Take up of digital wallets rises as charity donors return

Any charity chiefs still in any doubt about whether to adopt digital payments need look no further than the latest goDonate‘s annual data analysis, which reveals digital wallets now account for nearly half of all single donations and regular gifts.

The Online Donations Insights Report 2024 is compiled from an analysis of anonymised donations data as part of income worth more than £25m handled by goDonate in the past 12 months, on behalf of some of the UK’s leading charities.

It reveals that digital wallets were used to make 43% of single gifts – an increase from 39% in the previous year. Apple Pay donations alone increased by 39% compared to transactions made this way in 2022, while donations via digital wallets and cards make up 40% of regular gifts.

In further positive news during a challenging period for the third sector, charities using goDonate to handle donations via their website were boosted by an overall 14% rise in one-off online donation income. There were notable spikes in donations following major events such as the onset of the Gaza conflict, and the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Meanwhile, the analysis highlights a 17% increase in overall monthly regular giving income, with the average monthly gift remaining steady at £9.86. In addition, nearly half (47%) of the total donations for the year were made during November and December 2023; up from 45% 2022.

When it comes to marketing, supporters were more likely to opt in to receive communications via email compared to all other fundraising channels and there is a growing trend towards using legitimate interest for phone fundraising consent.

goDonate managing director Vicky Reeves said: “The use of digital wallets such as ApplePay has significantly increased year-on-year, not just for one-off donations but for monthly gifts as well. It is vital that charities offer the widest possible range of payment choices within their donation journeys.

“Overall, it’s fantastic to see that the downward trend of donations during the past couple of years has been reversed. An increase in both the number of online donations and income across the board in 2023 proves that UK donors are still eager to support charities, and remain generous when they do so.”