed fee per gift, before device costs, against SSV SmartPay’s flat 20p under fifty pounds. Actual donation-tool rates, fixed fees, and device costs vary by provider, so your saving may differ.
Gift Aid. Gift Aid can significantly increase the value of eligible donations. Gift Aid processing remains separate, and charities should continue to collect donor declarations according to their existing HMRC processes.
Settlement speed. Donations are typically near-instant over the Faster Payments rails, but in rare cases settlement can take longer depending on the donor’s bank. References to “seconds” describe typical behaviour, not a guarantee.
Not financial advice. This article is general information for UK charities and fundraisers and does not constitute financial, legal, or tax advice.
SSV SmartPay terms. Full pricing, terms, and conditions are available at ssvsmartpay.co/our-pricing. SSV SmartPay Limited is registered in England and Wales (CRN 15424021). SSV SmartPay is not directly FCA-regulated; payment initiation services are provided by FCA-authorised Payment Institution partners.
T&Cs Applied
Collect more of every donation, no card machine required
Sign up in minutes. Typically approved within 24 hours. First 7 days transaction-fee-free, no contract, no monthly fees.
Start free trial Book a demo Or get in touch with the team →
