Plans are afoot for Church of England parishes to try contactless payment systems for donations. Later this summer about 40 parish churches will use hand-held terminals to process card payments.
The top figure that can be used for contactless payments in the United Kingdom is £30. The trial may prepare the way for the system to be rolled out in 2018. The trial will encompass a mix of churches — urban and rural, large and small.
“We’re aware that younger generations — and there are many people now who don’t carry cash — want to give in different ways,” said John Preston, the church’s national stewardship officer. “Enabling them to give in a way that suits them is something we’d like to try.”
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
