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Church of England introduces contactless payments

Martin Greenland | 14:55 Wednesday 21st March 2018

The Church of England has introduced contactless, virtual terminal and SMS mobile payments to over 16,000 churches, cathedrals and religious sites across England.

Fintech company SumUp will power the project through its payments solutions, which allow businesses of all sizes to receive money both in-store and online.

The fintech's physical card terminal works alongside the SumUp app – which is available on both smartphones and tablets – allowing parishes to take card payments after the fully digital sign-up, which comes with no recurring fees or contractual obligations.

The churches involved will have access to a portable SumUp Air card reader provided through the Church of England's Parish Buying portal.

[caption id="attachment_5055" align="alignnone" width="560"] SumUp card terminal[/caption]

John Preston, national stewardship officer at the Church of England, said: “There is a clear need for our parishes to introduce card and contactless facilities and we are excited to make this available through Parish Buying.

“How we pay for things is changing fast, especially for younger church-goers, who no longer carry cash, and we want all generations to be able to make the most of their place of worship.

“Installing this technology does mean that one-off fees can be done via card, as can making one-off donations.

“The vast bulk of regular giving will continue to be done by standing order, as we continue our trial with various technologies.'

Marc-Alexander Christ, co-founder of SumUp, said that working with an institution as prestigious as the Church of England was a real privilege.

“Whether it's helping parishes streamline the wedding planning process or the running of the church f??te, this relationship opens up all kinds of opportunities for the Church of England.'

Alison Davie, church secretary at St George's Church, Stamford, Lincolnshire, said: “This technology from SumUp is a useful addition to us at St George's Church.

“Our parishioners can occasionally find themselves strapped for physical cash, so it's fantastic to be able to offer an alternative which is quick and convenient.

“We hope this is a step forward for St George's, and many other churches like it, in staying ahead in the modern era.'

Pictured above: Rev Martin Taylor at St George's Church, Stamford

Picture credit: SumUp

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