Digital charity box allows you to donate by card

Tapping the Lunchbox terminal will give a thirty pence donation to school feeding charity Mary’s Meals, which provides nutritious food to more than 1.1m children every school day. Mary’s Meals sets up community-run school feeding programmes in some of the world’s poorest countries including Malawi, Liberia, India and Haiti. By providing a daily meal in school, Mary’s Meals attracts hungry children to the classroom, where they can gain an education that will help them work towards a better future.

The charity can provide a meal for an average of six pence, meaning each thirty pence donation collected by Lunchbox terminals will provide five life-changing meals to hungry children in their place of education.

Current statistics show that 80% of people in the UK already donate to charity regularly, and Earnest’s Lunchbox initiative aims to facilitate spontaneous generosity in a no-pressure environment. By placing the Lunchbox terminal at the point of sale, vendors make it easy for customers to donate.

James Wood of Earnest Labs said: “While there has been a 306.8% increase in contactless payments in the UK over the last year, we think it’s about time the world of donations moved on from change in a bucket and being hassled while you do your shopping.”

The technology will be launched on May 3^rd through partner vendors Reynolds, ICCO, Mortimers Cafe in London and Lynwood Cafe, Oxfordshire.

Alan Brown, Executive Director of Mary’s Meals UK, said: “It’s amazing the ways that people are inspired to reach out to the world’s poorest children through our work. This innovation uses some of today’s best technology to allow people with busy lives to make a real difference in the world without having to set aside time to do it.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Earnest Labs and all the London vendors who are already on board. Together we can support the world’s poorest children to achieve their full potential and help lift their communities out of poverty.”