Pennies wins Community and Social Impact in Retail award at the Retail Systems Awards 2026

Pennies is delighted to have won the Community and Social Impact in Retail award at the Retail Systems Awards 2026, recognising the success of our partnership with B&Q and Verifone.

The award celebrates retailers and technology providers using innovation to create meaningful social value. It recognises how our partnership has transformed everyday customer transactions into moments of generosity, enabling millions of customers to support B&Qs charity partners, Shelter and B&Q Foundation, through simple, secure micro-donations at checkout.

Since launching nationally in June 2025, the partnership has demonstrated the power of collaboration to deliver measurable impact for charities, customers and communities alike.

Turning everyday payments into extraordinary impact

Following a successful pilot, Pennies was rolled out across every staffed till and self-service checkout in B&Q stores across the UK in just 24 hours. Working alongside payment technology partner Verifone, the rollout embedded digital micro-donations seamlessly into the checkout journey, making it easy for customers to donate while paying by card or digital wallet.

Pennies worked closely with B&Q and Verifone throughout the project, leading on charity governance, customer experience design and donation flow, while Verifone provided the payment infrastructure and integration expertise that enabled the solution to scale across the retailer’s national estate.

By November 2025, more than £1,000,000 had been raised – a milestone that was celebrated across stores and on digital channels. Donations are shared between Shelter, B&Q Foundation and Pennies, and crucially, have already begun to translate into real-world impact. This includes support for Shelter’s DIY Skills Adviser service, a specialist team that works with individuals struggling with their housing situation.

B&Q Foundation also benefits directly from the Pennies partnership, using funds to award grants that transform spaces for charities and community organisations across the UK.

A partnership built on collaboration

The success of the partnership reflects the close collaboration between Pennies, B&Q and Verifone.

During development, the teams tested different donation propositions before introducing a variable donation ask based on basket value, helping to maximise customer participation while maintaining a seamless checkout experience.

The solution integrates fully into existing payment infrastructure, requiring no cash handling, creating no delays at the till and placing minimal operational demands on store teams. The impact has been recognised not only through the award, but by colleagues and customers too.

Building on success

Following the success of the UK rollout, Pennies and Verifone supported B&Q extended the partnership into Ireland later in 2025. Donations from Irish customers benefit Focus Ireland, a charity working with people across Ireland who are homeless or are at risk of losing their homes.

By making giving simple and accessible at the point of payment, the partnership has shown how technology can unlock significant social impact while remaining effortless for customers and operationally simple for retailers.

As Pennies continues to work with businesses across the UK and Ireland, we remain committed to making every payment an opportunity to do good. Together with our partners, we’re proving that small acts of generosity can create extraordinary impact for charities and the communities they support.