Not long ago, almost every venue had a donation tin sitting on the counter.

Customers would throw in their loose change while paying. Nobody really thought about it. It just worked because people carried cash. Today, most customers pay by card, phone or smartwatch. They don't have coins in their pocket anymore.

The need to support local charities hasn't changed. The way people donate has.

This means the best place to ask for a donation is when the customer is already paying.

Why donations at checkout works

When customers are paying, they already have their card or phone out which means adding a small donation is quick and easy.

Rounding a bill up to the next dollar is often easier than asking someone to make a separate donation later.

This is the reason why more businesses now collect donations at checkout instead of relying on a donation tin.

Across the world, checkout donations are raising millions of dollars for charities every year because thousands of small donations quickly add up. As an example, Engage for Good's Charity Checkout Champions Report recorded 92 point-of-sale campaigns raising more than 275 million US dollars in 2024.

The mistake most venues make

The goal isn't to collect the most money today, but to keep customers coming back.

If every payment feels like a sales pitch, customers can become frustrated. This means:

• Keep it simple

• Ask once

• Make it easy to say "No thanks"

• Never tick the donation for the customer

• Never pressure them

Your regular customers are worth far more than one small donation, so don't risk losing them over 50 cents.

Speed matters too. If the donation screen slows down the queue,  four in ten customers will not wait,  and this creates a poor customer experience.

Choose one charity and show the results 

Customers are more likely to donate when they recognise the charity. So instead of changing charities every month, work with one local organisation your community knows and trusts.

Children's charities, food relief and family support services are all causes people easily understand.

Just as importantly, tell customers what their donations achieved. Share how much was raised and show where the money went.

When customers can see the impact, they're more likely to donate again.

Make it easy for your team

Your staff shouldn't have to explain donations during a busy lunch rush - the system should do the work.

With Nomni POS, a donation option can appear on the customer display, kiosk or payment terminal.

This means customers can:

• Round their bill up

• Choose a donation amount

• Or simply continue without donating

The donation is added separately to the bill and recorded in reports, making it easy to reconcile and pass on to the charity.

For operators, this means:

• You choose the charity, the message and the donation amounts

• Your team focuses on serving customers

• The system handles the donation request

Giving at checkout is not a gimmick added to a receipt. Handled with restraint, it turns ordinary transactions into steady, provable support for a cause your community already cares about, and marks you as a venue that puts something back into the neighbourhood it trades in. If you want to plan a donation campaign across your venues, book a call.

Small donations can make a big difference

Checkout donations aren't about asking customers for more money. They're about giving people an easy way to help while they're already paying.

Done well, a few cents from each transaction can become thousands of dollars for a local charity over the course of a year, and it’s a simple way to support your community without adding extra work for your team.

If you're thinking about running a donation campaign across one or more venues, we'd love to show you how it works: Book a call.

FAQs

Will donation prompts annoy my customers?  

Not if they're done the right way. 

Make sure to:

• Keep the donation optional

• Ask once

• Make it easy for customers to choose "No thanks"

Never pre-select the donation or pressure customers to give. A simple, respectful prompt won't hurt the customer experience.

How do we keep donations separate from our sales?  

Every donation is recorded separately from your sales.

It appears as its own line on the customer's receipt and in your donation report in the Merchant Portal, making it easy to see how much was collected and pass it on to the charity.

Should we use round-up donations or fixed amounts?  

Round-up donations are the easiest option because customers only add a few cents. Fixed amounts let customers give a little more if they want to.

Offering both gives customers a choice, but never pre-select the donation for them.

Final Thoughts

Checkout donations aren't about asking customers to spend more. They're about making it easy for people to support a local cause while they're already paying.

Over time, lots of small donations can make a big difference for your community, without adding extra work for your team.

If you'd like to run a donation campaign across one or more venues, book a call with our team.