If you’ve visited local Walmart Stores or many other locations, you’ve probably noticed a little something different about the Salvation Army kettles: they now accept digital donations.
If you don’t have cash, but have a phone, you can use digital payment methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo.
The change reflects both evolving consumer habits and the nonprofit’s struggle to offset several years of declining in-person giving at the kettles.
The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign has long relied on spare change and small bills dropped in by shoppers during the holiday season; however, national leaders have reported steady declines in kettle revenue since 2019.
Many Americans no longer carry cash or coins when they shop.
To adapt, the organization has added QR codes and near field communication (NFC) “tap to give” technology to kettle signs so donors can use smartphones instead of cash.
Shoppers can scan a code or tap their phones to access a simple donation page that typically offers preset amounts and supports Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit and debit cards, and, in many locations, PayPal and Venmo.
Digital “KettlePay” transactions have grown year over year, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars and, importantly for the nonprofit, bringing in a high percentage of first-time, trackable donors compared with anonymous cash givers.
For holiday shoppers who want to keep the red kettle tradition alive but rarely carry cash, the organization’s message is that a smartphone is now enough.
