Faced with no reliable mobile signal, but wanting to offer visitors and their church community the option to use contactless giving, the rural church of St George in Dunster has found an alternative solution that’s already proving to be a big success. They've started to use the CollecTin device with Stripe reader which can be used offline without the need for a strong mobile signal.
Dunster is a beautiful village, which is very popular with tourists. Throughout the summer months the village and the church see a regular stream of visitors pass through. A cash donation box inside has historically provided a valuable source of income, but as fewer people carry cash these days, the church wanted to offer cashless ways to give.
PCC member Andrew Pearce explains, “We recognised that it was going to become more challenging as people carry less cash with them. We wanted to look at ways to offer a cash-free donation system, but the difficulty for us is that the mobile phone reception in the village is very poor, and inside the church there is no mobile signal at all.”
Options such as broadband or satellite internet are costly and complicated. Though St Georges may think about these in the long term, the team felt they needed something that would work straight away. Further research on the Giving and Funding section of the diocesan website indicated that a CollecTin device with Stripe reader could be used offline.
Andrew says, “In terms of affordability it was something that we could manage as a trial without too much risk. Even if it was only a short-term or interim solution, it would allow us to try something without committing to major costs. And we felt it would also help us understand whether it would be worth investing in something like satellite internet in the future, based on how much was donated through that channel.”
The team at St George’s contacted Jonathan Philpott, Local Giving Adviser for Taunton and Wells archdeaconries and after discussions with him they decided to give it a go. The results have been very encouraging. Since installing the device in early December, the machine has already paid for itself. Though this is the quieter time of the year for donations at the church already around £450 has been collected through contactless donations. The device also proved valuable during the Christmas Tree Festival. “A good chunk of the donations received came through the contactless machine. It meant people could still give even if they didn’t have cash on them and wouldn’t otherwise have given.
Andrew would encourage others in rural parts of the diocese who are facing similar challenges to give it a go. “It was definitely worthwhile going for.” If you have any questions about contactless giving and would like to know more get in touch with a member of the Giving and Funding team.