Poundland and Poundland Foundation: Transforming Lives through Micro-Donations
Discount retailer Poundland partnered with Pennies in 2019, introducing micro-donations to their checkout and enabling customers to support their charity partners and the Poundland Foundation. With the introduction of donations for contactless transactions in 2023 too, customers are making a vital impact on charitable causes close to Poundland’s customers’ hearts.
Poundland launched the Poundland Foundation in 2021, with a mission to support families and change lives across the UK. Having used Pennies in their stores for two years, in support of other charity partners, Poundland looked to build on this blossoming relationship to help raise both funds and awareness for the Foundation with customers and colleagues.
In addition, Poundland was keen to explore ways to significantly boost fundraising and awareness with Pennies. The initial Pennies implementation didn’t provide them with the option for customers to donate when paying by contactless, so exploring options to enable Pennies donations for contactless payments was also a high priority.
What we did.
Collaborating closely with Pennies, Poundland transitioned seamlessly from supporting three charities through micro-donations to supporting their own Poundland Foundation, a grant making charity working to support families and change lives across the UK. This helped raised awareness of Poundland Foundation and kickstarted fundraising efforts. Pennies has become embedded in Poundland’s business model, and the integration was optimised for their specific customer experience.
In 2023, Poundland successfully introduced Pennies for contactless payments too. As Poundland looked to make a change to their payments technology, it was a perfect moment to integrate Pennies micro-donations into the contactless payments journey too.
Pennies worked closely with the teams at Poundland and Worldpay to complete the work, making it effortless for customers to donate 25p at checkout – whether they pay by Chip & PIN or contactless. This move propelled Poundland’s weekly fundraising from an average of around £3,000 to an impressive £27,000.
Pennies worked closely with us to ensure a smooth integration with our customer experience and enhance our contactless payment journey. As a discount retailer that places great importance on value, our customers have warmly embraced the micro-donation option at checkout, and we are delighted by the positive response. Our customers have shown remarkable generosity through their contributions, with millions opting to support the Poundland Foundation’s mission.
The impact.
Since launch, millions of customers have embraced micro-donations, resulting in over £1.1 million raised for charity from over 4.6 million donations. Poundland’s journey into digital giving and their partnership with Pennies have delivered remarkable results. Through the generosity of customers, they have not only raised substantial funds for Poundland Foundation but also kindled awareness and engagement among their customers and colleagues.
Charitable Giving
Over £1.1 million raised, benefiting national charity partnerships and community grant programs.
Social Responsibility
Enhanced their value and ethics-led vision, fostering a strong connection among colleagues.
Customer Engagement
Millions of Poundland customers now actively support the charity Poundland Foundation.
The recent addition of Pennies micro-donations to Poundland’s contactless payments has been transformative, significantly enhancing their ability to create a meaningful impact. The impact on donations once contactless had been enabled has seen an increase in what they raise consistently for their national charity partnerships Make-A-Wish Foundation UK, Tommy’s and Whizz-Kidz.
- Just 30 minutes of micro-donations from Poundland customers can enable Tommy’s to hold two Tommy’s Clinics to help two women and their families keep their babies safe.
- 1 day of micro-donations from Poundland customers could help Whizz-Kidz deliver a piece of life-changing mobility equipment to a young person.
- 1 week of micro-donations from Poundland customers can help Make-A-Wish UK grant the wishes of 10 children with a life-limiting condition.
There is immense power when a group of people work together toward the same goals. This is evident in what Poundland have achieved collaborating with Pennies, making a significant difference to their Foundation and the local communities they serve. Pennies is proud to be part of this journey.
Discover more partner stories.
Verifone and Pennies reach milestone of £6 million raised for charities via micro-donations on payment devices
Verifone and Pennies are delighted to announce they have facilitated more than £6 million in charitable donations since first partnering in 2011.
Pennies Partners with Acrelec UK to Amplify Micro-Donations
Pennies, the trusted leader in digital micro-donations, proudly announces a transformative partnership with Acrelec, a global technology company focused on reinventing the customer experience for restaurant and retail brands.
Worldpay from FIS Teams with Digital Charity Box Pennies to help UK Merchants Raise £10 Million for Good Causes
Worldpay from FIS, the merchant solutions business of global financial technology leader FIS® (NYSE: FIS), has enabled merchants to seamlessly raise £10 million for charities through its integration at the point-of-sale (POS) with Pennies.
Start your journey now.
From retail, hospitality and technology brands looking to make a real difference, to charities looking to boost their impact, now is your chance to join the micro-donation movement.
Merchants
Collect micro-donations at the point of sale and deliver real social impact
Find the right micro-donation solution for your business
Charities
Work with Pennies and your corporate partners to receive digital donations for your charity
Use our micro-donation solutions in your own charity shops and online
Get started
Case studies
About us
Our vision, mission and what we do
Creating impact on behalf of the sector
Meet the dedicated team
Meet our trustee board
Industry support for Pennies
Recognition for Pennies
How our work is funded
Current job opportunities
Find answers to commonly asked questions
Latest news
Fintech charity Pennies’ Micro-Donation Day raises £30,000 for life-changing causes – in just one day
Pennies successfully held its first ever Micro-Donation Day on Monday, 26 August 2024 raising £30,000 for charities thanks to more than 130,000 individual donations.
Booths raises over £28K for Bags for Strife through micro-donations to support those bereaved by suicide
Since 2023, Booths has partnered with Pennies to raise funds for various local and national charities, including BAGS for Strife, raising over £28,000 through micro-donations. BAGS for Strife was set up by people who have lost loved ones to suicide. BAGS for Strife provides specially curated bags filled with items designed to help individuals navigate their grief.