Modified Thu, Nov 19, 2009 08:19 AM
Salvation Army kettles to allow credit card swipes
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close xThe red Salvation Army kettles will begin appearing outside Triangle stores today, and the fundraising standby comes with a new feature this year.
If you're short on cash, the bell-ringers will accept plastic at four locations.
Shoppers can walk up, swipe their Visa, MasterCard or American Express through a machine attached to one of the tripod's legs, punch in the amount of their donations and collect a receipt.
"With so many people telling us they don't carry cash, we want to make sure that we're not turning people away who may have donated," said spokeswoman Paige Bagwell.
In a year when requests for services have increased 35 percent and donations are down 15 percent, every potential donation matters more, Bagwell said.
This year, the Salvation Army will have almost 60 kettle locations, triple the number last year.
The Salvation Army of Wake County is one of just a few corps that have tried the electronic collections nationwide.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Salvation Army tested them last year at 12 locations. This year, it will have 82.
People tend to be more generous when donating with plastic, and they are not limited by the amount of cash they have on hand, said Dallas-area Salvation Army spokesman Pat Patey.
"Our average gift increased from $1 or $2 to about $14," he said. "If a person's going to make a donation by credit or debit card they're probably not going to do it for 50 cents or $1."
For those worried about security, the card information is not stored inside the scanner.
Shoppers can look for the electronic donation kettles outside the Walmart stores in Raleigh at 6600 Glenwood Ave. and in Cary at 2010 Kildaire Farm Road. The Triangle Town Center site will have them on the day after Thanksgiving. While the Cameron Village Harris Teeter in Raleigh will get its electronic kettle on Dec. 3.
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