Hospitality tech innovator Zonal has unlocked £400,000 for its customers’ charities thanks to its partnership with digital charity box, Pennies.
The Edinburgh-based firm’s integration with Pennies has enabled customers ETM Group, Fuller’s, Greene King and The Stable, to raise additional sums for their chosen causes including Maggie’s, Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, Dorset Mind, Childhood Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Zonal’s chief executive, Stuart McLean, said: “This is an anniversary year for Zonal as we celebrate 40 years in business, so it’s wonderful to be celebrating another milestone where all these charities have been able to benefit from our integration with Pennies.
“Being part of the hospitality sector, we fully appreciate how charity fundraising sits at its very heart, so for Zonal it makes perfect sense to offer Pennies technology as part of our solution.”
Pennies’ digital charity box offers a multi-sector and omni-channel option for businesses to collect consumer donations when paying by card or digital wallet. Customers are prompted to round-up or top-up on a purchase via the card terminal screen – with a simple ‘yes or no’ option, and can donate entirely anonymously. The digital charity box is now present in over 7,000 shopfronts as well as on many mobile commerce and online platforms.
Alison Hutchinson CBE, CEO of Pennies said: “This month, the Charities Aid Foundation reported that fewer people are giving directly to charity, but we wonder to what extent the charity sector is perhaps not responding fast enough to changing consumer habits and use of technology. We are finding that the generosity of the UK public continues to exceed our expectations – particularly in hospitality – thanks to partners like Zonal. And this is great news at a time we know is very challenging for the high street and challenging for charities.”
Recent research commissioned by Pennies revealed over a third of the UK public said they leave the house “frequently” with no cash on them, yet the propensity to give remains high. 87% of the public said they give to charity, but as we edge further into a ‘less cash’ society these opportunities need to include digital.
In just ten years, Pennies has raised over £18M for over 400 UK charities – across payment partners including Zonal – and was highlighted in Harrington Starr’s Financial Technologist ‘175 global fintech influencers’ in 2019. Pennies was the only charity to make the list.
