Online retailers sign up for initiative that takes in-store charity box online

Online retailers have signed up to use a new electronic charity box that allows their customers to donate their spare change to good causes.

Party Pieces, BuySpares and Contact Lenses Express have all signed up to use the Pennies donation scheme, which encourages microdonations by allowing customers to donate up to 99p when they buy online, by mobile phone, or in store.

“I think this is simply a brilliant idea which I hope everyone will get behind,” said Carole Middleton, founder of Party Pieces, whose company has chosen to support the Rainbow Trust. “Just by donating a few pennies, your spare change, we can help make a huge difference to families who really need our support.”

Rainbow Trust chief executive Heather Wood said: “This is a really innovative way to get donations through online shopping. Their support will make a real difference to the families we work with.”

The move takes the number of national partners supporting the service to 10, including Domino’s Pizza and The Entertainer. More smaller merchants are also involved. So far more than £435,000 has been raised from upwards of 1.7m donations. The money is currently directed to 28 different charities.

Each retailer nominates a charity to receive 75% of their donations, and the remaining 25% goes to UK charities including Shelter, the Children’s Burns Trust and Together for Short Lives.