News

'Do you want to add £1 to your withdrawal for charity?'

March 26, 2012

The U.K.'s Link network said that by year-end it will enable ATM users the company serves to make charitable donations at any of its 64,500 ATMs, according to a report at civilsociety.co.uk.

Banks, charities and ATM operators in the country have unanimously agreed to work together on the plan which would include 100 million Link-enabled cards — i.e., almost every debit and ATM card in the U.K. — which can be used at any of its cash machines nationwide.

The ATM giving idea initially was proposed in December, 2010 in the government’s Giving Green Paper. The paper described an existing program in Columbia and called on banks and ATM operators to implement a similar program in the U.K. By the following May, all parties involved had agreed to participate.

A spokesman for Link said the company hopes to launch the program in time for the Giving Summit at Downing Street on May 8. The spokesman said individual operators would decide many of the program specifics — including whether to offer a donations menu at all.

As for those who do decide to participate, "They will give the customer their choice of charities, ranging from international to local, as well as setting limits for donation, although there will be a universal minimum of £1 ($1.59)," the Link spokesman said.

Charities included in the plan are still to be announced, but the spokesperson said any organizations already associated with a major banking chain are likely to be included that brand’s donor options.

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